d, living above the sky,
Intomb'd within this urn doth Lydgate lie;
In former times fam'd for his poetry,
All over England.

[Footnote 1: K. Henry V.]

* * * * *

JOHN HARDING.

John Harding, the famous English Chronologer, was born (says Bale) in
the Northern parts, and probably Yorkshire, being an Esquire of an
eminent parentage. He was a man addicted both to arms and arts, in the
former of which he seems to have been the greatest proficient:
His first military exploit was under Robert Umsreuil, governor of
Roxborough Castle, where he distinguished himself against the Scots,
before which the King of Scotland was then encamped, and unfortunately
lost his life. He afterwards followed the standard of Edward IV. to
whose interest both in prosperity and distress he honourably adhered.
But what endeared him most to the favour of that Prince, and was
indeed the masterpiece of his service, was his adventuring into
Scotland, and by his courteous insinuating behaviour, so far
ingratiating himself into the favour of their leading men, that he
procured the privilege of looking into their records and original
letters, a copy of which he brought to England and presented to the
King. This successful achievement established him in his Prince's
affections, as he was solicitous to know how often the Kings of
Scotland had taken oaths of fealty and subjected themselves to the
English Monarchs in order to secure their crown. These submissions
are warmly disputed by the Scotch historians, who in honour of their
country contend that they were only yielded for Cumberland and some
parcels of land possessed by them in England south of Tweed; and
indeed when the warlike temper and invincible spirit of that nation is
considered, it is more than probable, that the Scotch historians in
this particular contend only for truth. Our author wrote a chronicle
in verse of all our English Kings from Brute to King Edward IV. for
which Dr. Fuller and Winstanly bestow great encomiums upon him; but
he seems to me to be totally destitute of poetry, both from the
wretchedness of his lines, and the unhappiness of his subject, a
chronicle being of all others the driest, and the least susceptible of
poetical ornament; but let the reader judge by the specimen subjoined.
He died about the year 1461, being then very aged. From Gower to
Barclay it must be observed, that Kings and Princes were constantly
the patrons of poet