O'er either door a facred Text
Invites to godly fear;

And in a little scutcheon hung
The crofs, and crown, and fpear.

Up to the Altar's ample breadth
Two eafy steps afcend;

And near a glimmering folemn light
Two well-wrought Windows lend.

Befide the altar rofe a Tomb
All in the living stone ;
On which a young and beauteous Maid
In goodly fculpture fhone.

A kneeling Angel fairly carv'd
Lean'd hovering o'er her breaft;
A weeping warrior at her feet;
And near to thefe her Creft.*

The cliff, the vault, but chief the tomb,
Attract the wondering pair:
Eager they afk, what haplefs dame
Lies fculptured here so fair?

The Hermit figh'd, the Hermit wept,
For forrow fcarce could speak:
At length he wip d the trickling tears
That all bedew'd his cheek :

Alas! my children, human life
Is but a vale of woe;

And very mournful is the tale,
Which ye fo fain would know.

*This is a Bull's Head, the crest of the Widdrington family. All the Figures, &c. here defcribed, are Aill visible; only fomewhat effaced with length of time.

1HE

HERMIT's

TALE.

Young lord, thy grandfire had a friend
In days of youthful fame;

Yon diftant hills were his domains;
Sir BERTRAM was his name.

Where'er the noble PERCY fought
His friend was at his fide;
And many a skirmish with the Scots
Their early valour try'd.

Young Bertram lov'd a beauteous maid,
As fair as fair might be?

The dew-drop on the lily's cheek,
Was not fo fair as fhe.

Fair WIDDRINGTON the maiden's name,

Yon towers her dwelling place?

*

Her fire an old Northumbrian chief,
Devoted to thy race.

Many a lord, and many a knight
To this fair damfel came?
But Bertram was her only choice;
For him fhe felt a flame.

Lord PERCY pleaded for his friend,
Her father foon confents;
None but the beauteous maid herself,
His wishes now prevents.

But she with ftudied fond delays
Defers the blissful hour;
And loves to try his conftancy,
And prove her maiden power.

*Widdrington Caftle, is about five miles fouth of Warkworth.

That heart, fhe faid, is lightly priz'd,
Which is too lightly won;

And long fhall rue that eafy maid,

Who yields her love too foon.

Lord PERCY made a folemn feaft
In Alnwick's princely hall;

And there came lords, and there came knights,
His chiefs and barons all.

With waffel mirth, and revelry

The cattle rung around:

Lord PERCY, call'd for fong and harp,
And pipes of martial found.

1

The Minstrels of thy noble house,
All clad in robes of blue,
With filver crescents on their arms
Attend in order due.

The great atchievements of thy `race They fung their high command: "How valiant Mainfred o'er the feas "Firft led his northern band.*

"Brave Galfred next to Normandy
"With venturous Rollo came ;
"And from his Norman Castles won
"Affum'd the PERCY name.t

See Dugdale's Baronage, pag. 269, &c.

In lower Normandy are three places of the name of PERCY whence the family took the furname of De PERCY.

:

"They fung, how in the conqueror's fleet
"Lord William fhip'd his powers,
"And gain'd a fair young Saxon bride
"With all her lands and towers.

"Then journeying to the Holy Land,
"There bravely fought and dy'd :
"But firft the filver Crefcent wan,
"Some Paynim Soldan's pride.

"They fung how Agnes, beauteous heir,
"The queen's own brother wed
"Lord Jofceline, fprung from Charlemagne,
"In princely Brabant bred. †

William de Percy, (fifth in defcent from Galfred, or Geffrey de Percy, fon of Mainfred,) affifted in the conqueft of England, and had given him the large poffeffions in Yorkshire, of Emma de Porte, (fo the Norman writers name her,) whofe father, a great Saxon lord, had been flain fighting along with Harold. This young lady, William from a principle of honour and generofity, married: for having had all her lands beftowed upon him by the conqueror, "he (to ufe the "words of the old Whitby Chronicle) wedded hyr that was very heire to them, in difcharging of his confci"ence." See Harl. MSS. 692. (26)-He died at Mountjoy near Jerufalem in the firft crufade.

66

† Agnes de Percy, fole heirefs of her house, married Jofceline de Lovain, youngest fon of Godfrey Barbatus, duke of Brabant, and brother of queen Adeliza, fecond wife of king Henry I. He took the name of Percy, and was ancestor of the earls of Northumberland. His fon lord Richard de Percy was one of the twenty-fix barons, chofen to fee the Magna Charta duly observed.

Young Bertram, bow'd with glad affent,
And fpur'd his eager fteed,
And calling on his Lady's name,
Rush'd forth with whirlwind fpeed.

As when a grove of Sapling oaks
The livid lightning rends

So fiercely 'mid the oppofing ranks
Sir Bertram's fword defcends.

This way and that he drives the fteel,
And keenly pierces thro";
And many a tall and comely knight
With furious force he flew.

Now clofing faft on every fide
They hem Sir Bertram round :
But dauntless he repels their rage,
And deals forth many a wound.

The vigour of his fingle arm

Had well-nigh won the field; When ponderous fell a Scottish are, And clove his lifted fhield.

Another blow his temples took,
And reft his helme in twain;
That beauteous helme his lady's gift!
-His blood bedewed the plain.

Lord PERCY faw his champion fall
Amid the unequal fight;

And now, my noble friends, he faid,
Let's fave this gallant knight.