IX. An Elegy on Henry, fourth Earl of Northumberland. ..........................................
[1]The subject of this poem, which was written by Skelton, is the death of
Henry Percy, fourth Earl of Northumberland, who fell a victim to the avarice of Henry
VII. In 1489 the parliament had granted the king a subsidy for carrying on the war in
Bretagne. This tax was found so heavy in the north, that the whole country was in a
flame. The Earl of Northumberland, then lord lieutenant for Yorkshire, wrote to
inform the king of the discontent, and praying an abatement. But nothing is so
unrelenting as avarice: the king wrote back that not a penny should be abated. This
message being delivered by the earl with too little caution, the populace rose, and,
supposing him to be the promoter of their calamity, broke into his house, and
murdered him, with several of his attendants, who yet are charged by Skelton with
being backward in their duty on this occasion. This melancholy event happened at the
earl's seat at Cocklodge, near Thirske, in Yorkshire, April 28, 1489. See Lord Bacon,
&c.
If the reader does not find much poetical merit in this old poem (which yet is
one of Skelton's best), he will see a striking picture of the state and magnificence kept
up by our ancient nobility during the feudal times. This great earl is described here as
having among his menial servants, knights, squires, and even barons. See v. 32, 183.
&c. which, however different from modern manners, was formerly not unusual with
our greater barons, whose castles had all the splendour and offices of a royal court,
before the laws against retainers abridged and limited the number of their attendants.
John Skelton, who commonly styled himself Poet Laureat, died June 21, 1529.
The following poem, which appears to have been written soon after the event, is
printed from an ancient manuscript copy preserved in the British Museum, being
much more correct than that printed among Skelton's poems, in black-letter, 12mo.
- It is addressed to Henry Percy, fifth Earl of Northumberland, and is prefaced,
&c. in the following manner:
Poeta Skelton Laureatus libellum suum metrice alloquitur.
Ad dominum properato meum mea pagina Percy,
Qui Northumbrorum jura paterna gerit,
Ad nutum celebris tu porna repone leonis,
Quæque suo patri tristia justa cano.
Ast ubi perlegit, dubiam sub mente volutet
Fortunam, cuncta qua male fida rotat.
Qui leo sit felix, & Nestoris occupet annos;
Ad libitum cujus ipse paratus ero.SKELTON LAUREAT UPON THE DOLORUS DETHE AND MUCH
LAMENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE MOOST HONORABLE ERLE OF
NORTHUMBERLANDE
I WAYLE, I wepe, I sobbe, I sigh ful sore
The dedely fate, the dolefulle destenny
Of him that is gone, alas! withoute restore,
Of the bloud[2] royall descendinge nobelly;
Whos lordshepe doutles was slayne lamentably
Thorow treson ageyn hym compassyd and wrought;
Trew to his prince, in word, in dede, and thought.