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The needy pilgrim did for gladness shake,

“Here, take this silver, it may ease thy care,

We are God’s stewards all, naught of our own we bear.

“But ah! unhappy pilgrim, learn of me.

Scarce any give a rent-roll to their lord;

Here, take my semicope, thou’rt bare, I see. short cloak

’Tis thine; the saints will give me my reward.”

He left the pilgrim, and his way aborde. went on his way

Virgin and holy Saints, who sit in gloure, glory

Or give the mighty will, or give the good man power!

Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770).

The sun would conventionally be said to be in Virgo in August.

It is sad and strange to think of the amazing story of this child-genius, who lived in a world of romance but was driven by destitution to commit suicide at seventeen years of age. The above was one of the “Rowley forgeries,” but, for the antique words which Chatterton used (often incorrectly) to imitate the language of the Fifteenth Century, modern words have been substituted where possible.

I thought once how Theocritus had sung