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From Sharpe's Magazine.

LITERARY IMPOSTURES OF THOMAS CHATTERTON.

IN devoting this paper to an examination of the most remarkable literary forgery of modern times, the writer cannot but feel that he is in a situation of some embarrassment. The genius of Chatterton has found so many admirers, and so much has been written respecting every incident of his life, that it becomes a task of no ordinary difficulty, from the abundance of accessible material, to construct and condense a satisfactory sketch of his singular career and worldfamous imposture. By the side of the Rowley poems, all other literary fabrications shrink into insignificance; and the more attentively they are examined, the more vehement will be our feelings of admiration and astonishment.

Some of his biographers have not hesitated to affirm that there was the taint of insanity in his constitution; thus, as Mr. Southey remarks, "affording a key to the eccentricities of his life, and the deplorable rashness of his death."

At the time of his death Chatterton was but seventeen years and ten months old. But what were the results of this short life? He had not only produced a collection of poems, which exhibit a ripeness of fancy and a warmth of imagination far beyond any effort of the frigid age in which he lived, but by a skillfully executed fraud had given rise to a controversy in which the keenest intellects eagerly engaged. Nor can it be said that the depth and variety of antiquarian information and research displayed in this memorable dispute by Warton and Malone especially on one side, and Jacob Bryant on the other-were entirely thrown away. If the exhibition of learning and the zeal of the combatants appear disproportioned to the importance of the subject, it must, at any rate, be admitted that the Rowley controversy roused for a time the dormant spirit of literary inquiry, and facilitated the introduction of stricter canons of criticism, and more rigid principles of analysis.

The leading features of Chatterton's life may be condensed into a short compass. He was born at Bristol; educated at the Free-school there; apprenticed to an attorney; became disgusted with his profession; sought his fortune in London, and, after a short and miserable career as a literary hack, died-by his own hand. It is true that this apparently uneventful life is full of incidents painfully interesting and instructive; and few who have directed their attention to the study of the human mind-its innate principles and secret workings-would Chatterton's first forgery, although of the pass it by without serious and solemn reflec- nature of an innocent hoax-a mere schooltion. The precocious development of his fac- boy's trick is deserving of some little atulties imbued him in early youth with the feel- tention, as illustrating in a striking manner ings and aspirations of manhood. His char- not merely his profound skill in the art of acter was full of incongruities. He was at deception, but his ready insight into human once willful, arrogant, and obstinate; aimable, character, and quick perception of individual gentle, and affectionate. From his child- weaknesses and peculiarities. A pewterer hood he lived, and moved, and breathed in of Bristol, named Burgum, had taken some a world of his own. A brother apprentice notice of him, and, whilst treating him as a has related that there was "generally a mere boy, had encouraged a degree of intidreariness in his look, and a wildness, at- macy which gave Chatterton an opportunity tended with a visible contempt for others;" of practising on his credulity. He soon found and an old female relation, according to that Burgum was a vain man, and just the Warton, has stated that "he talked very lit-person to be tickled and inflated with the tle, was very absent in company, and used pride of ancestry; so he set to work and devery often to walk by the river-side, talking duced his pedigree from one of the companto himself, and flourishing his arms about." | ions of the Conqueror. From documents

which he pretended to have discovered in the muniment room of the church of St. Mary Redcliffe, he compiled a history of the "De Bergham" family; and furthermore produced a poem, entitled "The Romaunt of the Cnyghte," written by one John De Bergham, who flourished in the fourteenth century. As Chatterton had suspected, the worthy pewterer was too well pleased to permit himself to doubt the authenticity of the documents which conferred on him such an amount of ancestral dignity; and thus auspiciously commenced the course of fraud which ended in the production of Rowley.

A short time after this, a new bridge was opened at Bristol, with the usual ceremonies, and the same week there appeared in Felix Farley's Bristol Journal a curious account of the manner of opening the old bridge, prefaced by the following letter:

"Mr. Printer,-The following description of the Mayor's first passing over the old bridge, taken from an old manuscript, may not (at this time) be unacceptable to the generality of your readers. Yours, &c.

DUNHELMUS BRISTOLIENSIS."

Then followed, in curiously antique orthography, a circumstantial account of the procession. The communication was read with avidity and astonishment; but who was Dunhelmus Bristoliensis? Inquiries were made, the hand writing examined; but Chatterton kept his secret, and remained undiscovered. Emboldened by success, however, he presented another paper for insertion, and was recognized. He was now closely interrogated about the discovery of the documents, and after some little demur, invented a tale, which, however plausible, was anything but satisfactory.

A surgeon of Bristol, named Barrett-a learned and painstaking man-was at this time writing a history of Bristol; and to this gentleman, Chatterton was introduced by a Mr. Catcott, the partner of Burgum the pewterer, as a likely person to furnish some information respecting the antiquities of the place. This was too good an opportunity to be lost; Chatterton eagerly embraced it, and soon produced an Ancient Account of Bristol, by Turgot or Turgotus, "translated by T. Rowley, out of Saxon into English." This is perhaps the least excusable of Chatterton's frauds; it was falsifying the information of a really valuable work, and injuring the reputation of a learned and estimable man, to gratify an idle and certainly not very honorable caprice. But we pass

the question of morality by, to proceed with our narrative. In December, 1768, Chatterton wrote to Dodsley, the bookseller, to state that he could procure copies of several ancient poems, &c. written by one Rowley, a priest in Bristol, who lived in the reign of Henry VI. and Edward IV." The bookseller returned no answer; and, after waiting two months, Chatterton wrote again. This letter-whether answered or not is doubtful

also led to no result, and some other channel of publication was sought for. Horace Walpole at this time occupied a high position in the world of letters. From his private printing-press at Strawberry Hill had issued many remarkable works, and his reputation as a man of taste was already European. In addressing such an august personage, Chatterton saw the necessity of conforming to his particular tastes, and assuming a most respectful deference. He accordingly forwarded a paper, entitled, "The Ryse of Beynetepne in Englande, wroten by T. Rowlie, for Mastre Canpnge," with the accompanying note:

"Sir,-Being versed a little in antiquities, I have met with several curious manuscripts, among which the following may be of service to you, in any future edition of your truly entertaining mistakes (if any) in the notes, you will greatly 'Anecdotes of Painting.' In correcting the oblige

Your most humble servant,

THOMAS CHATTERTON."

This short note, it will be observed, is another striking example of Chatterton's miraculous perception of character and knowledge of the world. Never was an epistle more adroitly worded. Walpole, who was at once pleased with his correspondent, and evidently imagined him a very different person from the humble Bristol apprentice, forwarded a prompt and polite reply, containing, among others, these complimentary expressions: "What you have already sent me is valuable and full of information; but, instead of correcting you, sir, you are far more able to correct me. I have not the happiness of understanding the Saxon language, and without your learned notes, should not have been able to comprehend Rowley's text." So auspicious was Chatterton's introduction to Walpole !

Believing that he had at last secured an influential patron to present his "discoveries" to the world of letters, he lost no time in forwarding some additional anecdotes and fragments of ancient poetry. But his eager

"The

porting himself in imagination back to the days of his fictitious Rowley, embodying his ideal character, and giving to airy nothing a

ness excited suspicion. Walpole submitted | the Old Bailey if Chatterton had been upon the documents to his friends, Mason and trial for forging a bill of exchange." PosterGray, and took other steps to ascertain their ity, however, has passed a more lenient judgauthenticity. At the same time inquiries ment—a judgment which is thus admirably were instituted at Bristol, and as soon as summed up by Thomas Campbell: Walpole had learned that his correspondent Rowleian forgery," says this kind-hearted "must indeed be prowas a mere boy, in an humble station of life, and excellent man, a marked change took place in his manner. nounced improper by the general law which Too cautious and sensitive to become the condemns all falsifications of history; but it dupe of a lawyer's apprentice, he now drew deprived no man of his fame; it had no sacback, and wrote the young enthusiast an rilegious interference with the memory of deedifying homily on the danger and disgrace parted genius." The following remarks from of forgeries, and urged him to stick to busi- the same source are eloquent and touching: ness, and relinquish his poetical aspirations." When we conceive the inspired boy transThis conduct in Walpole is not surprising from one so totally deficient in warmth of heart and generosity of disposition what else could have been expected?-but it does ex-local habitation and a name,' we may forget cite resentment to find this dandy littérateur the impostor in the enthusiast, and forgive -the author, be it remembered, of the the falsehood of his reverie for its beauty "Castle of Otranto," which was said in the and ingenuity." In a more exaggerated preface to have been discovered "in the strain, Mr. William Howitt, in one of his library of an ancient Catholic family in the recent works, exclaims, after noticing this north of England, and printed at Naples, in charge of forgery and falsification: "O globlack letter, in the year 1529"--thus insult-rious thieves! glorious coiners! admirable ingly speaking of Chatterton when the wonderful enthusiast was no more: "All the house of forgery are relations; and though it is just to Chatterton's memory to say, that his poverty never made him claim kindred Having said so much respecting the cirwith the richest, or more enriching branches, cumstances of the forgery, it is time for us to yet his ingenuity in counterfeiting styles, make a few remarks on the poems themand, I believe, hands, might easily have led selves. The first in the collection is the him to those more facile imitations of prose, Bristowe tragedie, or, the dethe of Syr promissory notes." Chatterton took his re- Charles Bawdin," which Jacob Bryant venge on Walpole, and expressed his resent-naïvely says "is written too much from the ment in some spirited lines, which have been heart to be a forgery." It is a simple and published in a recent memoir. We select a touching ballad, which few who are fond of few couplets as apropos to our remarks: such productions will read without interest, and which records the fate of a zealous adherent of the house of Lancaster, who was executed at Bristol in the first year of the reign of Edward IV. Although it is stated by Milles, a zealous champion for the authenticity of Rowley, and president of the Royal Antiquarian Society, to contain a greater number of internal proofs of antiquity than any poem in the collection, it is so decidedly modern in style, tone, and sentiment, that we cannot help quoting a few stanzas divested of their antique orthography.

"Thou mayst call me cheat;
Say didst thou never practice such deceit ?
Who wrote Otranto ?-But I will not chide;
Scorn I'll repay with scorn, and pride with pride;
Still, Walpole, still thy prosy chapters write,
And twaddling letters to some fair indite,
Laud all above thee, fawn and cringe to those
Who for thy fame were better friends than foes."

Although, perhaps, we are not called on to argue in these pages the broad question of morality involved in the Rowley forgeries, we cannot help making a slight reference to it in this place. A short time after Chatterton's death, it was not an uncommon thing to speak of him as a mere vulgar impostor. There were not wanting biographers, like Mr. Alexander Chalmers, who, in the words of Southey's celebrated article in the "Quarterly," related "the history of the Rowley Papers just as a pleader would have told it at

impostors! would to God that a thousand other such would appear, again and again appear, to fill the hemisphere of England with fresh stars of renown!"

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"Soon as the sledge drew nigh enough,
That Edward he might hear,
The brave Sir Charles he did stand up,
And thus his words declare :

"Thou see'st me, Edward, traitor vile! Exposed to infamy;

But be assured, disloyal man,
I'm greater now than thee.

"By foul proceedings, murder, blood,
Thou wearest now a crown;
And hast appointed me to die,
By power not thine own.

"Thou thinkest I shall die to-day;
I have been dead till now,
And soon shall live to wear a crown
For aye upon my brow;

"Whilst thou, perhaps, for some few years, Shalt rule this fickle land,

To let them know how wide the rule "Twixt king and tyrant hand.'

"King Edward's soul rushed to his face;
He turned his head away,
And to his brother Gloucester
He thus did speak and say:

"To him that so much dreaded death
No ghastly terrors bring.
Behold the man! he spake the truth,
He's greater than a king!'"

The tragical interlude of "Ella" is the most celebrated of the Rowley poems, and the most thickly studded with poetical beauties. One of the sweetest lyrics in our language is the well-known "Mynstrelle's Songe," or rather dirge, of which we transcribe one or two stanzas, in modern spelling, just to bring it to our readers' minds.

"Oh! sing unto my roundelay,
Oh! drop the briny tear with me,
Dance no more at holy day,
Like a running river be;
My love is dead,

Gone to his death-bed,
All under the willow tree.

"See the white moon shines on high;
Whiter is my true love's shroud;
Whiter than the morning sky,
Whiter than the evening cloud;
My love is dead,

Gone to his death-bed,

All under the willow tree."

Although it is, perhaps, unnecessary to multiply examples, we cannot refrain from quoting, in the original orthography, another "mynstrelle's songe" from the same interlude, which is as remarkable for its graceful and melodious versification, as for its dissimilarity to the style of our early poets.

"As Elynour bie the green lesselle* was syt

tynge,

As from the sone's hete she harried,t

She sayde, as herr whytte hondes whyte hosen was knyttynge,

'Whatte pleasure ytt ys to be married!'

"Mie husbande, Lorde Thomas, a forrester boulde

As ever clove pynne, or the baskette,‡ Does no cherysauncys§ from Elynour houlde, I have ytte as soon as I aske ytte.

"Whann Ilyved wyth my fadre yn merrie Clouddell,

Though 'twas at my liefel to mynde spynnynge,

I still wanted somethynge, botte whatte ne coulde telle,

Mie lorde fadre's barbdeT haulle** han ne wynnynge.tt

"Eche mornynge I ryse, doe I sette mie maydennes,

Somme to spynn, somme to curdell,‡‡ somme bleachynge,

Gyff any new entered doe aske for mie aidens, Thann swythynne|||| you fynde mee a teachynge.

"Lorde Walterre, mie fadre, he loved me welle,
And nothynge unto mee was nedeynge,
Botte schulde I agen goe to merrie Cloud-dell,
In sothen¶¶ 'twoulde be wythoute redeynge."

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So wee leave them both kyndelie embracynge."

It is stated by Warton, that in Durfey's "Pills to purge Melancholy," or some other book of pills for the same salutary purpose, he remembered an old Somersetshire ballad, which exhibited, as he believed, for the first time, the same structure of stanza.

"Go find out the Vicar of Taunton Dean,

And he'll tell you the banns were asked;
A thumping fat capon he had for his pains,
And I skewered her up in a basket."

Besides the interlude of Ælla, these celebrated forgeries comprise a fragment of "Goddwyn, a tragedie, by T. Rowlie;" an unfinished poem on the Battle of Hastings,

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said to have been written by Turgot the monk, a Saxon, in the tenth century, and translated by T. Rowlie; "The Parliamente of Sprytes; a most merrie Entyrlude, bie T. Rowlie and J. Iscamme," and several shorter poems. This Thomas Rowley was said by Chatterton to have been a priest of Saint John's, at Bristol; and, as a prose specimen of the Bristol boy's inventive genius, we quote the following passage from Rowley's account of his friend and patron, William Canynge:

"I gave master Cannings my Bristow tragedy, for which he gave me in hands twentie pounds, and did praise it more than I did think myself did deserve; for I can say in troth, I was never proud of my verses since I did read master Chaucer; and nowe haveing nought to do, and not wyling to be ydle, I wente to the minster of our Ladie and Saint Goodwin, and then did purchase the Saxon manuscripts, and sett myselfe diligentlie to translate and worde it in English metre, which in one year I performed, and styled it the Battle of Hastings; master William did bargyin for one manuscript, and John Pelham, an Esquire of Ashley for another. Master William did praise it muckle greatly. He gave me 20 markes, and I did goe to Ashley, to master Pelham, to be payd of him for the other one I left with him. But his ladie being of the family of the Fiscamps, of whom some things are said, he told me he had burnt it, and would have me burnt if I did not avaunt. Dureing this dinn his wife did come out, and made a dinn, to speak by a figure, would have oversounded the bells of our Ladie of the Cliffe; I was fain content to get away in a safe skin.”

Although the history of the Rowley controversy has now lost much of its interest, we cannot conclude this article without a brief reference to the most celebrated combatants and their prominent arguments. Of the authenticity of Rowley, the ablest and most successful champion was the learned Jacob Bryant. Some of his arguments, backed as they were by the authority of his potent name, appeared at the time unanswerable. For instance, of Chatterton's explanations of the obsolete words in Rowley, he thus speaks:

"The transcriber has given some notes in order to explain words of this nature. But he is often very unfortunate in his solutions. He mistakes the sense grossly; and the words have often far more force and significance than he is aware of. This could not have been the case if he had been the author." And he thus amusingly illustrates

his position: "I lay it down for a certainty, if a person in any such composition has, in transcribing, varied any of the terms through ignorance, and the true reading appears from the context, that he cannot have been the author. If, as the ancient vicar is said to have done in respect to a portion of the Gospel, he for sumpsimus reads uniformly mumpsimus, he never composed the treatise in which he is so grossly mistaken. If a person, in his notes upon a poem, mistakes Liber, Bacchus, for liber, a book; and, when he meets with liber, a book, he interprets it liber, free, he certainly did not compose the poem where these terms occur. In short, every writer must know his own meaning," &c.

A number of instances are then given in which Chatterton is said to have mistaken the sense of Rowley. Further, Mr. Bryant argues that the acknowledged poems of Chatterton furnished conclusive evidence that he could not have written the poems ascribed to Rowley. "It may appear," he says, "an invidious task, and it certainly is not a pleasing one, to decry the compositions of an unfortunate young man, and expose his mistakes to the world; but, as there are persons who rank his poems with those of Rowley, and think them equally excellent, we have no way to take this prejudice, but by showing in this manner their great inferiority. Though he was pleased to say of himself that he had read more than Magliabecchi, yet his reading was certainly scanty, and confined, in great measure, to novels and magazines, and the trash of a circulating library." Examples are then cited, and Mr. Bryant triumphantly concludes: "A person may write volumes in this style and taste, and never be a Rowley!"

On the other hand, Warton and Malone satisfactorily proved, from internal evidence, that the compositions were modern, and must have been forged by Chatterton or some one else. It was well observed by Warton, that "the lines have all the tricks and trappings, all the sophistications of poetical style, belonging to those models which were popular when Chatterton began to write verses.' The poems which he produced were too perfect and too polished to have proceeded from a priest of the 15th century. It was here, perhaps, that his prudence as at fault. His aim," says Warton, "was to dazzle and surprise by producing such high-wrought pieces of ancient poetry as never before existed. But to secure our credulity he should have pleased us less. He has shown too much genius, and too little skill.

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