doth strive,

By her more sturdy stream, the Tyne along to drive;

call, Wascrop a wearish girl, of name the first of all, That I vouchsafe for mine, until that I arrive

At Auckland, where with force me forward still to drive,

Clear Gauntless gives herself, when I begin to gad,
And whirling in and out, as I were waxed mad,
I change my posture oft, to many a snaky gyre,
To my first fountain now, as seeming to retire:
Then suddenly again I turn my wat'ry trail,
Now I indent the earth, and then I it engrail
With many a turn and trace, thus wand'ring up
and down,
[town,
Brave Durham I behold, that stately seated
That Dunholme height of yore (even) from a de-

sert won,

Whose first foundation zeal and piety begun,
By them who thither first St. Cuthbert's body
bronght,
[sought
To save it from the Danes, by fire and sword that
Subversion of those things that good and holy were,
With which beloved place, I seem so pleased here,
As that I clip it close, and sweetly hug it in

My clear and amorous arms, as jealous time should win

Me farther off from it, as our divorce to be.
Hence like a lusty flood most absolutely free,
None mixing then with me, as I do mix with none,
But scorning a colleague, nor near me any one,
To Neptune's court I come; for note along the
strand,

[land, From Hartlepoole (even) to the point of SunderAs far as Wardenlaws can possibly survey; There's not a flood of note hath entrance to the sea." [Tyne, Here ended she her speech, when as the goodly (Northumberland that parts from this shire Palatine) [Wer

Which patiently had heard, look as before the Had taken up the Teis, so Tyne now takes up her, For her so tedious talk, "Good Lord," quoth she," had I

No other thing wherein my labour to employ, But to set out myself, how much (well) could I

say,

[way In mine own proper praise, in this kind every As skilful as the best; I could if I did please, Of my two fountains tell, which of their sundry ways,

[Tyne, The South and North are nam'd, entitled both of As how the prosperous springs of these two floods of mine [nam'd Are distant thirty miles, how that the South-Tyne From Stanmore takes her spring, for mines of brass that's fam'd, [sprung, How that nam'd of the North, is out of Wheel-fell Amongst these English Alps, which as they run along,

England and Scotland here impartially divide. How South-Tyne setting out from Cumberland is ply'd

A mountain on that part of the shire.

How th' Allans, th' Fast and West, their bounties to her bring,

spring,

[in, My other North-nam'd Tyne, thro' Tindale maketh Which Shele her hand-maid hath, and as she hastes to twin [clear Rhead, With th' other from the south, her sister, how With Perop comes prepar'd, and Cherlop, me to lead, [then Through Ridsdale on my way, as far as Exham, Dowell me homage doth, with blood of English[war Whose stream was deeply dy'd in that most cruel Of Lancaster and York. Now having gone so far, Their strengths the their dear Tyne, do wondrously enrich, [which

men,

As how clear Darwent draws down to Newcastle, The honour hath alone to entertain me there, As of those mighty ships, that in my mouth 1 bear, Fraught with my country coal, of this Newcastle nam'd, [fam'd For which both far and near, that place no less is Than India for her mines; should I at large declare [spare,

My glories, in which time commands me to be And I but slightly touch, which stood I to report, As freely as I might, ye both would fall too short Of me; but know, that Tyne hath greater things [stand For, to trick up ourselves, whilst trifling thus we Bewitch'd with our own praise, at all we never note,

in hand:

How the Albanian floods now lately set afloat, With th' honour to them done, take heart and loudly cry

Defiance to us all, on this side Tweed that lie ; Aud bark the high-brow'd hills aloud begin to ring, With sound of things that Forth prepared is to sing: When once the Muse arrives on the Albanian shore, And therefore to make up our forces here before The onset they begin, the battles we have got, Both on our earth and theirs, against the valiant Scot,

I undertake to tell; then, Muses, I entreat Your aid, whilst I these fights in order shall repeat. "When mighty Malcolm here had with a violent hand,

(As he had oft before) destroy'd Northumberland, In Rufus' troubled reign, the warlike Mowbray then, [men, This earldom that possess'd, with half the power of For conquest which that king from Scotland hither drew,

At Alnwick in the field their armies overthrew ; Where Malcolm and his son, brave Edward both were found: [ground, Slain on that bloody field: so on the English When David king of Scots, and Henry his stern

son,

Entitled by those times, the earl of Huntingdon, Had forag'd all the north, beyond the river Teis, In Stephen's troubled reign, in as tumultuous days As England ever knew, the archbishop of York, Stout Thurstan, and with him join'd in that warlike work,

Ralph (both for wit and arms) of Durham bishop

then

Renown'd, that called were the valiant clergymen, With th' earl of Aubemerle, Especk, and Peverell, knights,

And of the Lacies two, oft try'd in bloody fights, 'Twixt Allerton and York, the doubtful battle got, On David and his son, whilst of th' invading Scot Ten thousand strew'd the earth, and whilst they lay to bleed, [Tweed. Ours follow'd them that fled, beyond our sister And when Fitz-empress' next in Normandy, and here,

And his rebellious sons in high combustions were, William the Scottish king, taking advantage then,

And entering with an host of eighty thousand men, As far as Kendal came, where captains then of ours, Which aid in Yorkshire rais'd, with the Northumbrian powers,

His forces overthrew, and him a prisoner led.

"So Longshanks, Scotland's scourge, him to that country sped,

Provoked by the Scots, that England did invade, And on the borders here such spoil and havoc made,

[me. That all the land lay waste betwixt the Tweed and This most courageous king, from them his own to free,

Before proud Berwick set his puissant army down, And took it by strong siege, since when that warlike town

As cautionary long the English after held.

But tell me, all ye floods, when was there such a field

By any nation yet, as by the English won,
Upon the Scottish power, as that of Halidon:
Seven earls, nine hundred horse, and of foot-

soldiers more, [gore Near twenty thousand slain, so that the Scottish Ran down the hill in streams (even) in Albania's sight. [nowned knight, By our third Edward's prowess, that most reAs famous was that fight of his against the Scot, As that against the French, which he at Cressy got.

[vance

And when that conquering king did afterward adHis title, and had past his warlike powers to France,

And David king of Scots here enter'd to invade, To which the king of France did that false lord persuade, [bands, Against his given faith, from France to draw his To keep his own at home, or to fill both his hands With war in both the realms: was ever such a loss,

To Scotland yet befell, as that at Nevil's-cross, Where fifteen thousand Scots their souls at once forsook, [soner took Where stout John Copland then king David priI' th' head of all his troops, that bravely there was [queen, When English Philip, that brave Amazonian Encouraging her men from troop to troop did ride, And where our clergy had their ancient valour try'd:

seen.

[short.

Thus often coming in, they have gone out too And next to this the fight of Nesbit I report,

3 ! Henry II.

When Hebborn that stout Scot, and his had all their hire,

| [tire Which int' our marches came, and with invasive Our villages laid waste, for which defeat of ours, When doughty Douglas came with the Albanian powers. [gave

At Holmdon do but see, the blow our Hotspur To that bold daring Scot, before him how he drave His army, and with shot of our brave English bows Did wound them on the backs, whose breasts were hurt with blows,

Ten thousand put to sword, with many a lord and knight, [outright, Some prisoners, wounded some, some others slain And ent'ring Scotland then, all Tividale o'erran. "Or who a braver field than th' earl of Surrey [bravely bore, Where their king James the Fourth himself so That since, that age wherein he lived, nor those be. fore,

'wan,

As when the noble duke of Norfolk made a road
To Scotland, and therein his hostile fire bestow'd
On well-near thirty towns, and staying there so
long,

Till victual waxed weak, the winter waxing strong,
Returning over Tweed, his bootics home to bring,
Which to the very heart did vex the Scottish king,
The fortune of the duke extremely that did grudge,
Remaining there so long, and doing there so much,
Thinking to spoil and waste in England, as before
The Englishmen had done on the Albanian shore,
And gathering up his force, before the English fied
To Scotland's utmost bounds, thence into England
sped,
[friend,

When that brave bastard son of Dacres, and his
John Musgrave, which had charge the marches to
attend,
[hundred horse,
With Wharton, a proud knight, with scarce four
Encountering on the plain with all the Scottish force,
Thence from the field with them, so many prisoners
brought,
[caught,
Which in that furious fight were by the English
That there was scarce a page or lackey but had
store,
[and more,
Earls, barons, knights, esquires, two hundred there
Of ordinary men seven hundred made to yield,
There scarcely hath been heard, of such a
foughten field,

That James the Fifth to think, that but so very few,
His universal power so strangely should subdue,
So took the same to heart, that it abridg'd his life;
Such foils by th' English given, amongst the Scots

were rife.

coast.

seas.

[bear With his full forces then, Q Forth! then didst thou That navy on thy stream, whose bulk was fraught

with fear,

When Edinburgh and Leith into the air were blown With powder's sulphurous smoke, and twenty towns were thrown

Upon the trampled earth, and into ashes trod; As int' Albania when he made a secoud road, In our sixth Edward's days, when those two martial men, [again; Which conquer'd there before, were thither sent But for their high deserts, with greater titles grac'd, The first created duke of Somerset, the last The earl of Warwick made, at Musselborough field, Where many a doughty Scot that did disdain to yield, [space Was on the earth laid dead, where as for five miles' In length, and four in breadth, the English in the chase, [ground, With carcases of Scots, strew'd all their natural The number of the slain were fourteen thousand

rose

With Westmoreland his peer, suggested by the foes To great Eliza's reign, and peaceful government; Wherefore that puissant queen him to Albania sent, Who fifty rock-rear'd piles and castles having cast Far lower than their scites, and with strong fires defac'd [worth carrying brought Three hundred towns, their wealth, with him To England over Tweed." When now the floods besought

The Tyne to hold her tongue, when presently began A rumour, which each where through all the country ran, [among,

Of this proud river's speech, the hills and floods And Lowes, a forest-nymph, the same so loudly [Ridsdale ran, sung, That it thro' Tyndale straight, and quite through And sounded shriller there, than when it first began, That those high Alpine hills, as in a row they stand, Receiv'd the sounds, which thus went on from hand to hand. [it told, The high-rear'd Red-squire first, to Aumond hill When Aumond great therewith, nor for his life

could hold,

To Kembelspeth again, the business but relate,
To Black-Brea he again, a mountain holding state
With any of them all, to Cocklaw he it gave;
And Cocklaw it again, to Cheviot, who did rave
With the report thereof, he from his mighty stand,
Resounded it again through all Northumberland,
That White-squire lastly caught, and it to Ber-
wick sent,

[tinent,

That brave and warlike town, from thence inconThe sound from out the south, into Albania came, And many a lusty flood, did with her praise inflame, Affrighting much the Forth, who from her trance awoke,

And to her native strength her presently betook,

[been lost, But Pictswall all this while, as though he had Not mention'd by the Muse, began to fret and fume, [sume That every petty brook thus proudly should preTo talk; and he whom first the Romans did invent, [ment, And of their greatness yet the long'st-liv'd monuShould thus be over-trod; wherefore his wrong to wreak, [speak: In their proud presence thus, doth aged Pictswall "Methinks that Offa's-ditch in Cambria should [and care To think himself my match, who with such cost The Romans did erect, and for my safeguard set Their legions, from my spoil the prowling Pict to let, That often inroads made, our earth from them to win,

not dare

By Adrian beaten back, so he to keep them in,
To sea from east to west, begun me first a wall
Of eighty miles in length, 'twixt Tyne and Eden's
fall:
[tain.
Long making me they were, and long did me main--
Nor yet that trench which tracts the western Wilt-
shire plain,
[me,
Of Woden, Wansdyke call'd, should parallel with
Comparing our descents, which shall appear to be
Mere upstarts, basely born; for when I was in
band,

The Saxon had not then set foot upon this land,
Till my declining age, and after many a year,
Of whose poor petty kings, those the small labours
[but now,

were.

That on Newmarket-heath made up as though
Who for the Devil's work the vulgar dare avow,
Tradition telling none, who truly it began,
Where many a reverend book can tell you of my

man,

And when I first decay'd, Severus going on,
What Adrian built of turf, he builded new of stone;
And after many a time, the Britons me repair'd,
To keep me still in plight, nor cost they ever spar'd.
Towns stood upon my length, where garrisons were
laid,

Their limits to defend; and for my greater aid,
With turrets I was built where centinels were plac'd,
To watch upon the Pict; so me my makers grac'd
With hollow pipes of brass, along me still that went,
By which they in one fort still to another sent,
By speaking in the saine, to tell them what to do,
And so from sea to sea could I be whisper'd thro':
Upon my thickness three march'd eas❜ly breast to
breast,

Twelve foot was I in height, such glory I possess'd."
Old Pictswall with much pride thus finishing his

plea,

Had in his utmost course attain'd the eastern sea, Yet there was hill nor flood once heard to clap a [stand:

hand;

For the Northumbrian nymphs had come to underThat Tyne exulting late o'er Scotland in her song, (Which over all that realm report had loudly rung) The Caledonian Forth' so highly had displeas'd, And many another flood, which could not be appeas'd,

* See song 21.

"The great river on which Edinburgh standeth.

That they had vow'd revenge, and proclamation

made,

That in a learned war the foe they would invade, And like stout floods stand free from this supputed shame, [name: Or conquer'd give themselves up to the English Which these Northumbrian nymphs, with doubt and terrour struck,

[to look, Which knew they from the foe for nothing were But what by skill they got, and with much care should keep, [deep, And therefore they consult by meeting in the To be deliver'd from the ancient enemies' rage, That they would all upon a solemn pilgrimage Unto the Holy-isle, the virtue of which place, They knew could very much avail them in this case: For many a blessed saint in former ages there, Secluded from the world, to abstinence and prayer Had given up themselves, which in the German main,

And from the shore not far, did in itself contain Sufficient things for food, which from those holy

throng,

prefer

As that they seem to threat the ocean; for with her Comes Ridley, Ridland next, with Usway, which [fame, Their fountains to her flood, who for her greater Hath at her fall an isle, call'd Cocket of her name, As that great Neptune should take notice of her state; [a gait, Then Alne by Alnwick comes, and with as proud As Cocket came before, for whom at her fair fall, (In bravery as to show, that she surpass'd them all) The famous isle of Ferne, and Staples aptly stand, And at her coming forth, do kiss her christal hand. Whilst these resolv'd upon their pilgrimage, proceed, [Tweed, Till for the love she bears to her dear mistress Of Bramish leaves the name, by which she hath her birth; [earth, And though she keep her course upon the English Yet Bowbent, a bright nymph, from Scotland com[win. ing in,

To go with her to Tweed, the wanton flood doth Though at this headstrong stream, proud Flodden from his height

Doth daily seem to fret, yet takes he much delight Her loveliness to view, as on to Tweed she strains, Where whilst this mountain much for her sweet

scarcely found,

[doth stand, But gives that dale her name, where Kendal town For making of our cloth scarce match'd in all the land. [train, Then keeping on her course, though having in her But Sput, a little brook, then Winster doth retain, Tow'rds the Vergivian sea, by her two mighty falls, (Which the brave Roman tongue, her Catadupa calls)

This eager river seems outrageously to roar, And counterfeiting Nile, to deaf the neighbouring shore,

To which she by the sound apparently doth show, The season foul or fair, as then the wind doth blow: For when they to the north the noise do eas'liest

hear,

They constantly aver the weather will be clear; . And when they to the south, again they boldly say, It will be clouds or rain the next approaching day. To the Hibernic gulf, when soon the river hastes, And to these queachy sands, from whence herself [she

she casts,

She likewise leaves her name, as every place where In her clear course doth come, by her should honour'd be.

! See`song 27th.

As from this fall of Can, still keeping in our eye, The source of long-liv'd Lun2, I long-liv'd do her call;

[all,

For of the British floods, scarce one amongst then
Such state as to herself, the destinies assign,
By christ'ning in her course a county Palatine ;
For Luncaster, so nam'd, the fort upon the Lun,
And Lancashire the name from Lancaster begun :
Yet tho' she be a flood, such glory that doth gain,
In that the British crown doth to her state pertain,
Yet Westmoreland alone not only boasts her birth,
But for her greater good the kind Westmerian earth
Clear Burbeck her bequeaths, and Barrow to attend
Her grace, till she her name to Lancaster do lend.
With all the speed we can, to Cumberland we hie,
(Still longing to salute the utmost Albany)
By Eden, issuing out of Husseat-Moruill hill,
And pointing to the north, as then a little rill,
There simply takes her leave of her sweet sister
Swale,

Born to the self-same sire, but with a stronger gale, Tow'rds Humber hies her course, but Eden making on,

Thro' Malerstrang hard by, a forest woe begone In love with Eden's eyes, of the clear Naiades kind, Whom thus the wood-nymph grects: "What passage shalt thou find,

My most beloved brook, in making to thy bay, That wand'ring art to wend through many a crooked way,

[strait, Far under banging hills, through many a cragged And few the wat'ry kind, upon thee to await, Opposed in thy course with many a rugged cliff, Besides the northern winds against thy stream so stiff, [course, As by main strength they meant to stop thee in thy And send thee eas'ly back to Moruill to thy source. O my bright lovely Brook, whose name doth bear the sound

Of God's first garden-plot, th' imparadised ground, Wherein he placed man, from whence by sin he fell. O little blessed Brook, how doth my bosom swell With love I bear to thee! the day cannot suffice For Malerstrang to gaze upon thy beauteous eyes." This said, the forest rubb'd her rugged front the while;

Clear Eden looking back, regrets her with a smile, And simply takes her leave, to get into the main; When Below, a bright nymph, from Stanmore down doth strain

To Eden, as along to Appleby she makes, Which passing, to her train, next Troutbeck in she takes,

And Levenant than these a somewhat lesser rill, When Glenkwin greets her well, and happily to fill, Her more abundant banks, from Ulls, a mighty

meer

[clear, On Cumberland's confines, comes Eymot neat and And Loder doth allure, with whom she haps to meet, Which at her coming in, doth thus her mistress

[please, Why should not Loder then, her mistress Eden With this, as other floods delighted are with these." When Eden, though she seem'd to make unusual haste,

About clear Loder's neck yet lovingly doth cast Her oft enfolding arms, as Westmoreland she leaves,

Where Cumberland again as kindly her receives. Yet up her wat'ry hands, to Winfield forest holds In her rough woody arms, which amorously enfolds

Clear Eden coming by, with all her wat'ry store, In her dark shades, and seems her parting to deplore. [dering sands,

But southward sallying hence, to those sea-borWhere Dudden driving down to the Lancastrian lands,

[fine This Cumberland cuts out, and strongly doth conThis meeting there with that, both merely maritine,

Where many a dainty rill out of her native dale, To the Vergivian makes, with many a pleasant gale; [lass,

As Eske her farth'st, so first, a coy-bred Cumbrian Who cometh to her road, renowned Ravenglass, By Devock driven along, (which from a largebrimm'd lake,

To bie her to the sea, with greater haste doth make) Meets Nyte, a nimble brook, their rendezvous that keep

yawn,

In Ravenglass, when soon into the bluish deep Comes Irt, of all the rest, though small, the richest girl, [pearl, Her costly bosom strew'd with precious orient Bred in her shining shells, which to the deaw doth [spawn, Which deaw they sucking in, conceive that lusty Of which when they grow great, and to their fulness swell, [dearly sell. They cast, which those at hand there gathering, This clear pearl-paved Irt, Eleng to the harbour brings, [sings From Copland coming down, a forest-nymph, which Her own praise, and those floods, their fountains,

that derive [strive : From her, which to extol, the forest thus doth "Ye northern Dryades", all adorn'd with moun

tains steep,

[keep,

Upon whose hoary/ heads cold winter long doth Where often rising hills, deep dales and many make, [spread lake, Where many a pleasant spring, and many a large. Their clear beginnings keep, and do their names bestow [eas❜ly flow; Upon those humble vales, through which they Whereas the mountain nymphs, and those that do frequent [merriment,

The fountains, fields, and groves, with wondrous By moon-shine, many a night, do give each other chase, [base,

At hood-wink, barley-break, at tick, or prisonWith tricks, and antique toys, that one another mock, [to rock.

That skip from crag to crag, and leap from rock

3 See song 5, 10, 27. 4 Nymphs of the forest.