Now the charge of a ladder upon their shield was certainly borne by the several branches of this family long before any of them became masters of Verona; and I should suggest that it originated in some brilliant escalade of one of the first members of it. Thus, of course, it would remind us all of perhaps the earliest thing of the kind--I mean the shield and bearings of Eteoclus before Thebes: "[Greek: Eschematistai d' aspis ou smikron tropon;] [Greek: Aner d' hoplites klimakos prosambaseis] [Greek: Steichei pros echthron purgon, ekpersai thelon.]" Sept. c. Thebas, 461. WALDEGRAVE BREWSTER. H----n, Jan. 28. 1851. * * * * * INEDITED BALLAD ON TRUTH. I send you herewith a copy of an ancient ballad which I found this day while in search of other matters. I have endeavoured to explain away the strange orthography, and I have conjecturally supplied the last line. The ballad is unhappily imperfect. I trust that abler antiquaries than myself will give their attention to this fragmentary poem. "A BALADE OF TROUTHE. (Harl. MSS. No. 48. folio 92.) "What more poyson . than ys venome. What more spytefull . than ys troozte.[1] Where shall hattred . sonere come. Than oone anothyr . that troozte showthe. Undoyng dysplesure . no love growthe. 5 And to grete[2] men . in especyall. Troozte dare speke . lest[3] of all. "And troozte . all we be bound to. And troozte . most men now dothe fle.[4] What be we then . that so do. 10 Be we untrewe . troozte saythe ee.[5] But he y^t tellethe troozte . what ys he. A besy foole . hys name shalle ronge.[6] Or else he hathe an euyle tonge. {135} "May a tong . be trew and evyle. 15 Trootze ys good . and evyle ys navtze.[7] God ys trootze . and navzt ys y^e devyle. Ego sum veritas . o^r[8] lord tavzt.[9] At whyche word . my conceyt lavzt.[10] To se[11] our Lorde . yff[12] foly in hym be. 20 To use troozt . that few doth but he. "To medyle w^t trouthe[13] . no small game. For trouthe told . of tyms ys shent. And trouthe known . many doth blame. When trouthe ys tyrned . from trew intent. 25 Yet trouthe ys trouthe . trewly ment.[14] But now what call they trouthe . trow ye. Trowthe ys called colored honeste. "Trouthe . ys honest without coloure. Trouthe . shameth not in no condycyon. 30 Of hymself . without a trespasowre. By myst and knowne . of evyle condycyon. But of trouthe thys ys y^e conclusyon. Surely good ordre there ys brokyne. Where trouthe may not . nor dare be spokyne.[15] 35