(w) Eleanor of Caftile died a few years after the conqueft of Wales. The heroic proof fhe gave of her affection for her lord is well known. The monuments of his regret and for ow for the lofs of her are ftill to be feen at Northampton, Gaddington, Waltham and other places.

(x) It was the common belief of the Welsh Nation, that the King Arthur was still alive in Fairyla nd,and should return again to reign over Britain.

(y) Both Merlin and Talieffin had prophefied that the Welfh fhould regain their fovereignty over this Ifland, which feemed to be accomplished in the house of Tudor.

(z) Speed, relating an audience given by Queen Elizabeth to Paul Dzialinfki, ambaffador of Poland, fays: "And thus fhe, lion-like rifing, "daunted the malapert orator no lefs with her

ftately port and majeftical deporture, than "with the tartnefs of her princelie cheekes."

(&) Talieffin, chief of the Bards, flourished in the 6th century. His works are ftill preferved, and his memory held in high veneration, among his countrymen.

(aa) Shakespeare.

(bb) Milton

(cc) The fucceffion of Poëts after Milton's time.

(w) Eleonore de Caftille mourut peu d'années après la conquête du pays de Galles. La preuve heroique qu'elle donna de fon affection pour fon époux et très connue, On voit encore à Northampton, à Gaddington & en d'autres endroits les monumens de la douleur & des regrets que ce Roi reffentit de fa perte.

(x) C'étoit une croyance, communément reçue parmi les habitans du pays de Galles, que le Roi Arthur vivoit toujours au pays des Fées & qu'il devoit remonter, un jour, fur le trône de la Bretagne.

(y) Merlin & Talieffin, deux Bardes renommés, avoient prophétifé que les Welches recouvreroient la fouveraineté de leur ifle; ce qui fembla s'accomplir dans la maifon de Tudor,

(z) Speed, parlant d'une audience, donnée par la Reine Elizabeth, à Paul Dzialinfki, ambaladeur de Pologne, dit: "Ce fut ainfi que, fe levant "comme un lion, elle rabaiffa l'infolent orateur, "non moins par fon air impofant & fa preftance "majeftueufe que par la févérité de fa répriman"de royale.

(&) Talieffin chef des Bardes floriffoit dans le fixiême fiécle. Ses ouvrages font toujours confervés & fa memoire eft en grande vénération, parmi fes compatriotes.

(an) Sakefpeare.

(bb) Milton.

(cc) Succeffion des poétes dans les tems poftérieurs à Milton.

1

ADVERTISEMENT;

THE Author once had thoughts in concert with a friend of giving a hiftory of English poetry in the introduction to it be meant to have produced fome fpecimens of the flyle that reigned in ancient times among the neighbouring nations, or those who had fubdued the greater part of this ifland, and were our progenitors: the following three imitations made a part of them. He afterwards dropped his defign; especially after be kad heard that it was already in the bands of a perfon well qualified to do it justice both by his tafie and his refear ches into antiquity.

Avertiffement.

L'auteur avoit formé le projet de publier, de con eèrt avec un ami, une histoire de la poéfie Angloife. Il fe propofoit de donner, dans une introduction, quelques effais du ftile poétique & du goût dominant, dans les tems anciens, tant chez les peuples voisins de l'Angleterre que parmi ceux qui depuis en font devenus les Conquérans, & qui peuvent en être regardés comme les ancêtres. Les trois morceaux, qui fuivent, faifoient partie de cette collection. Mais il renonça dans la fuite à ce deffein & furtout lorsqu'il eut appris qu'un autre, favant & renommé à jufte titre par fon goût & par fes recherches dans l'antiquité, avoit entrepris le même suvrage. H 3

N the 11th century Sigurd, Earl of the Orkney-Iflands, went with a fleet of fhips and a confiderable body of troops into Ireland to the affiftance of Sigtryg with the filken beard, who was then making war on his father-in-law, Brian King of Dublin. The Earl and all his forces were cut to pieces, and Sigtryg was in danger of a total defeat, but the ennemy had a greater lofs by the death of Brian their king, who fell in the action. On Christmasday (the day of the battle) a native of Caithness in Scotland faw at a distance, a number of perfons on horfeback riding full speed towards a hill, and feeming to enter into it. Curiofity led him to follow them, till looking through an opening in the rocks, he saw twelve gigantick figures refembling women: they were all employed about a loom, and as they wove they fung the following dreadful fong, which when they had finished they tore the web into twelve pieces, and each taking her portion galloped fix to the North, and as many to the South: