"The author (of the poem) hath omitted the end of the Earle, the which may thus and truely be supplied. The Countesse Lettice fell in love with Christopher Blunt, gent., of the Earle's horse; and they had many secret meetings, and much wanton familiarity; the which being discovered by the Earle, to prevent the pursuit thereof, when Generall of the Low Countreys, hee tooke Blunt with him, and theire purposed to have him made away: and for this plot there was a ruffian of Burgundy suborned, who, watching him in one night going to his lodging at the Hage, followed him and struck at his head with a halbert or battle-axe, intending to cleave his head. But the axe glaunced, and withall pared off a great piece of Blunt's skull, which was very dangerous and longe in healinge: but he recovered, and after married the Countesse; who took this soe ill, as that she, with Blunt, deliberated and resolved to dispatch the Earle. The Earle, not patient of this soe greate wrong of his wife, purposed to carry her to Kenilworth; and to leave here there untill her death by naturall or by violent means, but rather by the last. The Countesse also having a suspicion, or some secret intelligence of this treachery against her, provided artificial meanes to prevent the Earle; which was by a cordiall, the which she had no fit opportunity to offer him till he came to Cornebury Hall, in Oxfordshire; where the Earle, after his gluttonous manner, surfeiting with excessive eating and drinking, fell soe ill that he was forced to stay there. Then the deadly cordiall was propounded unto him by the Countesse; as Mr. William Haynes, sometimes the Earle's page, and then gentleman of his bed-chamber, told me, who protested hee saw her give that fatall cup to the Earle, which was his last draught, and an end of his plott against the Countesse, and of his journey, and of himselfe; and soe--_Fraudis fraude sua prenditur artifex._"--_Athenae Oxon._, vol. ii. col. 74, 75. note. EDWARD F. RIMBAULT. * * * * * {355} HARDMAN'S ACCOUNT OF WATERLOO. (Vol. viii., p. 199.; Vol. ix., p. 176.) I perfectly recollect reading, when a boy, a critique on this poem, and being much amused thereby. The critique appeared in the _Literary Gazette_ or _Athenaeum_, as well as I remember. I never saw the poem, but I recollect some of the lines quoted, which went nearly as follows:-- "The following morning, at break of day, An orderly dragoon did come this way: 'Holloa! holloa! I say, give ear, Is Adjutant Hardman quartered here? Holloa! halloa! I am not wrong, Is Adjutant Hardman here at home?'" I merely quote from memory and hope, therefore, that any deviations from the original may be pardoned.