Kind Conscience then heard, and came out of the planets, And sent forth his forriours, Fevers and Fluxes, Coughes and Cardiacles, Crampes and Toothaches, Rheumes, and Radgondes, and raynous Scalles, Boiles, and Botches, and burning Agues, Phreneses and foul Evil, foragers of Kind! There was 'Harow! and Help! here cometh Kind, With Death that is dreadful, to undo us all!' The lord that liveth after lust then aloud cried. _Age the hoar, he was in the va-ward, And bare the banner before Death: by right he it claimed._ Kinde came after, with many keene sores, As Pocks and Pestilences, and much people shent. So Kind through corruptions, killed full many: Death came driving after, and all to dust pashed Kings and Kaisers, knightes and popes. Many a lovely lady, and leman of knights, Swooned and swelted for sorrow of Death's dints. Conscience, of his courtesy, to Kind he besought To cease and sufire, and see where they would Leave Pride privily, and be perfect Christian, And Kind ceased then, to see the people amend. 'Piers Plowman' found many imitators. One wrote 'Piers the Plowman's Crede;' another, 'The Plowman's Tale;' another, a poem on 'Alexander the Great; 'another, on the 'Wars of the Jews;' and another, 'A Vision of Death and Life,' extracts from all which may be found in Warton's 'History of English Poetry.' We close this preliminary essay by giving a very ancient hymn to the Virgin, as a specimen of the once universally-prevalent alliterative poetry. I. Hail be you, Mary, mother and may, Mild, and meek, and merciable; Hail, folliche fruit of soothfast fay, Against each strife steadfast and stable; Hail, soothfast soul in each, a say, Under the sun is none so able; Hail, lodge that our Lord in lay, The foremost that never was founden in fable; Hail, true, truthful, and tretable, Hail, chief ychosen of chastity, Hail, homely, hendy, and amiable: _To pray for us to thy Sone so free!_ AVE. II. Hail, star that never stinteth light; Hail, bush burning that never was brent; Hail, rightful ruler of every right, Shadow to shield that should be shent; Hail, blessed be you blossom bright, To truth and trust was thine intent; Hail, maiden and mother, most of might, Of all mischiefs an amendement; Hail, spice sprung that never was spent; Hail, throne of the Trinity; Hail, scion that God us soon to sent, _You pray for us thy Sone free!_ AVE. III. Hail, heartily in holiness; Hail, hope of help to high and low; Hail, strength and stel of stableness; Hail, window of heaven wowe; Hail, reason of righteousness, To each a caitiff comfort to know; Hail, innocent of angerness, Our takel, our tol, that we on trow; Hail, friend to all that beoth forth flow; Hail, light of love, and of beauty, Hail, brighter than the blood on snow: _You pray for us thy Sone free!_ AVE. IV.