the reviver or introducer of macaronic or burlesque poetry. The example thus proposed was adopted and extended by various imitators. Antonius de Arena, is‘ censured by Vavassor, as being in conjunction with Folengio, the chief authors of that species of poetry. They were followed by Rabelais, Gaurinus Capella, and others, till the practice became prevalent in England, France, and Italy. The characteristic peculiarities in which they differed, a matter of no great moment, are however, thought worthy of being distinguished by Gibson; though his account of the early writers of it is far from perfect. About a century after the appearance of Coccacie's work, the Polemo-Middinia of Drummond was written, "which," says Ritson, (in his zeal for depreciating Warton's History) "is undoubtedly the first regular imitation of Folengo, I mean the first macaronic poem by a native of Great Britain, now known." If the language of burlesque is to be understood as confined to poetry continued through an unbroken succession of verses, the reasoning of Ritson may be valid; but the practice in detached poems and in numerous prose works had been adopted in various intermediate instances. Indeed the word regular in Ritson's case is indefinite, and is as "great a peace-maker" as Touchstone's celebrated if: the remark was only made by that cynical compiler for the purpose of extenuating Warton's merits, whom he excelled in industry and abuse, as much as the former was his superior in eloquence, liberality and learning. A MS. note in the copy under my hands suggests the example of Nash's attack on Harvey as an earlier specimen than the Polemo-Middinia; it is not, in deed, deed, a regular imitation, nor is it a poem; but it is a piece of satyrical badinage in uncouth language, chequered with barbarous terms, and ridiculously intermixed with ludicrous phrases in derision of Harvey's writings, and not greatly dissimilar to the outlandish jargon of the pedantic star-gazer at whom it was levelled. Whether he was acquainted with this tract, or whether it would have been acknowledged the precursor of Drummond by Ritson, it is now vain to inquire, as he has rested from his labours, and his works do follow him." It is time to give a few specimens of the poem, which I conjecture was written while the poet was on a visit to his brother-in-law at Scotstarvet, after his travels in France and Italy, where he might have met with the prototypes of which we have spoken. The bloodless combat therein described was probably founded upon some rustic dispute during his residence at Scotstarvet, which was bruited at the time, and the letters of the poet might, possibly, yet explain the real names of the opponents. 2 c Polemo Middinia interb Vitarvam et Nebernam. d Nymphæ, quæ colitis highissima monta Fife, Per Middin, Sterquilinium. Sax. myxen-direg vel myke ding, ex Cimbrico myke vel mykia, lætamen, fimus et dyngia, acervus, rudera; ut sit PolemoMiddinia, prælium in Sterquilinio cammissum, forbrend esku dyngia, acervus pulveris combusti, Nehem: 4. 2. Bibl: Island. The Lady Scotstarget. The Lady Newbarns. Montes peninsulæ Fife, quæ quasi cuneata Per costam, et scopulos, Lobster manifootus in uda k Et vos Skipperii, soliti qui per mare breddum To this invocation succeeds a chasm (hiatus, valde deflendus!); but of the passage cited, to the copy under examination is affixed a translation, by the learned editor of the Complaint of Scotland, which I shall take the liberty to transcribe. suneata inter duo æstuaria Fortham et Taum in ortum longius procurrit. In hac peninsula circiter sex nilliaria ab Andræopoli commissum fuit prælium inter viragines Vitarvam et Nebernam. f Pettenween & Crail duo vicini pagi in Fife, prope æstuarium Fortbam, juxta quos certatum erat. & Agellui, apud Anglos Boreales et Occidentales crofts, Sax. croft, viculus, agellulus, prædiolum. h My Lord Anster's house. i Sax. floc, vel first, platessa. Scoti et Angli Boreales, flesk. Naut. Vox composita ex scip navis et per vir, Euphonice Skipper. Vide Grammat: Anglo-Sax. Cap. 3. Regul. 20. Pic Sax. bik Cimbrice, pitch, Angl. m Insula in faucibus æstuarii, Forthe dicti, jatens ad littus Fifæum; forsan ex Cim. my, muscarum cætus, et cy Insula; est enim locus, quem palustria animalcula muscæ, maxime infestant. n Macaronica contrahendi licentia pro Solangoosifera. • Insula, seu potius rupes altissima, confragosa, et undique prærupta ad Lodenici litora ex adverso Maiæ in eodem æstuario objacens, in quam, tanquam in Gyarum, seditiosos deportant Scoti. Circa hujus oram anseres marini dicti Solangeese in nudi, cautibus ova ponunt, unde forsan Insula nomen a Cimbrico vel antiquo Danico bas, quod loca inter cautes angustiora significat. P Edenborough. "Ye "Ye linkin lang-tramm'd limmers light Wha bleach your claes by Pittenweem, Or round auld Auster's gowsty wa's For there the skelpin haddock scuds Ye tally skippers unco pleas'd In skellat boats to hobble, Fra ilka tarry coble. Hey! whistle up some gathering tune Hark how the din has deaved the Bass The mermaids crown'd wi' cockleshells Heave a' their pows aboon, Even Sol wi glee clinks on his boots, And aff for Embro' town." The occasion of this bloodless combat is explained in the following lines. * "Muckrelium ingentem turbam Vitarva per agros The notes appended to the former extract will be sufficient examples of the editor's learned illustrations. Ite Ite hodie armati grippis, drivare caballos Hic aderant Geordy Akinhedius et little Johnus Et Hob Gyb wantonus homo, atque Oliver Hutchin Et Wily Dick, heavy-arstus homo Insuper hic aderant Tom Taylor et Henry Watsonus, Et Tomy Gilchristus et fool Jocky Robinsonus, Andrew Atshenderus, et Jamy Thomsonus, et unus Norland-bornus homo, valde valde anti-covenanter, Nomine Gordonus, valde black-mondus, et alter (Heu piget ignoro nomen!) slavry-beardius homo, Qui pottas diltavit, et assas jecerit extra." Vitarva having thus mustered her forces, addresses Geordy in the front of the ranks, whom she had chosen as her foreman, " et inter stoutissimus omnes," and commands him and his attendants to yoke the horses to the muck-carts, and to drive them in the very front of the windows of Neberna: "In cartis yokkato omnes, extrahito muckam "The |