X. THE TOWER OF DOCTRINE. The reader has here a specimen of the descriptive powers of STEPHEN HAWES, a celebrated poet in the reign of Hen. VII, though now little known. It is extracted from an allegorical poem of his (written in 1505,) intitled, "The Hist. of Graunde Amoure & "La Belle Pucel, called the Palace of Pleasure, &c." 4to. 1555. See more of Hawes in Ath. Ox. v. 1. P. 6. and Warton's Observ. v. 2. p. 105. He was also author of a book, intitled, "The Temple of Glass. "Wrote by Stephen Hawes, gentleman of the bed"chamber to K. Henry VII." Pr. for Caxton, 4to. no date. The following Stanzas are taken from Chap. III. and IV. of the Hist. above mentioned. "How Fame "departed from Graunde Amour and left him with "Governaunce and Grace, and howe he went to the "Tower of Doctrine, &c."-As we are able to give no small lyric piece of Hawes's, the reader will excuse the insertion of this extract. I LOKED about and saw a craggy roche, Farre in the west neare to the element, And as I dyd then unto it approche, The royal tower of MORALL DOCUMENT, Made of fine copper with turrettes fayre and hye, Which against Phebus shone soe marveylously, 5 That for the very perfect bryghtnes Of that palaice, whereas Doctrine did wonne: Then to the tower I drewe, nere and nere, 10 15 Gargeyld with grayhoundes, and with many lyons, 20 Made of fyne golde; with divers sundry dragons.* The little turrets with ymages of golde About was set, whiche with the wynde aye moved. With propre vices, that I did well beholde About the tower, in sundry wyse they hoved That with the wynd they pyped a daunce The toure was great of marveylous wydnes, 25 To whyche ther was no way to passe but one, 30 Into the toure for to have an intres: V. 25. towers. PC. Greyhounds, Lions, Dragons, were at that time the royal supporters. A grece there was ychesyld all of stone Out of the rocke, on whyche men dyd gone Up to the toure, and in lykewyse dyd I Wyth bothe the Grayhoundes in my company:* 35 Tyll that I came unto a ryall gate, Where I sawe stondynge the goodly Portres, Whyche axed me, from whence I came a-late; To whome I gan in every thynge expresse All myne adventure, chaunce, and busynesse, 40 And eke my name; I tolde her every dell: Whan she herde this she lyked me right well. Her name, she sayd, was called COUNTENAUNCE; 45 Of whyche there flowed foure ryvers ryght clere, 50 I dyd than taste the aromatyke lycoure, V. 44. besy courte. PC. V. 49. partyes. PC. *This alludes to a former part of the Poem. And in my mouthe it had a marvelous scent And after thys further forth me brought 55 Dame Countenaunce into a goodly Hall, Of jasper stones it was wonderly wrought: The wyndowes cleare depured all of crystall, 60 And in the roufe on bye over all Of golde was made a ryght crafty vyne; Instede of grapes the rubies there did shyne. The flore was paved with berall clarified, 65 The hall was hanged hye and circuler With cloth of arras in the rychest maner, 70 That treated well of a ful noble story, Of the doubty waye to the Tower Perillous ;* Howe a noble knyght should wynne the victory Of many a serpente foule and odious. * The story of the poem. XI. THE CHILD OF ELLE, is given from a fragment in the Editor's folio MS.: which, though extremely defective and mutilated, appeared to have so much merit, that it excited a strong desire to attempt a completion of the story. The Reader will easily discover the supplemental stanzas by their inferiority, and at the same time be inclined to pardon it, when he considers how difficult it must be to imitate the affecting simplicity and artless beauties of the original. CHILD was a title sometimes given to a knight. See Gloss. ON yonder hill a castle standes The Child of Elle to his garden went, 5 page Come trippinge downe the dale. The Child of Elle he hyed him thence, Y-wis he stoode not stille, And soone he mette faire Emmelines page Come climbing up the hille. 10 |