And foon thofe honoured dear remains
To England were convey'd;
And there within their filent, tombs,
With holy rites were laid.

For me, I loath'd my wretched life,
And long to end it thought;
Till time, and books, and holy men
Had better counfels taught.

They rais'd my heart to that pure fource,
Whence heavenly comfort flows:
They taught me to defpife the world,
And calmly bear its woes.

No more the flave of human pride,
Vain hope, and fordid care;
I meekly vowed to fpend my life
In penitence and prayer.

The bold Sir BERTRAM now no more,
Impetuous, haughty, wild;

But poor and humble BENEDICT,
Now lowly, patient, mild:

My lands I gave to feed the poor,
And facred altars raise;

And here a lonely Anchorete
I came to end my days.

This fweet fequeftered vale I chose,
These rocks, and hanging grove;
For oft befide that murmuring ftream
My love was wont to rove.

39

My

My noble Friend approv'd my choice,
This bleft retreat he gave:

And here I carv'd her beauteous form,
And scoop'd this holy cave.

Full fifty winters, all forlorn,
My life I've lingered here;
And daily o'er this sculptured faint
I drop the penfive tear.

And thou, dear brother of my heart,
So faithful and so true,
The fad remembrance of thy fate
Still makes my bofom rue!

Yet not unpitied pass'd my life,
Forfaken, or forgot,

The PERCY and his noble Sons
Would grace my lowly cot.

Oft the great Earl from toils of ftate,
And cumbrous pomp of power,
Would gladly feek my little cell
To spend the tranquil hour.

But length of life is length of woe,
I liv'd to mourn his fall:

I liv'd to mourn his godlike Sons,
And friends and followers all.

But thou the honours of thy race,

Lov'd youth, fhalt now reftore; And raise again the PERCY name More glorious than before.

He

He ceas'd, and on the lovely pair

His choiceft bleffings laid:

While they with thanks and pitying tears
His mournful tale repaid.

And now what prefent course to take
They afk the good old fire:
And guided by his fage advice
To Scotland they retire.

Mean-time their fuit fuch favour found
At RABY's stately hall,
Earl Neville and his princely Spouse
Now gladly pardon all.

She fuppliant at her * Nephew's throne
The royal grace implor'd:

To all the honours of his race

The PERCY was reftor'd.

The youthful Earl still more and more
Admir'd his beauteous dame:
NINE noble SONS to him fhe bore,
All worthy of their name.

* King Henry V. Anno 1414.

THE END OF THE BALLAD.

The account given in the foregoing ballad of young PERCY, the fon of HorSPUR, is confirmed by the following Extract from an old Chronicle formerly belonging to Whit by Abbey.

1

" HENRY PERCY, the fon of Sir HENRY PERCY, "flayne at Shrewefbury, and of ELIZABETH, the "daughter of the Erle of Marche, after the death "of his Father and Grauntfyre, was exiled into "Scotland* in the time of king Henry the Fourth: "but in the time of king Henry the Fifth, by the "labour of JOHANNE the countes of Weftmerland, (whofe daughter ALLANOR he had wedded in coming into England,) he recovered the king's 66 grace, and the countye of Northumberland, fo "was the fecond Erle of Northumberland.

6.6

"And of this Allanor his wife, he begate IX "Sonnes, and III Daughters, whofe names be "JOHANNE, that is burried at Whytbye: THOMAS, "lord Egremont: KATHARYNE GRAY of Rythyn: "Sir RAFFE PERCY: WILLIAM PERCY, a Bishopp: "RICHARD PERCY: JOHN, that dyed WITHOUT "ISSUE: (another JOHN, called by Vincent+ Jo"hannes Percy fenior de Warkworth':) GEORGE "PERCY, Clerk: HENRY that dyed WITHOUT "ISSUE: ANNE (befides the eldest son and fucceffor here omitted, because he comes in below, viz.)

"HENRY PERCY, the THIRD Erle of NORTHUMBERLAND."

Vid. Harl. MSS. No. 692. (26.) in the British Museum.

* i. e. remained an Exile in Scotland during the Reign of king Henry IV. In Scotia exulavit tempore Henrici quarti• Lat. MS. penes Duc. North.

See his Great Baronag. No, 20. in the Heralds office.

POSTSCRIPT.

will perhaps gratify the curious Reader to be informed, that from a word or two formerly legible over one of the Chapel Doors, it is believed that the Text there infcribed was that Latin verfe of the Pfalmift,* which is in our Translation,

MY TEARS HAVE BEEN MY MEAT DAY AND NIGHT.

It is alfo certain, that the memory of the first Hermit was held in such regard and veneration by the PERCY Family; that they afterwards maintained a Chantry Priest, to refide, in the Hermitage, and celebrate Mafs in the Chapel: whofe allowance, uncommonly liberal and munificent, was continued down to the Diffolution of the Monafteries; and then the whole Salary, together with the Hermitage and all its dependencies, reverted back to the Family, having never been endowed in mortmain. On this account we have no Record, which fixes the date of the Foundation, or gives any particular account of the firft Hermit; but the following Inftrument will fhew the liberal Exhibition afforded to his Succeffors. It is the Patent granted to the laft Hermit in 1532, and is copied from an ancient MS. book of Grants, &c. of the VIth Earl of Northumberland, in Henry the VIIIths time. †

* Pfal. xlii. 3. Northumb.

F 2

SIR

Claffed, F. I. No. 1. penes Duc.