ANCIENT POEMS. 13

IV.

THE TURNAMENT OF TOTTENHAM :

OR, THE WOOEING, WINNING, AND WEDDING

TIBBE, THE REEV'S DAUGHTER THERE."

It does honour to the good sense of this nation, that while all Europe was captivated with the bewitching charms of“. Chivalry and Romance, two of our writers in the rudeft times could fee thro' the false glare that furrounded them, and difcover whatever was abfurd in them both. Chaucer wrote his Rhyme of fir Thopas in ridicule of the latter, and in the following poem we have a humourous burlesque of the former. Without pretending to decide, whether the inftitution of chivairy was upon the whole ufeful or pernicious in the rude ages, a question that has lately employed many fine-pen)*, it evidently encouraged a vindictive fpirit, and gave fuch force to the custom of duelling, that fit will probably never be avern font. This, together with the fatal confequences which often attended the diverfion of the Turnament, was fufficient to render it obnoxious to the graver part of mankind. Accordingly the Church early denounced its cenfures against it, and the State was often prevailed on to attempt its fuppreffion. But fashion and opinion are fuperior to authority; and the proclamations against Tilting were as little regarded in those times, as the laws against Duelling are in thefe. This did not escape the difcernment of our poet, who eafily perceived that inveterate opinions must be attacked by other weapons, than proclamations and cenfures; he accordingly made ufe of the keen one of RIDICULE. With this view he has here introduced, with admirable humour, a parcel of clowns, imitating all the folemnities of the Tournay. Here we have the regular

*See [Mr. Hurd's] Letters on Chivalry, 8vo. 1762. Memoires de la Chevalerie par M. de la Curne des Palais, 1759. 2 tom. 12mo, &c,

regular challenge the appointed day-the lady for the prize
-the formal preparations-the display of armour-the fcu-
cheons and devices-the oaths taken on entering the lifts-the
various accidents of the encounter-the victor leading of the
prize, and, the magnificent feafting, with all the other
folemn fopperies, that ufually attended the Axercife of the
barriery. And how acutely the fharpness of the author's bu-
mour must have been felt in those days, we may learn, from
what we can perceive of its keenness now, when time has fo
much blunted the edge of his ridicule.

THE TURNAMENT OF TOTTENHAM was first printed from an ancient MS. in 1631, 4to, by the rev. Whilken whower Bedwell, rector of Tottenham, and one of the tranflators of the Bible he tells us it was written by Gilbert Pilkington, He thought to have been fome time parfon of the fume parish, and author of another piece intitled Paffio Domini Jefu Chrifti. Bedwell, who was eminently skilled in the oriental and languages, appears to have been but little converfant with other the ancient writers in his own, and he fo little entered into the Spirit of the poem he was publishing that he contends for its being a ferious narrative of a real event, and thinks it must have been written before the time of Edward III, becaufe Turnaments were prohibited in that reign. "I do

the oriental and other languages,

..

66

66

verily beleeve, fays he, that this Turnament was acted before this proclamation of K. Edward. For how durft any to attempt to do that, although in fport, which was fo ftraightly forbidden, both by the civill and ecclefiafticall power? For although they fought not with lances, yet, as our authour fayth," It was no childrens game. And "what would have become of him, thinke you, which "fhould have flayne another in this manner of jeafting ? "Would be not, trow you, have been HANG'D FOR IT IN EARNEST? YEA, AND HAVE BENE BURIED LIKE A DOGGE?" It is however well known that Turnaments were in ufe down to the reign of Elizabeth.

In the former editions of this work, Bedwell's copy was tranfcribed here, with fome few conjectural emendations; but as Bedwell feemed to have reduced the orthography at least, if not the phraseology, to the ftandard of his own time, it was 4

with

[ volemn tournament

, and afterwards Bishop of Kilemore on Joeland, where he lived and died with the highest reputation of fanctity, in 1641

ANCIENT

POEMS.

15

with great pleasure that the Editor was informed of an ancient MS copy preferved in the Museum [Harl. MSS. 5396.] which appeared to have been tranfcribed in the reign of K. Hen. VI. about 1456. This obliging information the Editor owed to the friendship of THO. TYRWHITT, efq; and he has chiefly followed that more authentic Tranfcript, improved however by fame readings from Bedwell's

Book.

F all thes kene conquerours to carpe it were kynde ;
of fele feyztyng folk ferly we fynde;

The Turnament of Totenham have we in mynde;
It were harme fych hardynes were holden byhynde,
In ftory as we rede

Of Hawkyn, of Herry,

Of Tomkyn, of Terry,

Of them that were dughty

And ftalworth in dede.

It befel in Totenham on a dere day,
Ther was mad a fhrtyng be the hy-way:
Theder com al the men of the contray,

Of Hyffylton, of Hy-gate, and of Hakenay,

And all the fwete fwynkers.

Ther hopped Hawkyn,

10

Ther daunfed Dawkyn,

Ther trumped Tomkyn,

And all wer trewe drynkers.

Tyl the day was gon and evyn-fong paft,

That thay fchuld reckyn ther feot and ther counts caft: 20

Perkyn

Ver. 20. It is not very clear in the MS, whether it should be conts, or

conters,