The chardge, and beareth of all them cure,
That they ben suffred so long to endure
In their great errour, which is understand
By all the people of everie land.

And as it is written in the Gospell,

Thou shouldest shew the light of true doctrine,

It should not be hid under a bushell;

No love nor feare should thee undermyne:

But now wee see that all true discipline,
For feare or love of mightie estates,
Is put a part by all prelates.

The pope's censures ben greevous and sore,

But they be not taken with you in credence ; They ben despised dailie, more and more.

Ye know that in open audience,

Solemplie they have ben executed with reverence; Therefore religious we thinke, and reguler, That singeth masse with you ben irreguler.

It is tyme for you to be reconciled,
Of this matter now we will end;

Ye have ben to long from trouth exiled,
The tyme is now come for you to amend,
A convenable tyme is to you sent;
The tyme of Lent, the mirrour of mercy,
For all them that will reverse their folie.

Retourne ones, and forsake this folie,

If anie there be revolved in your mynd; Correct yourself, amend it shortlie,

And to your soveraigne lord be not unkind:

The people tongues no man can bind.

In such cases they saie, now and then,
The best clearkes be not the wysest men.

O Ireland, Ireland! by what conclusion
Is thy mirrour of beutie eclipsed all?
By murder, slaughter, and great rebellion,
Thy fertill bondes have had great fall,
Thy stynge of venyme, as bitter as gall.
Fortune have cast on thee so her chaunce,
That alwaies thow must stand in variaunce.

Reverend father, and our masters all,
Wee make to you our protestation,
Not to offend one, nor you in generall;
But for to represse your great rebellion
We send to you this our conclusion;
Hereby heartalie praying you that you applie;
For your rather* dealing we be right sorie.

Thinke not in us no malice or envie,

For of your honour we would be right faine,†

And of your reproche we be full sorie;

We pray to God that we may once againe

Your old worship, trouth, and manhood attaine;

So that ye please God and the kinge,

And eftsones to keape you from all ill dealing.

* Earlier; the comparative of the Saxon rathe. Early, soon; rather is still used in the sense of sooner.

+ Glad.

Immediately; soon after; from the Saxon eft, after. It occurs frequently in Spenser; in whose time, however, it was beginning to be obsolete.

Take the matter and leave the dittie,

For 'tis a cause of great pittie,

Take no disdaine,

quoth James Rice.

"The citie of Waterford," says that "learned gentleman, Maister Richard Stanihurst," as the old chronicler, Holinshed, styles him, " hath continued to the crowne of England so loiall, that it is not found registred since the conquest to have beene distained with the smallest spot, or dusked with the least freckle of treason; notwithstanding the sundrie assaults of traitorous attempts: and, therefore, the citie's armes are deckt with this golden word, Intacta manet: a posie as well to be hartilie followed, as greatlie admired of all true and loiall townes."

The motto of "Urbs intacta manet Waterfordia,” which forms the burden of the following verses, was conferred on the city, with other honours, by Henry VII., for the conduct of the mayor and citizens against Perkin Warbeck. The date of this composition is satisfactorily

fixed, by the twentieth and twenty-second verses, to be about 1545. In the former, Henry VIIIth's present to the city of Waterford of a sword of justice in 1523, is spoken of as "lately sent ;" and in the latter, the term,

our triumphant king" (which would scarcely be applied to Edward VI.), must have been written subsequent to 1541, when Henry assumed the title of King of Ireland.

This ballad was first printed in Mr. Ryland's "History of Waterford" (1824), but without the foot-notes here added in italics, which occur in the margin of the original manuscript, and are important illustrations of it. A careful collation with the manuscript, will account for the differences which exist between Ryland's reading, and the one now given.

It would, perhaps, be going too far to ascribe the authorship to Patrick Strong, from his name appearing at the commencement, although the knowledge displayed on civic affairs, may warrant the conjecture. Mr. Ryland, who gives a list of no less than thirty charters which were granted to Waterford, remarks, " Of these valuable documents, the only one of which even the corporation of Waterford has any knowledge, is the charter of Charles I., under which the city is at present governed; all other documents prior to 1680 were destroyed by fire, and no steps have since been taken to supply their places."

The marginal annotation of "anno 16* Eliz. 1573, the city had sheriffs," which occurs upon the second and third verses, appears to be a subsequent and unconnected memorandum; but it deserves notice, as correcting the

Incorrectly printed 24 by Ryland.

errors in the list of civic officers given by Dr. Smith and Mr. Ryland in their respective histories of Waterford. Smith (p. 158) places the first city sheriffs in 1568, and Ryland (p. 406) in 1575, although the latter specially tells us (p. 219) what perfectly accords with the note upon the ballad, that by the second charter granted by Elizabeth in "1573, the office of sheriffs was first created."

Patrick Strong, Towne Clerke
of Waterford, tempore Henry 8.

God of his goodnes, praysed that he be,
For the daylie increase of thy good fame;
O pleasant Waterford, thow loyall cytie,
That five hundred yeres receavest thy name
Er the later conquest unto thee came;
In Ireland deservest to be peereless

Quia tu semper intacta manes.

Therefore Henry the Second, that noble kinge,
Knowinge thy prowes and true allegiance,
Assygned thy franchess and metes,* namyng
All thy great port, with each appurtenance,
Commanding his son theyne honor to advance,
With gifts most speciall for thy good ease
Quia tu semper intacta manes.

* Boundaries. In compliance with a precept of Henry II., a charter was granted to Waterford by John, in the seventh year of his reign, dated at Malbridge, 3d July. Among the extracts from it given by Dr. Smith, is the following: — "Civibus nostris civitatis nostræ Waterford, infra muros dictæ civitatis manentibus totam civitatem nostram de Waterford cum omnibus pertinentiis; et quod prædicti