The greatest Modern Criticks have laid it down as a Rule, that an Heroick Poem should be founded upon some important Precept of Morality, adapted to the Const.i.tution of the Country in which the Poet writes.
_Homer_ and _Virgil_ have formed their Plans in this View. As _Greece_ was a Collection of many Governments, who suffered very much among themselves, and gave the _Persian_ Emperor, who was their common Enemy, many Advantages over them by their mutual Jealousies and Animosities, _Homer_, in order to establish among them an Union, which was so necessary for their Safety, grounds his Poem upon the Discords of the several _Grecian_ Princes who were engaged in a Confederacy against an _Asiatick_ Prince, and the several Advantages which the Enemy gained by such their Discords. At the Time the Poem we are now treating of was written, the Dissentions of the Barons, who were then so many petty Princes, ran very high, whether they quarrelled among themselves, or with their Neighbours, and produced unspeakable Calamities to the Country: [5] The Poet, to deter Men from such unnatural Contentions, describes a b.l.o.o.d.y Battle and dreadful Scene of Death, occasioned by the mutual Feuds which reigned in the Families of an _English_ and _Scotch_ n.o.bleman: That he designed this for the Instruction of his Poem, we may learn from his four last Lines, in which, after the Example of the modern Tragedians, he draws from it a Precept for the Benefit of his Readers.
_G.o.d save the King, and bless the Land In Plenty, Joy, and Peace; And grant henceforth that foul Debate "Twixt n.o.blemen may cease._
The next Point observed by the greatest Heroic Poets, hath been to celebrate Persons and Actions which do Honour to their Country: Thus _Virgil"s_ Hero was the Founder of _Rome_, _Homer"s_ a Prince of _Greece_; and for this Reason _Valerius Flaccus_ and _Statius_, who were both _Romans_, might be justly derided for having chosen the Expedition of the _Golden Fleece_, and the _Wars of Thebes_ for the Subjects of their Epic Writings.
The Poet before us has not only found out an Hero in his own Country, but raises the Reputation of it by several beautiful Incidents. The _English_ are the first [who [6]] take the Field, and the last [who [7]]
quit it. The _English_ bring only Fifteen hundred to the Battle, the _Scotch_ Two thousand. The _English_ keep the Field with Fifty three: The _Scotch_ retire with Fifty five: All the rest on each side being slain in Battle. But the most remarkable Circ.u.mstance of this kind, is the different Manner in which the _Scotch_ and _English_ Kings [receive [8]] the News of this Fight, and of the great Men"s Deaths who commanded in it.
_This News was brought to_ Edinburgh, _Where_ Scotland"s _King did reign, That brave Earl_ Douglas _suddenly Was with an Arrow slain.
O heavy News, King James did say,_ Scotland _can Witness be, I have not any Captain more Of such Account as he.
Like Tydings to King_ Henry _came Within as short a s.p.a.ce, That_ Piercy _of_ Northumberland _Was slain in_ Chevy-Chase.
_Now G.o.d be with him, said our King, Sith "twill no better be, I trust I have within my Realm Five hundred as good as he.
Yet shall not_ Scot _nor_ Scotland _say But I will Vengeance take, And be revenged on them all For brave Lord_ Piercy"s _Sake.
This Vow full well the King performed After on_ Humble-down, _In one Day fifty Knights were slain, With Lords of great Renown.
And of the rest of small Account Did many Thousands dye,_ &c.
At the same time that our Poet shews a laudable Partiality to his Countrymen, he represents the _Scots_ after a Manner not unbecoming so bold and brave a People.
_Earl Douglas on a milk-white Steed, Most like a Baron bold, Rode foremost of the Company Whose Armour shone like Gold_.
His Sentiments and Actions are every Way suitable to an Hero. One of us two, says he, must dye: I am an Earl as well as your self, so that you can have no Pretence for refusing the Combat: However, says he, "tis Pity, and indeed would be a Sin, that so many innocent Men should perish for our sakes, rather let you and I end our Quarrel [in single Fight.
[9]]
_Ere thus I will out-braved be, One of us two shall dye; I know thee well, an Earl thou art, Lord Piercy, so am I.
But trust me_, Piercy, _Pity it were, And great Offence, to kill Any of these our harmless Men, For they have done no Ill.
Let thou and I the Battle try, And set our Men aside; Accurst be he, Lord_ Piercy _said, By whom this is deny"d_.
When these brave Men had distinguished themselves in the Battle and a single Combat with each other, in the Midst of a generous Parly, full of heroic Sentiments, the _Scotch_ Earl falls; and with his dying Words encourages his Men to revenge his Death, representing to them, as the most bitter Circ.u.mstance of it, that his Rival saw him fall.
_With that there came an Arrow keen Out of an_ English _Bow, Which struck Earl_ Douglas _to the Heart A deep and deadly Blow.
Who never spoke more Words than these, Fight on, my merry Men all, For why, my Life is at an End, Lord_ Piercy sees _my Fall.
_Merry Men_, in the Language of those Times, is no more than a cheerful Word for Companions and Fellow-Soldiers. A Pa.s.sage in the Eleventh Book of _Virgil"s aeneid_ is very much to be admired, where _Camilla_ in her last Agonies instead of weeping over the Wound she had received, as one might have expected from a Warrior of her s.e.x, considers only (like the Hero of whom we are now speaking) how the Battle should be continued after her Death.
_Tum sic exspirans_, &c.
_A gathering Mist overclouds her chearful Eyes; And from her Cheeks the rosie Colour flies.
Then turns to her, whom, of her Female Train, She trusted most, and thus she speaks with Pain.
Acca, "tis past! He swims before my Sight, Inexorable Death; and claims his Right.
Bear my last Words to Turnus, fly with Speed, And bid him timely to my Charge succeed; Repel the Trojans, and the Town relieve: Farewel_ ...
_Turnus_ did not die in so heroic a Manner; tho" our Poet seems to have had his Eye upon _Turnus"s_ Speech in the last Verse,
_Lord Piercy sees my Fall.
... Vicisti, et victum tendere palmas Ausonii videre_ ...
Earl _Piercy"s_ Lamentation over his Enemy is generous, beautiful, and pa.s.sionate; I must only caution the Reader not to let the Simplicity of the Stile, which one may well pardon in so old a Poet, prejudice him against the Greatness of the Thought.
_Then leaving Life, Earl Piercy took The dead Man by the Hand, And said, Earl Douglas, for thy Life Would I had lost my Land.
O Christ! my very heart doth bleed With Sorrow for thy Sake; For sure a more renowned Knight Mischance did never take_.
That beautiful Line, _Taking the dead Man by the Hand_, will put the Reader in mind of _aeneas"s_ Behaviour towards _Lausus_, whom he himself had slain as he came to the Rescue of his aged Father.
_At vero ut vultum vidit morientis, et ora, Ora modis Anchisiades, pallentia miris; Ingemuit, miserans graviter, dextramque tetendit, &c.
The pious Prince beheld young Lausus dead; He grieved, he wept; then grasped his Hand, and said, Poor hapless Youth! What Praises can be paid To worth so great ..._
I shall take another Opportunity to consider the other Part of this old Song.
[Footnote 1: a little]
[Footnote 2: that]
[Footnote 3: Besides the old woman, Moliere is said to have relied on the children of the Comedians, read his pieces to them, and corrected pa.s.sages at which they did not show themselves to be amused.]
[Footnote 4: "Defence of Poesy".]
[Footnote 5: The author of Chevy Chase was not contemporary with the dissensions of the Barons, even if the ballad of the "Hunting of the Cheviot" was a celebration of the Battle of Otterbourne, fought in 1388, some 30 miles from Newcastle. The battle of Chevy Chase, between the Percy and the Douglas, was fought in Teviotdale, and the ballad which moved Philip Sidney"s heart was written in the fifteenth century. It may have referred to a Battle of Pepperden, fought near the Cheviot Hills, between the Earl of Northumberland and Earl William Douglas of Angus, in 1436. The ballad quoted by Addison is not that of which Sidney spoke, but a version of it, written after Sidney"s death, and after the best plays of Shakespeare had been written.]
[Footnote 6: that]
[Footnote 7: that]
[Footnote 8: received]
[Footnote 9: by a single Combat.]