yttselfe. The Holye Spryte cannot bee the goode thynges ande vyrtues of a manns mynde, sythence bie hymm wee bee toe fast keepe yese goode thynges: gyff wee bee toe keepe a vyrtue bie thatte vyrtue ytt selfe, meethynckes the custos bee notte fytted toe the charge. The Spryte orr Godde ys the auctoure of those goode thynges and bie hys obeisaunce dheie mote alleyne bee helde. I maie notte be doltysh ne hereticalle toe saie, whate wee calle consyence ys the hyltren warninge of the Spryte, to forsake our evylle waies before he dothe solely leave our steinedd soughles. Nete bee a greaterr proofe of mie argument thann the wurchys of Holye Spryte. Hee createdd manne, hee forslaggen hymm, hee agayne raysedd mann fromm the duste, ande havethe savedd all mankynde fromme eterne rewynn; he raysedd Chryste fromme the deade, hee made the worlde, and hee shalle destroye ytt. Gyff the Spryte bee notte Godde, howe bee ytt the posessynge of the Spryte dothe make a manne sayedd toe bee borne of Godde? Ytt requyreth the power of Godde toe make a manne a new creatyonn, yette suche dothe the Spryte. Thus sayethe Seyncte Gregorie Naz. Of the Spryte and hys wurchys: Γενᾶται Χριστος προτρέχει Βαπτίζεται μαρτυρεῖ· Πειραζέται αναγεῖ• Δυναμεις ἐπιτελεῖ. ξυμπαραμαρτεῖ· Ανέρχεται.*

1

The Greek quotation from Gregory Nazianzen contains in itself the most unquestionable proof that it was not copied from any MS. of the fifteenth century. It will be allowed, I presume, that Chatterton could only copy the characters which he found in the originals. He had no skill to vary the forms of the letters, to combine those which were apart, or to separate those which were connected together. We may be certain, therefore, that his transcript (involuntary errors excepted) was in all respects as like to his archetype as he could make it. But his transcript differs totally from all the specimens which I have ever seen of Greek writing in the fifteenth century. It appears to me to have been evidently copied from a printed book.-TYRWHITT.

[Mr. Tyrwhitt has annexed a fac-simile of the MS. in Chatterton's hand writing with the Greek attached, from which any reader can judge for himself. The Greek quotation is from Greg. Nazian. Orat. xxx. v. i. p. 610. edit. Paris, 1639. In Chatterton's fragment, the sentence is left imperfect for want of the verb diadeɣETαí.-ED.

EXTRACTS FROM CHAUCER.*

But great harme was ytt as it thoughte me,
That on his skinne a mormall had he.

Chaucer's charac. Coke.

Rounde was his face and camisde was his nose.

Sounde of men at labor.

Reevr's Tale.

To plaies of miracles and to maryages.

Wyfe of Bathe, Prologue.

Doe come he saied mye minstrales,

And jestours for to tellen us tales,

Anon yn mine armynge,

Of romaunces that been reials,
Of Popes and of Cardinauls,
And eeke of love longing.

Rime of Sir Thopas.

Of all mannere of minstrales

And jestours that tellen tales,
Both of weeping and of yame,

And of all that longeth unto fame.

The Third Book of Fame.

Chaucer, when of the Inner Temple, as appears by the record, was fined two shillings for beating a Franciscan Friar in Fleet street.

Speght.

* From a MS. in Chatterton's hand-writing in the British Museum. [These Extracts are worth preserving, as they evidence Chatterton's acquaintance with Speght and Chaucer, and shew that his habit was to transcribe such passages as he afterwards intended to introduce in his works. At the end of the Antiquity of Christmas Games, he has printed two of the above extracts.-SOUTHEY's Edition.]

Account

of the

Family of the De Berghams,

from the

Norman Conquest

to this time.

Collected from original Records, Tournament Rolls, and the Heralds of March and Garters' Records..by

Thomas Chatterton.

Instead of this Pedigree being founded on original and well-attested documents, as Chatterton affirmed, I have no hesitation in expressing an opinion that the whole is a fabrication, and that from the following considerations.

In the first place Chatterton commences the work with an erroneous assertion, No such person as "Simon de Leyncte Lyze, alias Senliz," came to England with William the Conqueror, as appears from an examination of the list of Names, still extant. And in affirming that this Senliz was created Earl of Northampton, by William, after the execution of the former Earl of that name, it is contrary to express and acknowledged fact.

Nor are the authorities which Chatterton cites in support of his assertions entitled to greater credit. We have heard of Oral traditions, but Oral Deeds, Writings and Tournament Rolls, are a new and inadmissible species of evidence. And although with many Readers the authority of Rowley may still be deemed legitimate, yet the Records of MARCH and GARTER, So often referred to, are absolute non-entities; these titles being applied to officers only in different departments of Heraldry, and not to particular Writings.

There are two Lancashire families of the name of Chatterton, but neither of them is entitled to arms. resembling in any respect that ascribed to "RADCLIFF DE CHATTERTON." (A most significant and appropriate Name!) The first being, Gules, a Cross Potent Cross'd, Or, and the second, Argent, a Cheveron, Gules, between three Tent Hooks.

With respect to the Authorities which Chatterton gives for his Emblazonments, they will be found to consist merely of a number of names, well known in Heraldry, as might be supposed, without any particular reference, amongst which frequently appear, March! Garter! and Rowley!

In order to ascertain, in a general way, what portion of Truth was contained in the Pedigree of De Burgham, I have examined several of the works referred to in the margin of the MS. and find, except in one instance, the information pretended to be derived from them wholly unfounded. This one exception refers to Sir William Moleneux, who is mentioned at nearly the end of the Manuscript as having died at Canterbury, on his return from the wars in Spain, in the Year 1372, and at which place he was buried with a latin Inscription. This information and inscription are accurately taken from WEAVER'S FUNERAL MONUMENTS, page 234, and to which Chatterton directs the Reader. But there is collateral evidence that Chatterton was acquainted with this Work, as he refers to it in his account of the Christmas Games.

Several Epitaphs and Paragraphs in old French and Latin will appear in different parts of the following Pedigree; but it should be remarked that Chatterton did not understand what he had thus written, as he uniformly applied for an explanation to Barrett, the Historian of Bristol; and the translations which are given, are accurately printed from Barrett's hand-writing, which invariably follows the Latin and French in the original MS.

The ingenuity which Chatterton discovered in adopting and applying quotations from languages which he did not understand, will be very observable, and shew that he not only possessed no ordinary share of perseverance, but a power of assembling the plausible, and it may be added, a love, a very PASSION for imposing on the credulity of others. Remarks by Mr. Cottle.

Copied from the Original Drawings in the British Museum.