Popularly called “Percy’s
Reliques”, after its editor, Thomas Percy [see separate entry],
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry(1765) is a three-volume collection of traditional English ballads, popular songs and poetry, and historical verse, dating from the Middle Ages to the mid-eighteenth century. There are traditional ballads included such as “Chevy-Chase”, “Sir Patrick Spence”, and “The Not-browne Mayd”, songs from Shakespeare, translations from the Moorish, Scottish songs, as well as recent political verses such as “Admiral Hosier’s Ghost” and “Lilli-burlero” (as whistled persistently by uncle Toby in
Tristram Shandy).
Percy’s Reliques is a pivotal text, marking the point at which early eighteenth-century Augustan Neo-Classicism became late
1706 words
Citation: Groom, Nick. "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 March 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2420, accessed 24 November 2024.]
