Cursory Observations on the Poems Attributed to Thomas Rowley (1782)

Cursory Observations on the Poems Attributed to Thomas Rowley, published in 1782 by Edmond Malone, is a critical examination of the authenticity of poems falsely attributed to the 15th-century priest Thomas Rowley, which were actually composed by Thomas Chatterton. Malone rigorously critiques the arguments supporting the poems' legitimacy, highlighting modern language and stylistic elements that contradict their claimed antiquity. This work is significant for its role in the Rowley controversy, reflecting the tensions in 18th-century literary scholarship regarding authorship and forgery.