History & Politics

Entroductionne

by Thomas Chatterton 1752–1770

From The Rowley Poems (ed. Tyrwhitt, 1778)

History & PoliticsArts & Sciences

Somme cherisounce it ys to gentle mynde,
Whan heie have chevyced theyre londe from bayne,
Whan theie ar dedd, theie leave yer name behynde,
And theyre goode deedes doe on the earthe remayne;
Downe yn the grave wee ynhyme everych steyne,
Whylest al her gentlenesse ys made to sheene,
Lyche fetyve baubels geasonne to be seene.

ÆLLA, the wardenne of thys castell stede,
Whylest Saxons dyd the Englysche sceptre swaie,
Who made whole troopes of Dacyan men to blede,
Then seel'd hys eyne, and seeled hys eyne for aie,
Wee rowze hym uppe before the judgment daie,
To saie what he, as clergyond, can kenne,
And howe hee sojourned in the vale of men.

✦ ✦ ✦

The two stanzas that introduce Ælla, rousing the Saxon warden of Bristol castle from the grave before the judgment day to speak for himself.

MLA

Chatterton, Thomas. “Entroductionne.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/chatterton/10/.

Chicago

Chatterton, Thomas. “Entroductionne.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/chatterton/10/.

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