Barrett to produce any part of this poem in the
original
hand-writing,
he at last said, that he wrote this poem himself for a friend; but
that he had another, the copy of an original by Rowley: and being then
desired to produce that other poem, he, after a considerable interval
of time, brought to Mr.
Thomas Chatterton - Rowley Poems
210
BATTLE OF HASTINGS, No. 2. 237
In printing the first of these poems two copies have been made use of,
both taken from copies of Chatterton's hand-writing, the one by
Mr. Catcott, and the other by Mr. Barrett. The principal difference
between them is at the end, where the latter has fourteen lines from
ver. 550, which are wanting in the former. The second poem is printed
from a single copy, made by Mr. Barrett from one in Chatterton's
hand-writing.
It should be observed, that the Poem marked No. 1, was given to Mr.
Barrett by Chatterton with the following title; "_Battle of Hastings,
wrote by Turgot the Monk, a Saxon, in the tenth century, and
translated by Thomas Rowlie, parish preeste of St. Johns in the city
of Bristol, in the year 1465.--The remainder of the poem I have
not been happy enough to meet with._" Being afterwards prest by Mr.
Barrett to produce any part of this poem in the
original
hand-writing,
he at last said, that he wrote this poem himself for a friend; but
that he had another, the copy of an original by Rowley: and being then
desired to produce that other poem, he, after a considerable interval
of time, brought to Mr.
Barrett the poem marked No. 2, as far as ver.
530 incl. with the following title; "_Battle of Hastyngs by Turgotus,
translated by Roulie for W. Canynge Esq._" The lines from ver. 531
incl. were brought some time after, in consequence of Mr. Barrett's
repeated sollicitations for the conclusion of the poem.
ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE. p. 275
ON THE SAME. 276
The first of these Poems is printed from a copy made by Mr. Catcott,
from one in Chatterton's hand-writing.
