Thomas Chatterton - Chatterton’s Swan Song

Chatterton’s Swan Song

Chatterton committed suicide on 24 August 1770. A few days later one Dr Thomas Fry came to London with the intention of giving financial support to the young boy “whether discoverer or author merely”. A fragment, probably one of the last pieces written by the impostor-poet was put together by Dr. Fry from the shreds of paper that covered the floor of Thomas Chatterton’s Brooke Street attic on the morning of 25 August 1770. The would-have-been patron of the poet had an eye for literary forgeries, and purchased the scraps which the impostor’s landlady, Mrs. Angel swept into a box, cherishing the hope of discovering a suicide note among the pieces. This fragment, possibly one of the remnants of Chatterton’s very last literary efforts, was identified by Dr. Fry to be a modified ending of the poet’s tragical interlude Aella. The fragment is now in the possession of Bristol Public Library and Art Gallery.

Coernyke.
Awake! Awake! O Birtha, swotie mayde!
Thie Aella deadde, botte thou ynne wayne wouldst dye,
Sythence he thee for renomme hath betrayde,
Bie hys owne sworde forslagen doth he lye;
Yblente he was to see thie boolie eyne,
Yet nowe o Birtha, praie, for Welkynnes, lynge!
How redde thie lippes, how dolce thie deft cryne,
.......................................scalle bee thie Kynge!
.......................................a.
...........................................omme the kiste
................................................................

The final Alexandrine is completely missing, together with Chatterton’s notes. However, according to Dr. Fry, the character who utters the final lines must have been Birtha, whose last word might have been something like “kisste”.