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University of California • Berkeley

From the book collection of

BERTRAND H. BRONSON
bequeathed by him
or donated by his wife

Mildred S. Bronson
 Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive
in 2007 witii funding from
IVIicrosoft Corporation

Iittp://www.arcliive.org/details/ancientsongsball01ritsricli
VOL. I.
 Ancient ^ongs
AND

iSallatrs,

THE REIGN OF KING HENRY THE SECOND

TO THE REVOLUTION.

COI/LECTED BY

JOSEPH RITSON, ESQ.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

I love a ballad but even too well,

Shakspeabe.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR PAYNE AND FOSB, PALL-MALlij

BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS.

1829.
 ADVERTISEMENT
[to the former edition.]

The favorable attention which the public has con-

stantly shewn to works illustrating the history^ the

poetry, the language, the manners, or the amusements

of their ancestors, and particularly to such as have
professed to give any of the remains of their lyric
compositions, has induced the editor to communicate
a small but genuine collection of Ancient Songs and
Ballads, which his attachment to the subject had
occasionally led him to form.
The reader must not expect to find, among the pieces
here preserved, either the interesting fable, or the
romantic wildness of a late elegant publication. But,
in whatever light they may exhibit the lyric powers
of our ancient Bards, they will at least have the re-
commendation of evident and indisputable authenticity:
the sources from which they have been derived will
be faithfully referred to, and are, in general, public

and accessible.

The Essays prefixed to the collection, and the

Notes with which it is accompanied, will be found
to contain some little information, of which every one
 ADVERTISEMENT.

may not be already possessed, and which may serve

to amuse, at least, if it fail to interest.

A Glossary is subjoined, which the editor regrets

his inability to render more perfect. Without other
assistance, however, than what is to be scantily gleaned
from a few printed books, he thinks he has a claim to
the indulgence of the more critical reader ; and they
who have laboured in the same field, he is persuaded,
will be the most ready to afford it.
 ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE PRESENT EDITION.

MoHE than forty years have elapsed since the formei'

impression of this singularly curious work*, which
excited unusual, though not unmerited, attention on its

first appearance, and has been long out of print and

difficult to procure.
The revised edition, now submitted to the candour
of the public, is given, w^^h fidelity and correctness,
from a manuscript, in the editors possession, prepared,

for the express purpose, by his able and industrious

relative; and some of the various improvements ren-
dering it less unworthy of approbation may, without
impropriety, be noticed :
—Important additions will be
found in the Essays; the words abbreviated in the
manuscript authorities (with which the original tran-
scripts have, for the most part, been carefully collated),
are now printed at length; the Saxon characters are
altogether rejected; the distinction or rather confusion,

* It is dated in 1790, but was not published till two years after;
though actually printed in 1787. The editor may be allowed to add
that these volumes have been nearly four years in their progress
through the press, as explaining an apparent anachronism in a note
(i. 4.) intended to refer to Lord Eldon.
 ADVERTISEMENT.

of M and Vy and i and J, has not been observed; and,

to make the collection more complete and valuable,
the editor has taken the liberty of adding to it such of
the Ancient Ballads inserted by Mr. Ritson in an
earlier work*, with his latest notes and corrections, as

seemed best deserving of republication.

The plates of the vignette etchings, by Stothard,

used in the former edition, were left in the hands
of the printer, and have unfortunately been lost or
destroyed.

Stockton upon Tees,

June 12, 1829.

• "A Select Collection of English Songs." 3 vols. 8vo. 1783.

 CONTENTS

VOLUME THE FIRST.

Page
Observations on the ancient English minstrels . . i

Dissertation on the songs, music, and vocal and instru-

mental performances of the ancient English . xxxix

CLASS THE FIRST.

<>»^ 1. A drinking ode of "Walter Mapes, in 3

V 2. A
Imitation, by Robert Harrison
ballad of king Richard the first, in
....
the original Latin

the original French

.

4
6
Translation, by dr. Burney 8
3. A song or catch in praise of the cuckoo . , .10
1^ 4. A ballad on Richard king of the Romans . • . 12
^ 5. A ballad on the death of Simon de Montfort, in the original
French 15
Translation, by George Ellis, esquire . . .18
"^ 6. A ballad on the commission of Trailebaston, in the original
French 22
7. A ballad against the Scots 28
K 8. A ballad on the Scotish wars 40
9. A ballad against the French ,51
...
. . . .

10. A song in praise of the authors mistress 56

11. A love-song 58
12. A song on the authors mistress 62
13. A song setting forth the good effects of the spring . . 63
 CONTENTS.

Page
14. A ditty

Advice
upon the uncertainty of life .... 65
15.

16.

17.
to the fair sex

A song upon the man in the moon

.

A song in praise of sir Piers de Birmingham

•

....
...
6'C

68
70
18. Ayeyn mi wille I take mi leve ^G

CLASS THE SECOND.

1. The death of Robin Lyth 81
2. The tumament of Tottenham 85
3. The batUe of Otterbum 94
4. The hontyng of the Cheviat 105
5. Requiem to the favourites of Henry VI. . . •117
6. Satire against the Lollards 121
7. A roundel by dan John Lydgate 128
8. A roundel on Fortune 129
9. A song on an inconstant mistress . . . . ibid.

10. The contest of the Ivy and the Holly . . . .131

11. A song in praise of sir Penny 134
12. Lytyllthanke . . . . . . . .136
13. W(dcum Yol. A Christmas carol . . . .140
14. Carol for saint Stephens day 141
15. Carol for saint Edmunds day 143
16. The Recollections of Chatelain, in the original French . 144
. Translation, by sir Walter Scott . . . .157
 OBSERVATIONS

ANCIENT ENGLISH MINSTRELS.

I. The Minstrelsj by a learned, ingenious, and

elegant writer, whom there will be frequent occasion
to quote, are described to be *''
an order of men in
the middle ages, who united the arts of poetry and
music, and sung verses to the harp of their own com- ^

posing ; who appear to have accompanied their songs

with mimicry and action ; and to have practised such
various means of diverting as were much admired in
those rude times, and supplied the want of more re-
fined entertainments; whom these arts rendered ex-
tremely popular and acceptable, in this and all the
neighbouring countries; where no high scene of
festivity was esteemed complete, that was not set off

with the exercise of their talents ; and where, so long

as the spirit of chivalry subsisted, they were protected
and caressed, because their songs tended to do honour
to the ruling passion of the times, and to encourage

VOL. I. b
 11 OBSERVATIONS ON

and foment a martial spirit*." This is certainly a

fine, and possibly an unflattering description of a set
of men, who unquestionably existed and flourished in
France for several centuries, and whom several in-
genious writers have contributed to render famous f.
Numbers of these, no doubt, owing to the free inter-
course between this country and the continent, so
long as the English monarchs retained any of their
Norman territories, were constantly flocking to their
court and to the castles of their barons, where it may
be easily believed they would experience the most
favourable reception. They were still French, how-

* Percy, "Essay on the Ancient English Minstrels" (prefixed

to Reliques of Ancient English Poetry^ third edition, 1775, vol. I.)
p. xix. All the passages distinguished by double commas, to which
there is no particular reference, will be found in this " Essay.
"
•j" Under this comprehensive term minstrel^ the only name our
language affords, we are to include the trouveur^ or poet, the
chanteur, or vocal performer, and the menetrier^ or musician ; not
to mention the faUier^ conteur^ jugleur, baladin, &c. all which
were sometimes distinct professions, and sometimes united in one
and the same man ; which occasions great confusion in those who
them. M. le Grand makes the meiietrier, a musician, and
treat of

the menegtrel, chief of the troop ; a distinction, however, perfectly

arbitrary. It did not appear necessary, and, indeed, was scarcely
possible for the author of these observations to enter at large into the
constituent character of the French minstrels : nor should he have
added this note, if certain anon3mious critics had not been pleased
'
to pronounce hira mistaken, which, they doubtless find a very easy
method of confutation. The candid reader, who prefers facts to
/ assertions, has only to consult the tale of " Les deux menStriers " in

I
the Fabliaux ou Conies, ii. 313, and that this was likewise the case
I
with the Proven qal troubadours appears from several passages of
i their history. (See particularly, i. 378. ii. 31, 489. iiL 2, 356.)
 THE MINSTRFXS. ill

ever ; and it is to be remembered that if this language

were not the only, it was at least the usual one, spoken
by the English monarchs and great men for several
centuries after the conquest; a fact which, if not
notorious, must be evident to every person in any de-
gree conversant with the history of those times. If,

by " Ancient English Minstrels," we are to

therefore,

understand a body of our own countrymen who united

the arts of poetry and music, and got their livelihood
by singing verses to the harp of their owi\ composing
in their native tongue, who were well known to the
Saxons, " continued a distinct order of men for many
ages after the Norman conquest," and were hospitably
and respectfully received at the houses of the great,

all the facts, anecdotes and other circumstances which

have been collected relative to the Proven9al Trouba-
dours or Norman IVIinstrels, however numerous or
authentic, are totally foreign to the subject, and do
not even prove the mere existence of the character
supposed.
The incidents referred by the above learned writer

and manners of the Anglo-Saxons, though

to the times

probably nothing more than the fictions of romance*,

* The stories of Alfred and AnlafF, (Essay, p. xxv.) are evidently

the same with that of Colgrin (p. xxiv.) That the fables of Arthur
were popular before Geoffrey of Monmouth published his British
History, seems evident, both from Alfred of Beverley {Annales, p. 2.)
and from Geoffrey himself, who says, the actions of Arthur, and the
kings who lived here before the incarnation of Christ, were celebrated

b2
IV OBSERVATIONS ON

do not seem to require examination ; since, alloAving

the facts themselves, they by no means affect the

question proposed to be here considered, which is.

Whether at any time, since the Norman Conquest,

there has existed a distinct order of Englishmen, who
united the arts of poetry and music, and got their
livelihood by singing to the harp verses in their
native tongue of their own composing ? And if the
elucidation of an obscure and interesting subject, or

the attainment of just and distinct ideas of ancient

characters and manners, be an object of any conse-
quence, the discussion of this question will not be
impertinent or useless.
It is admitted that no "very particular fact con-
cerning the Minstrels" is to be met with till we come
down to the reign of Richard the First ; " and under
him their profession seems to have revived with ad-
ditional splendour." This monarch, "who was the great
restorer and hero of chivalry, was also the distinguished
patron of poets and minstrels : he was himself of their
number, and some of his verses are still extant." These
verses, however, we find to be all in French, or Pro-
ven9al ; but still " the distinction which Richard
shewed to men of this profession, although his favours
were chiefly heaped upon foreigners, could not but
recommend the profession itself among his own sub-

by many people in a pleasant manner, and by heart, as if they had

been written. These pleasantries were in all probability parts of some
French romance, of which Geoffirey had got a prose translation.
 :

THE MINSTRELS. V

jects ; and therefore we may conclude that English

Minstrelsy would, in a peculiar manner, flourish in
his time." It should however seem altogether as just
and natural a conclusion from the premises, that since
he cannot be discovered, in a single instance, to have
shown his favours to fmy but foreigners, English

JMinstrelsy did not in his time flourish at all.

The adventure of this king and his Norman Min-

strel, Blondel de Nesle, so elegantly dramatized by
M. Sedaine*, whatever honour it may be thought to

confer upon poets or their art, certainly makes nothing

in favour of the English Minstrels, whose existence is

still left undecided.

The next memorable event which is found in hi-
story concerning the Minstrels, and is '' much to their
credit," was their rescuing one of the great earls of

Chester, when besieged by the Welsh. This happened

in the reign of king Johnt, and is related as follows
" Hugh the first earl of Chester, in his charter of
foundation of St. Werburg's abbey in that city, had
granted such a privilege to those who should come to
Chester fair, that they should not be then apprehended
for theft or any other misdemeanor, except the crime

* The authenticity of tlie anecdote is very dubious. It is related, /jji^ J^i

indeed, in Les croniques de Normendie^ Rouen, (c 1520.) 4to. b. 1. fSx\

but this seems a book in which there is at least as much romance as

true history.

t "Vid. Dugdale, (Baronage, vol. 1. p. 42. 101.) who places it

after the 13th year of K. Job. Anno Dom. 1212 — See also Camden's
Britannia, Plott's StafFordsh. &c."
 ;

vi OBSERVATIONS ON

were committed during the fair. This special pro-

tection caused multitudes of loose and disorderly
people to resort to that fair ; which afterwards proved
of signal benefit to one of his successors. For Ran-
ulph^ the last earl of Chester [o£ that name], march-
ing into Wales with a slender attendance, was con-
strained to retire to his castle of Rothelan, or Rhuyd-
land; in which he was straightly besieged by the
Welsh. Finding himself hard pressed, he contrived
to give notice of his danger to Lord Roger (or John)
de Lacy, Constable of Chester, who, making use of
the Minstrels then assembled at Chester fair; these
men, like so many Tyrtceus's^ by their music and
their songs so allured and inspired the multitudes of
loose and lawless persons then brought together, that
they resolutely marched against the Welsh : Hugh de
Dutton, a gallant youth, who was steward to Lacy,
putting himself at their head. The Welsh, alarmed
at the approach of this rabble, supposing them to be
a regular body of armed and disciplined veterans, in-
stantly raised the siege and retired."
*' For this good service, Ranulph granted to the
Lacies, by charter, a peculiar patronage over men of
this sort : who devolved the same again upon Dutton
and his heirs. And the Minstrels, his assistants, en-
joyed for many ages peculiar honours and privileges
under the descendants of that family."
The above relation is, in the Essay, marked with
double commas, as a quotation, but the only reference
to any authority is that indirectly made in the note
 THE MINSTRELS. vu

and it is certain, that the writers there mentioned

give little countenance to a remarkable passage, in-
troduced, it should seem, by the learned essayist, to
serve the purpose of a hypothesis, which, by this time,
perhaps, he began to perceive would need more sup-
port than any author ancient or modern was ready
to afford*.

The story is thus told, by a writer who cannot be

suspected of a design to render the actors less respect-
able than he foundthem represented.
" This Randlef, among the many conflicts he had
with the Welsh, .... was distressed by ' them,' and
forced to retreat to the castle of Rothelent, in Flint-
shire, about the reign of king John, where they be-
sieged him: he presently sent to his constable of

Cheshire, Roger Lacy, sirnamed Hell, for his fierce

spirit, that he would come with all speed, and bring

what forces he could towards his relief. Roger,
having gathered a tumultuous rout o^Jidlers, players,
cohlers,\_and other] debauched persons, both men and
women, out of the city of Chester (for 'twas then the
fair-time in that city), marcheth immediately towards
the earl. The Welsh, perceiving a great multitude
coming, raised their siege and fled. The earl, coming
back with his constable to Chester, gave him power

* This passage (to which, by the way, there could be no possible

objection, if it had not been within marks of quotation) is omitted in

the new edition. Dr. Percys happiness of expression, or general
elegance as a writer, was never disputed.

f The Third, surnamed Blundevil, sixth earl of Chester.

viii OBSERVATIONS ON

over all the Jldlers and shoemakers in Chester, in reward

and memory of this service. The constable retained to
himself the authority and donation of the shoemakers,
but conferred the authority of the Jldlers and players
on his steward, which then was Dutton of Dutton*."
The words of the grant to Dutton are, " Magisterium

* Sir Peter liCycesters Historical Antiquities, p. 141. See also

Blounts Ancient Tenures, p. 156 Sir W. Dugdale only tells us,

that the earl in his distress " sent to the constable of Chester for
help; who, making use of the Minstrels of all sort's, then met at
Chester fair, by the allurements of their music, got together a vast

number of such loose people, as by reason of the before specified

privilege, were then in that city, whom he forthwith sent under the
conduct of Dutton (his steward) towards Rothelan." Baronage,
i. 101. He refers to the History of Cambria, by D. Powel, p. 296.
And, though he allows this might have been done as was reported in
the time of Roger, constable of Chester, says, it is most certain that it

was John, his son, who had the patronage of that rabble given him
by the earl, and thereupon granted the same to Hugh de Dutton.
The words of Camden are, that " this family [of Dutton], by an
old custom, hath a particular authority over all pipers, Jldlers, and
harpers of this county, ever since one H. Dutton, with a rabble of
such men, rescued Ranulf, the last earl of Chester, &c." Britannia,
in Cheshire. His authority is a " Chronicon Wallicc,'''' by which he
doubtless means Powells history, where the story seems to have
oiiginally appeared. All that this writer says is, that " Ralph [r.

Hugh] Dutton, * Lacys' son-in-law, being a lustie youth, assembled

togither all the plaiers, musicians, and merie companions in the citie
(being then the fair time) and came to the constable, who forthwith
went to Ruthlan, raised the siege, and delivered the earle from
danger. In recompence of which service, the earle gave unto his
constable divers freedoms and privileges, and granted unto the said
Dutton, the ruling and ordering of all the plaiers and viuiicians
within that countie, which his heue enjoyeth even unto this day."
Hist, of Cambria, 1584, p. 296,
 ;

THE MINSTllELS. ix

omjiium leccatorum et meretricium tolius Cestre-

shire, sicut liherius ilium magisterium teneo de comite

salvo jure meo mihi et heredibus meis*." No mention
is made of Fidlers or Minstrels ; we must therefore
presume them to have passed as an appendage or ap-
purtenance to the whores and letchers, for whose di-
version this respectable order of men, " who united
th^ arts of poetry and music, and sung verses to the
harp of their own composing," were most miserably
twanging and scraping in the booths of Chester fair.

True it is, that in the 14th year of king Henry VII.,

Laurence Dutton, lord of Button (in answer to a quo
warranto, on behalf of prince Arthur, as earl of Chester)
claimed that all Minstrels inhabiting, or exercising
their office, within the county and city of Chester,

ought to appear before him, or his steward, at Chester,

at the feast of St. John Baptist yearly, and should give

him at the said feast four flagons of wine, and one

* Dug. Baro. i. 101. Sir P. Leycesters Historical antiquitie/:,

pp. 142. 251. This author supposes " the rout which the constable
brought to the rescuing of the earl were debauched persons drinking
with their sweethearts in the fair, fidlers^ &c." {'-^pipers and other
sorts of minstrels" says King). And observes, that " the custom
seems to have been altered to the Jidkrs^ as necessary attendants on
revellers in hawdy-houses and taverns.^* [Dr. Percy, however, in i>i,<;
'
the new edition, says, *' the natural inference is, that the minstrels
were expressed by the term fZecca^orc*" (which, it appears from
Ducange's glossary, may mean buffoons% and mentions an ancient
MS. in French metre (quoted by that author) " wherein the leccouh
(Lat. Leccator) and the minstrel are joined togetlier:" a suf-
iicient proof tliat tlie names were not synonimous ; though the per-
sons meant were doubtless "par nobilc fratrum.^''l
X OBSERVATIONS ON

lance ; and also every Minstrel should pay him four

pence halfpenny, at the said feast &c. ; for which he
pleaded prescription *.

It is likewise admitted, that the Duttons were wont

to keep a court every year upon the above feast, being
the fair-day, where all the Minstrels of the county and
city did attend and play before the lord of Dutton, or
his steward, upon their several instruments, to and
from divine service; after which, the old licences
granted to the IVIinstrels were renewed, and such new
ones granted as he thought fit, none presuming to
exercise that faculty without licence t; and that this

privilege has been excepted in many acts of parlia-

ment, whereby Minstrels have been declared, and di-

rected to be punished as rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy
beggars.
In the reign of Edward I., it seems, a 3iultitudb
OF MINSTRELS are expressly mentioned to have given
their attendance in his court, at the solemn act of

knighting his son. This is sufficiently credible, but

will by no means prove them to have been Englishmen.
The woman whom Stow relates to have entered into
Westminster Hall, adorned like a minstrel, sitting on
a great horse trapped as minstrels then used, who rode
* Sir P. Leycesters Historical antiquities^ p. 142. 251. Blounts
Ancient Tenures. —Law Dictionary^ v. Minstrel.

f At this court the steward, having called every minstrel, and

impaneled a jury, charged them to enquire, whether any man of that
profession had '*
exercised his instrument without license from the
lord of the court," or what misdemeanour he was guilty of. Kings
Vale royal of England^ p. 29.

•'»-»/>7
 :

THE MINSTRELS. xi

round about the tables^ shewing pastime, and at length

came up to the king and delivered a letter, had evi-
dently assumed the character of a tumbler or tomhle-
stere *, the profession, we find, of females, in the time
of Chaucer. Stow might translate the word histrio
by Minstrel properly enough, without meaning one
who sung to the harp; for he undoubtedly knew;i
both that the word had no such implication, and that
women never sung to the harp t.

In the fourth year of Richard II. John of Gaunt

ordained a king of the Minstrels {Roy des Ministraulx)

I* This word is derived by JMr. Tjnrwhitt from the Saxon tumlan,

to dance; but, in the Romant of the Rose, at least, it is clearly a ^i'i'%

corruption of tmnbcstere or timbestere, a female performer on the

timbre ; tomberesse, tumberessc, tyinberesse, and timberesse ; tombe^
tumbe, tymbre, and timbre, all occurring in different MSS. of the
original. In the other instances, however, Mr. Tyrwhitts deriva-
tion may be still right : as tomblestere is the legitimate feminine of
tombler. {

jjf i. e. professionally and in public. Dr. Percy has, indeed, pro-

duced a few instances, from old romances (to which more might be '^*'^
added), of ladies playing on the harp ; and many such instances may
be found at this day ; though it would appear very odd to term tlie

fair performers, she-minsircls. " These instances," therefore, " are

[not] sufficient."

If Tombestere did not, as would seem from the above note, mean
a tumbler or dancing'ivoman, the historian could not " have used the
word saltatrix.*^ The following passage, however, in the ancient
Bonian de Perceval appears to put the existence of female dancers
and tumblers out of all doubt

" Harper y faisoit harpeors,

Et vieler vieleors,

Et les balcresses baler,

Et LES TUMBERESSES TUMBEK." 1
 xil OBSERVATIONS ON

within his honor of Tutbury in Staffordshire, to whom"

he gave power to take and arrest all the JMinstrels
within that honor who should refuse to make their
services and minstralcie, Sj-c. In virtue of this grant,

a court of Minstrels used to be kept, where defaulters

Avere amerced, offenders presented, and other proceed-
ings had, till the latter end of the last century. Now
the Minstrels, to whom a sovereign was thus given,
could have been only the retainers to the castle and
honor of Tutbury, or, in other words, the dulses band >.

of music; and this monarch perhaps was a sort of

maestro di capella. Dr. Plot, who was present at one
of the minstrel-courts, has left us a pretty full account
of the whole ceremony ; but in his time, the Essay
allows, the Minstrels " appear to have lost their sing-

ing talents, and to have become mere musicians." As

to singing talents, it is most likely they never possessed
any*; and what sort o^ musicians they were, may be
in some measure conceived from a part of the ceremony
which the Essayist has judiciously omitted. After the
court was over, the steward to the duke of Devon-
shire, as representative of the prior of Tutbury, used
to deliver a bull, prepared for the occasion, and turn

rtii
him loose among the Minstrels ;. and, if they succeeded
in their endeavours to takehim before he got over the
* Both the Essa)nst and the present writer turn out to be mis-
taken : one of the articles of enquiry given in charge to the inquest
was, Whether any of the several minstrels within the honor had
'* abused or disparaged their honorable profession^ by drunkenness,
profane cursing and swearing, singing lewd or obscene songs, ^c."
 ;

THE MINSTRELS. XlU

Dove, he was brought to the stake, and baited for

their further diversion. The whole of this infamous
business was attended with circumstances of the most
shocking and brutal barbarity, which it would be dis-

gusting to repeat, and which a fidler or ballad-singer

of the present times (low as the profession may be

now sunk) would scorn to countenance *.
Such was the famous hull-running of Tulbury, or
court of minstrels ; of which one of that profession
thus speaks, in the assumed character of the roy des
ministraulx, long before Dr. Plots time :

" This battle was fought near to Titbury town,

When the bagpipes baited the bull
I 'm king of the Jidlers, and swear 'tis a truth,
And him that doubts it a gull.
I call
For I saw them fighting, axidfddled the while, ^cf"
" Even so late as the reign of Henry VIII." it is

observed, " a stated number of Minstrels were retained

in all great and noble families, as appears from the
establishment of the household of the then earl of
Northumberland."
" Item, Mynstrals in houshold iij. viz. a taberet, a
luyte, and a rebecci" But this surely cannot be pro-
* See Plots Staffordshire, p. 435. and Blounts Ancient Tenures, p.

JThe minstrels court, bull-running, ^c. were entirely abolished ^.^

1()7. ,

by the duke of Devonshire in 1778, at the request of the inhabitants

of Tutbury, owing to the outrages usually committed on the occasion.
See the new edition of Blounts Tenures, by Beckwith, p. 313. •

.
f Rohin Hoods Garland, Song I.
X Essay, p. Ixxiv. In the celebration of Christmas, Sir J. Hawkins
says, Jidlers were deemed so necessary, that in the houses of the
 XIV OBSERVATIONS ON

duced to prove, that these " Mynstrals" were aii order

of men " who united the arts of poetry and music,
and sung verses to the harp of their own composing,"
However may be, " the Minstrels," we are told,
this
" continued down to the reign of Elizabeth; in whose
time they had lost much of their dignity, and were
sinking into contempt and neglect." As to dignity, it
is pretty clear they never had any to lose and if we ;

find them treated with contempt and neglect, it is

because we are now become better acquainted with

them, and do not view them through the mediiun of
Ducange or Fontenelle.
" Still," however, " they sustained a character far
superior to any thing we can conceive at present of
the singers of old ballads ;" or rather of the players on
fiddles ; for we have hitherto only found them to be
musicians ; not a song has a single one of them been
yet proved to have sung.
A passage, quoted by the Essayist (p. xxxv.), from
a writer of this period, gives us, it must be confessed,
a distinct idea of the character he describes ; but it

is evidently of a character that existed only in the

imagination of those who contrived the " ridiculous^i
:^i.„^ r*.^ devise" jof this " Auncient Minstrell and his song,"; and

nobility, they were retained by small stipends, as also cloaks and

badges, with the cognizance or arms of the family, like certain other
domestic servants. From the houses of great men, to wakes, fairs,

and other assemblies of the common people, the transition of these

vagrant artists was natural. H%it. Music, iv. 382.
 THE MINSTRELS. XV

who had met with him in Morte Arthur *. If Minstrels

had been common, a real one would have been pro-
cured, and not ^' one personating that character."
" Towards the end of the sixteenth century, this

* See Langhams Letter, &c. — That a Minstrel or singing harper

is a very useful personage in the above ancient and popular romance,
will appear from the following anecdote. Sir Lancelot being in a
violent passion, on account of a threatening abusive letter which king
Marke of Cornewaile had sent to queen Guenever, wherein he " spake
shame by her, and by sir Lancelot;" sir Dinadan, to comfort him,
bids him *'
set right nought by all these threatenings, for king IMarke
' was' so vilanous, that by faire speach ' should' never no man get
ought of him ; but (continues he) yee shall see what I shall doe, I
will make a lay for him, and when it is made, I shall make an harper
to sing it before him. So anon hee went and made it, and taught it

an harper, that hyght Elyot, and when hee could it, hee taught it to
many harpers. And so . . . the harpers went straight unto Wales
and Cornewaile to sing the lay, . . . which was the worst lay that
ever harper sung with harpe, or with any other instrument. And
[at] the great feast that king Marke made for joy, of the Victoria

which hee had, because the Sessoines were put out of his countrey,
came Eliot the harper ; . . . . and because he was a curious harper,
men heard him sing the same lay that sir Dinadan had made, the

which spake the most vilanie by king IMarke, of his treason, that
ever man heard. When the harper had sung his song to the end,
king Marke was wonderous wroth with him, and said, Thou harper,
how durst thou be so bold on thy head to sing this song before me ?
Sir, said Eliot, wit you well I am a minstrell, and I must doe
as I am commanded of these lords that I beare the armes of. And,
sir king, wit you well that sir Dinadan, a knight of the round table,

made this song, and he made me to sing it before you. Thou saiest

well, said king Marke, I charge thee that thou hie thee fast out of
my sight. So the harper departed, ^c. But for to say that king
Marke was wonderous wroth, he was." Part II. c. 113. (Ed. 1634.)
See also part III. c. 5. [(This extract is copied with very little altera,

tion into the new editiwi of the Reliques.) The title of one of the '
^
chapters in the old French romance of Merlin (Rouen, s. d.) is,
 : : : :

XVI OBSERVATIONS ON

class of men had lost all credit, and were sunk so low
in the public opinion, that, in the 39th year of Eliza-
beth, a statutewas passed, by which " Minstrels
wandering abroad," were included among " rogues,
vagabonds, and sturdy beggars," and were adjudged
to be punished as such. This act seems to have put
an end to the profession, for after this time they are

no longer mentioned."
Of the language of this statute, the Minstrels should
not seem to have had much reason to complain, as
vagabond was a title to which the profession had been
long accustomed *.

" Come Merlin se mist en forme de ung beau jeune hoe aveugle
et jouy^de une harpe, &c." which is worth perusing. {Tome 11.
fo. cix.) I

* Item, pur eschuir pluseurs diseases et meschiefs qont advenuz

devant ces heures en la terre de Gales, par pluseurs westours, rymours,
ministralx^ et antres vacabondes, ordeignez est, ^c." Stat. 4 H. IV.
C.27.
[The author of the Vision of Pierce Plowman treats tliem with as

little respect

'* As commen as a caitwaye to eche a knave that walketh,

To monkes, and to minstrels, to mesels in hedges."

It might not be long after the passing of tlie above act against the
Minstrels, that dr. Bull wrote satyrical verses upon them (extant in
some MS. of the Harleian collection, of which the number cannot be
recovered), part of the first stanza being as follows

When Jesus went to Jairus house,

[Whose daughter was about to die,]

He turn'd the Minstrels out of doors,

Among the rascal company
Beggars they are, with one consent,
And ROGUES, by act of parliament. "1
 THE MIN&TRELS. xvil

II. It is somewhat remarkable, that we have yet

seen no authority which should induce us to think,
that there ever was a single Englishman^ who " united
the arts of poetry and music, and sung verses to the
harp of his own composing ;" nor in fact is any such
authority to be found. If those writers who have
become the historians or panegyrists of the Proven9al
troubadours, or the French Minstrels, had been pos-
sessed of no better evidence than we are, the mere
existence of such a body would not have been at pre-

sent known. The tensons, the sirventes, the pastoU"

relies of the former, the lais, contes^ and. fabliaux of the
latter are innumerable, and not only prove their exist-
ence, but afford sufficient materials for their description
and history. But this is by no means the case with
the ^' Ancient English Minstrels," of whom it is not
pretended that we have any thing more than a few
rude ballads, which prove nothing less than their
origin. Not a single piece is extant in which an En-
glish Minstrel speaks of himself; whereas, the im-
portance or vanity of the French Minstrel for ever
leads him to introduce himself or his profession, and
to boast of his feats and his talents. That there <lid

exist in this country an order of men called Minstrels,

is certain ; but then it is equally clear, that the word
was never used by any English writer, for " one who
united the arts of poetry and music, and sung verses
to the harp of his own composing," before the ingenious
writer so often quoted ; but, on the contrary, that it

VOL. I. C
 xviii OBSERVATIONS ON

ever implied an instrumental performer, and generally

a fidler, or such like base musician.
To begin with the glossarists : Florio, in his Worlde

of wordes, 1598, renders the Italian words Biffaro and

Ghigaro, " Sifidler^ a crouder, a minstrell" J Sir Henry
Spelman explains the word " Minstrell," by "Jidiceny
tibicen;" Blount, by " a musician, a fidler ;" Cotgrave
translates menestraudier, " a minstrell or fidler •" and
Minshew says, that " Minstrel," is in German, " ein

Jidler."
The " Minstrells" of the kings household, in the
time of Edward III. were "trompeters,cytelers,pypers,
tabrete, mabrers, clarions, fedelerQs], wayghtes*."
An old chronicler, speaking of the battle of Halidon-
Hill, in this reign, observes, that " the Englisshe myn^
stralisblewe hir trumpes and hir pipes Qor, as a dif-
ferent copy has it, " beten her tabers, and blowen her
irompes"'\j and hidously astrede the Scottist."
The '^ Minstrels" of king Edward IV. were musi-
cians, " whereof some ' were trompets, some with the
'

shalmes and smalle pypes, and some strange mene

coming to ' the ' court at fy ve feastes of the year, and
then take their wages, . . . after iiij. d. ob. by daye,
&c. J"
* Hawkins's Hist. Mmic, ii. 107 Wayghtcs were players on
hautboys or other pipes during the night ; as they are in many places

at this day. See 291.

t MS. Harl. 266. (4690.) These mifirtralis were the drummera
axidijifers of the present day.
± Hawkins's Hist. Music , ii. 290.
 : :

TUt MINSTRKI.S. xix

[in a narrative of " the departure of the princess

Katherine out of Spaine, together with her arrival and
reception in England" 1501, printed in the new edition
of Lelands Collectanea (v. 352.) we read that " she and
her ladyes called for their minstrells and . . , solaced
themselves with the disports of dauncing." 7
Those of the earl of Northumberland, in the time
of king Henry VIII. we have already seen, were ^'
a
tabret, a luyte, a rebecc." And in a list of the house-

hold musicians of king Edward VI. we find ^^ trum-

peters, luters, harpers, singers, rebeck, sagbutts, vyalls,

bagpiper, minstrelles, dromslades, and players on

the flutes and virginals*." The particular office of
the Minstrels does not indeed appear ; but it must be
evident, that they were not singers to the harp.
[Dr. Percy had not observed that gleman or glerveman
is frequently used for minstrsl in the Vision of Pierce
the Plowman, (1550.)
''
And sithen to speach, that enspyred is of grace,
And gods gleman^ and a game of heaven,
Woulde never that faythfuU father hys fydk were untemperd,
Ne his glemati a gadUng, a goer to taveme." (fol. 43, b.)

He appears, from this author, to have been oc-

casionally blind, and led by a dog
" And than gan he to go, like a glewemans bi/tch,

Sonnietyrae asyde, and sometyme arere." (fo. 26.) (

Skelton, laureat, treats the character with the utmost

" i'-r '--S r^-'«^ h -^ '-^>-
contempt t. f .^

* Hawkins's Hist. Music, iii. 479. Florio explains the word

Tahiirrino, by " a littfe drum, a tabour, a timbrell, a drum-slade.^*

f Against a comely coystrowne, &c Works, p. 256.

•
c2
 XX OBSKRVATIONS ON

It should seem, by the way, that the minstrels of

this aera had a dress to distinguish their profession.

The company, described by the author whose words

are quoted, being seated in a tavern, '' in comes a noise
of musicians, in tawney coats, who taking off their caps,
asked if they would have any music ? The widow
answered. No; they were merry enough. Tut, said
the old man, let us hear, good fellows, what you can
do; and play me. The beginning of the world *."
fAgain, in the '^ Pretie and mery new enterlude,
i^^ called the Disobedient Child," the young woman,
speaking of her approaching nuptials, says,

" There wolde this daye be very good cheare,

That every one his bealy maye fyll,

* History of Jack of Netebury^ by The. Delony. The times

Henry VIII. The widow being im-
referred to, are those of king
portuned to drink to such one of the company as she loved best,
says, ^' with this cup of claret and sugar, I heartily drink to the
MINSTRELS BOF.'*
A of musicians, was a company of them. In the second part
noise

of King Henri/ IV. Act II. Scene IV. one of the drawers bids his
fellow see if he can find out " Sneak's noise;'" Blrs. Tearsheet being
desirous to have some music.
Now, with respect to these tawney coats ; it is well known that
this was the livery of the bishop of Winchester, within whose manor
of Southwark, and under whose license and authority the public
stews anciently flourished. May we not, therefore, conclude that the

minstrels thus described were retainers in ordinary to those privileged

retreats of licentious mirth ? In one of the prints of Hogarths Hakes
Progress, he has introduced a venerable minstrel, accompanying on
his harp the melodious strains of a pregnant female : the scene of
action being The Rose tavern , where these respectable characters were
wont to ply.
 : ; ——
:

THE MINSTlli:LS. xxi

And thre or foure Minsirelles wolde be here,

That none in the house syt idle or stylle."

scL for dancing. Wolde in both places means should. J

In the old morality of Lusty Juventus, written and
printed in the time of king Edward VI. Youth says,

" Who knoweth where is a viynstrell f

By the masse, I would fayne go daunce afiUcC^

Again
** Well i-met father, well i-met

Dyd you here anye mynstrels playe ?"

*' Good Conned. What would you with the minstrell do ?

Juventus. Nothing, but Jiave a daunce or two.'*

[The mystery of Candlemas day, composed 1512^

•^*"%
concludes with the following lines, part of the poets
address to his audience.:

*' Wherefor now, ye vyrgynes, or we go hens.

With all your company you goodly avauncc
Also ye menstralles doth your diligens,

Afore our deperture geve us a daunce."

That is, in modern English, Fidlers, strike up ! i

Thus too, in an ancient poetical tract, entitled the

Taming of a Shrew; or the Wife lapped in Morels
Skin, 4to. (sig. c. i.)

*' The mynstrelles played at every borde.'*

/ Again, in Grenes Orlando furioso, 1594 : / ^ t-;

•' T '11 be his minstrell with my drum anAjife,

Bid him come forth, and datice it, if he dare."

Again, in Lilys Mother Boinbic, 1594 :

 : :

XXU OBSERVATIONS ON
" I hare been a piinstrell these thirtie yeares,

And tickled more strings than thou hast haires." 1J

Spenser, in his Epitkalamion, gives a very accurate
description of them:

" Harke how the Minstrils gin to shrill aloud

Their inerry mnsick that resounds from far,

The pipe^ the taier, and the trembling croud,

That well agree withouten breach or jar.
But most of all the damzels doe delite,
When they their tymlrels smite.
And thereunto doe dauuce and caroll sweet.
That all the senses they doe ravish quite *."

* Thus too, Chancer in the Romaunt of the Rose

" There was many a timbestere^
And salyours, that I dare wel swere
(yOuth her craft ful parfetly
The tynibres up ful subtelly
They cast, and hente ful ofte
Upon a fynger fayre and softe, ^.c-"

These timbres are the tambour de basque, an instrument of the

greatest antiquity. )
Following the above extract, in the former

f^y,*i edition is a quotation on the credit of sir John Hawkins's History of

Music, from '' Thomas of Reading," concern-
the pleasant history of
who " was a great musician and kept a company of
ing one Rahere,
MiNSTKELS, i. e. FiDLERS, who played with silver bows." Un-
less, however, there be very great difference in the editions of this
" famous history," it does not contain the word " minstrels ;" at
least in the passage where mention is made of Rejor (not Rehere)
and " his servants." Sir John is certainly an inaccvurate, and would
seem from this instance to be an unfaithful citer. Stow, indeed, speaks
of this Rahere as " a pleasant witted gentleman, and therefore in his

time called the kinges minstrell." Survay ofLaudon, 1598. p. 308.

Shakspeare calls them '-^
fcast-fndiiig minstrels," in his Rape of
LucrecCt (as the author of Pierce Plowman had called them long be-
 ;

THE MINSTRELS. xxm

In Follies Anaiomie, hy H. Huttofi, Dunelmefisis,

1618^ 8vo. is an epigram, which begins,

*'
Shouldring a Minstrell in a lane, I broke
His violls case.''^

I
In the Taming of a ShreWy a person having de-
scribed a wedding, says,

" Hush, hark ! I hear the nmistrels play.''*

In Groves EpigrainSj &c. 1587 [we find]

" The minstrel then that Jidleih fine

*
At feeding times may play,
And sififf to heape into his pursse
The coyne by night or day." "^

Lastly, by an ordinance of the Commonwealth, in

1656, c. 2L It was enacted, " that if any person or

persons, commonly called Jldlers or minstrelsj shall at

fore) " not to fare as a Jidler or a friar to seke festesy^^ p. 48, and in
his comedy of Much Ado about Nothings makes Claudio say, " I will
bid thee draw^ as we do the minstrels ; draw to pleasure us." Indeed
the word appears to have been considered as reproachful and insult-
ing even by the profession itself. Peter in Romeo and Juliet tells
the musicians he " will give them no money, but the gleek,'* " I
will give you the minstrel:^'' then says the first musician, " will I
give you the serving-creature."
Ben Jonson, in his Tale of a tub^ introduces " Old father Rosin,
chief minstrel of Highgate, and his two boys :" they are fiddlers
and play the tunes by the company : as Tom Tikr^ The
called for
jolly joiner^ The jovial tinker.
and The same author, in his
" Masque of the metamorphosed gypsies," calls a bag-piper, " the
miracle of minstrels ; " and, in another part makes one of his cha-
racters say, " The king has his noise of gypsies, as well as of bear-

wards and other minstrels.''* '

XXIV OBSERVATIONS ON

any time be taken playing^ ^fidling, and making musick,

in any In?i, Alehouse, or Tavern ^ or shall be taken

proffering themselves, or desiring, or intreating any

parson or persons to hear them play or make musick,
in any the places aforesaid, every such person or per-

be adjudged, and are hereby ad-

sons, so taken, shall

judged and declared to be rogues, vagabonds, and

sturdy beggers."
After this, the word Minstrel was scarcely ever

mentioned (unless in dictionaries or vagrant acts) till

it appeared with such eclal in the Essay prefixed to

the Reliques of Ancient English Foetry.

III. That there were individuals formerly, who made

it their business to wander up and down the country
chanting romances, and singing songs and ballads to
the harp, fiddle, or other more humble and less arti-
ficial instrument, cannot be doubted. These men
were in all probability comprehended within the ge-
neral term of Minstrels, but are by no means to be
exclusively distinguished by that title; and indeed
were generally denominated from the particular in-

struments on which they performed. It may be easily

imagined, that many of these people, though entirely
destitute of education, and probably unable either to
write or read, possessed the talent of inventing hi-
storical or legendary songs, which would sometimes
have merit ; but it is to be observed, that all the min-
strel-songs which have found their way to us are
merely narrative; nothing of passion, sentiment, or
even description, being to be discovered among them.
 THE MINSTRELS. XXV

Men equally ignorant, have in all ages and in all

countries, been possessed of the same talent, and such

a character is only rare at present, because it is be-
come more difficult to please. It is however worthy
of remark, that no English Minstrel was ever famous
for his composition or his performance ; nor is the
name of a single one preserved : and it has been seen,
that we only commence our acquaintance with these
Minstrel-songsters, when " they had lost all credit,
and were sinking into contempt and neglect." It will

be readily conceived, that in rude and barbarous times,

men who contributed to the general amusement of the
common people, were held in much greater estimation
than they are at present ; and that two or three cen-
turies ago, the wooden wit of old England was a much
more welcome visitant in many a populous city, than
even a Garrick or a Siddons would be in the present
age. The art of printing was fatal to the Minstrels
who sung ;
people begun to read, and, unfortunately
for the Minstrels, their compositions would not bear
reading ; of course not above two or three of them
ever got to the press : the songs used by the ballad-
singers, on the contrary, were smooth and regular,
were all printed, and, what was much more to their

advantage, were generally united to a simple but

pleasing melody, which was easily acquired, and any
one could sing ; whereas the Minstrels songs were
without tune, and could not be performed, even by
themselves, without the twang of a harp, or the
scrape of a fiddle. These two (not to speak of the
 XXVI OBSERVATIONS ON

cultivation of poetry and music by persons of genius

and learning) seem to have been the principal causes
of the rapid decline of the Minstrel profession, since
the time of queen Elizabeth, though it is conceived
that a few individuals resembling the character might
have been lately, and may possibly be still found in
some of the least polished or less frequented parts
of the kingdom. It is not long since that the public
papers announced the death of a person of this de-
scription somewhere in Derbyshire ; and another.

I
from the county of Gloucester j was within these few
years to be seen in the streets of London he played ;

on an instrument of the rudest construction, which

he, properly enough, called a hum-strum, and chaunted
(amongst others) the old ballad of Lord Thomas and
fair Eleanor, which, by the way, has every appearance
of being originally a Minstrel song*. It is not im-
probable that a Minstrel being so rare a character at
this day, is in a great measure owing to the puritanical

innovations of the last and latter part of the preceding

century, and particularly to the abolition of sports or
public amusements on Sunday afternoons, which a

r» He appeared again in January 1790; and called upon the

present writer in the April following. He was between GO and 70
years of age, but had not been brought up to the profession of a min-
strel nor possessed any great store of songs, of which that men-
;

tioned in the text seemed the principal. Having, it would seem,

survived his minstrel-talents, and

" Forgot his epic, nay pindaric art,"

he has been of late frequently observed begging in the streets,

j
 THE MINSTRELS. xxvil

spirit of Calvinistical bigotry still teaches groveling

minds to think repugnant to religion.

Dr. Percy, though he admits, that, as the Minstrels

art ''
declined,some of them only recited the com-
positions of others," says, that " many of them still
composed songs, and all of them could probably in-
vent a few stanzas upon occasion." He has no doubt
but most of the old heroic ballads, printed in his own
collection," were composed by this order of men."
In another place he says, that " the artless productions
of these old rhapsodists, are \m. his work] occasionally

confronted with specimens of the composition of con-

temporary poets of a higher class : of those who had
all the advantages of learning in the times in which
they lived, and who wrote for fame and posterity.

Yet perhaps the palm will be frequently due to the

old strolling Minstrels, who composed their rhimes to
be sung to their harps, and who looked no farther
than for present applause and present subsistence."
The ballads which Dr. Percy is inclined to refer to
the Minstrels, are those in which a reader will observe
"a cast of style and measure very different from that
of contemporary poets of a higher class ; many phrases
and idioms, which the Minstrels seem to have appro-
priated to themselves, and a very remarkable licence
of varying the accent of words at pleasure, in order
to humour the flow of the verse, particularly in the
rhimes; as
Countric harper battel morning
Ladle singer damsel loving
xxviii OBSEUVATIONS ON

instead of country, Ihdy^ harper, shiger, &c."— Thi^

liberty seems, however, to have been " sparingly
assumed by the classical poets of the same age;"
and " the ' later composers of heroical ballads." The
'

old minstrel ballads are likewise "in the northern

dialect*, abound with antique words and phrases,
r.re extremely incorrect, and run into the utmost
licence of metre ; they have also a romantic wildness,

and are in the true spirit of chivalry." It is also ob-

served, " that so long as the Minstrels subsisted, they
seem never to have designed their rhimes for literary
publication, and probably never committed them to
writing themselves : what copies are preserved of
them were doubtless taken down from their OAvn
mouths."
This being the case, it ought not to have been a
matter of wonder if not a single specimen of these
minstrel rhimes had descended to us. It is rather a

subject of astonishment, that we should be possessed

of such a number. Dr. Percy had the good fortune
to meet with " an ancient folio manuscript, which
contains near 200 poems, songs, and metrical ro-

mances. The MS.litselfjwas written about the middle

of the last century, but contains compositions of all

times and dates, from the ages prior to Chaucer, to

the conclusion of the reign of Charles I "
:
And from
this IVIS. the greater part of the contents of the above
collection, particularly the minstrel ballads, are ex-
tracted.
• Not all of them.
 THE MINSTRKLS. XXIX
r.
"
[The abovej MS. is certainly the most singular tiling

of the kind that was ever known to exist. How such

a multifarious collection could possibly have been
formed so late as the year 1650, of compositions from
the ages prior to Chaucer, most of which had never
been printed, is scarcely to be conceived by those
conversant in ancient MSS. ; a similar instance perhaps
not being to be found in any library public or private.
I The existence of this MS., if ever questioned, is now '<? ^f s v^y^

placed beyond the possibility of a doubt. But it ap- 'C^'^!/*'

pears to have suffered much by ill usage :
j
*^ Sir Cauline" (vol. i. p. 41.) was ''in so defective

and mutilated a condition, that it was necessary to

supply several stanzas in the Jirst part, and still more
in the second, to connect and complete the story."
" The Child of Elle" (i. 109.) is " given from a frag-

ment," which, " tho' extremely defective and mutilated"

" excited a strong desire to attempt a completion of the
story."
" Sir Aldingar " (ii. 50.) is not given without " a
few conjectural emendations, and the insertion of
three or four stanzas to supply defects in the original
copy."
In the ballad beginning " Gentle herdsman " (ii. 79.)
'' vestiges of several of the lines remaining, some con-
jectural supplements have been attempted, which, for
greater exactness, are, in this one ballad, distinguished
by italicJcs." This is a measure to which there can be
no other objection, than that it is confined to ''this
one ballad," which however has not the least appear-
 XXX OBSERVATIONS ON

ance of being a minstrel song. " As yc came from the

Holy Land " (iii. 93.) is communicated by Mr. Shen-
stone, ^^ as corrected by him from an ancient MS. and
^ supplied with a concluding stanza." /\
In "the heir of Linne" (ii. 128.) "breaches and
defects rendered the insertion of a few supplemental
stanzas necessary," which *' it is hoped the reader will

pardon," though he is not instructed how to distinguish

them.
In " The beggars daughter of Bethnal-Green" (ii.
162.) " the concluding stanzas " are acknowleged to
be an interpolation ; and in the prefatory introduction

is by IVIr. Guthrie, of " the only

a communication
stanza he remembered " of another old song on the
same subject, a,

" The marriage of Sir Gawaine" (iii. 11.) was " so

extremely mutilated, half of every leaf being torn

away, that without large supplements, &c. it would
have been improper for the collection." " They are
not however particularly pointed out, because the
fragment itself will some time or other be given to

^ the public*."^

by Spenser and other ancient

C"* The word thetoes is repeatedly used

writers, always in the sense of manners, behaviour, or the qualifica-

tions of the mind. Shakspeare, as Mr. Stevens has justly observed,
is singular in his application of it to the perfections of the body.

Yet, in The marriage of Sir Gaxvainc^ we read

"- He's twice the size of common men,

"NVi' ihc-wes and sinewee stronge."
 THE MINSTRELS- xxxi

" King Arthur's death " (iii. 28.) " being very in-

correct and imperfect, . . . received some conjectural

emendations, and even a supplement of three or four
stanzas."
" It cannot be denied, but that a great part of
' The Birth of St, George/ is modern," (iii. 219). It

may be safely denied, however, that the least part of

it is ancient.
As to " Valentine and Orson" (iii. 280.) " it would
be in vain to put off this ballad for ancient, nor yet is

it altogether modern. The original is an old MS.

poem in the Editors possession, [[not indeed in the
folio MS.] ; which being in a wretched and corrupt
state, the subject was thought worthy of some em-
bellishments."
Many other instances might be noticed, where the
learned collector has preferred his ingenuity to his
fidelity, without the least intimation to the reader.
It follows, from the manner in which this celebrated

avowedly published, that no confidence

collection is

can be placed in any of the " old Minstrel ballads "

inserted in that collection, and not to be found else-

where.
There are however some pieces of which we are
otherwise in possession, and which^. according to the

This passage therefore, though quoted in support of Shakspeare, is to

be regarded as one of the editors " large supplements," and affords
a (perhaps singular) proof of his inattention to ancient language.
(N. B. The above note, written before the publication of the new
edition, is confirmed by the oiiginal fragment.) "7
xxxn OESKllVATIONS ON

rules laid down by Dr. Percy, may be supposed to

have been originally written for and sung to the harp.
Such are the following (being all of this kind known
to exist):

1 The battle of Chevy-chase.

2. The battle of Otterbourne.

Musgrave and lady Barnard.

3. Little

4 Lord Thomas and fair Eleanor.

5. Fair Margaret and sweet William.
6. John Dory.
7« John Armstrong.
8. Captain Car,
The first was originally printed by Mr. Hearne, at

the end of his edition of William of Newborough, and

reprinted by Dr. Percy (i. 1.). Of the second, two MS.
copies are extant, one in the Harleian and the other
in the Cotton library ; from the latter of which it is"

printed in the third edition of the Reliquesy. The

third is printed in Drydens Miscellany (iii. 307-)- A
circumstance attending this ballad will make it evident,

that the IMinstrel songs were thought improper for the

press. The old black letter copies are very different,
and have been modernised and polished for publica-
tion. Dr. Percy professes to have given the song in
his collection from an old printed copy in the British
Museum, and observes, that " in the Pepys collection
is an imitation of ' it ' in a different measure, by a
more modem pen, with many alterations, but evidently
for the worse." It is however no less certain than re-

markable, that the old printed copy in the INIuseum

 THE MINSTHELS. XXXlil

differs in no respect from the imitation in the Pepysian

library.

The fourth is one of the two or three ballads of this

kind known to be printed in black letter, and yet it

has not beeij thought sufficiently smooth for recitation

or melody, since there is a rifacimento of it extant,

but of the most contemptible nature.

John Dory is a well known minstrel song, and was
never printed in black letter, nor at all (till of late)
except in the book whence it is taken. Both the fifth

and the seventh are also to appearance minstrel songs,

and were printed in black letter. The eighth is Ex-
tant in a MS. of the Cotton library.]
These songs, from their wild and licentious metre>
were incapable of any certain melody or air * ; they
were chanted, in a monotonous stile, to the harp or
other instrument, and both themselves and the per-
formers banished by the introduction of ballad- singers
without instruments, who sung printed pieces to fine
and simple melodies, possibly of their own invention,
most of which are known and admired at this dayf.
I
The latter, owing t^ the smoothness of their language,

U*
It is to this peculiarity that PuttenhatiJ alludes, when he says
" Your ordinarie rimers use very much their measures in the odde,
as nine and eleven, and the sharpe accent upon the last sUlable,

which therefore makes him go ill-favouredly and like a minsteels

MUSiCKE." See the Essay (new edition) p. cv. j
f Hence we perceive one reason why the ballad-singers were
under the necessity of having most of the old minstrel- ballads they
adopted new written ; another might be, that the originals were too
short.

VOL. I. d
 : : :

xxxiv OBSERVATIONS ON
''
"\-U.

and accuracy of their measure and rime^ were thought

to be more poetical than the old harp or instrument
songs ; and though critics may judge otherwise, the
people at large were to decide, and did decide : and
in some respects, at least, not without justice, as
will be evident from a comparison of the following
specimens.
The first is from the old Chevy-Chase, a very popular
minstrel-ballad in the time of queen Elizabeth

" The Perse owt of Norlhombarlande,

And a vowe to god mayd he.
That he wolde hunte in the mountayns
Off Chy viat within dayes thre,

In the mauger of doughte Dogles,

And all that ever with him be.

The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat

He sayd he wold kill, and cary them away
Be my feth, sayd the dougheti Doglas agayn,
I wyll let that hontyng yf that I may."

How was it possible that this barbarous language,

miserably chanted " by some blind crowder, with

no rougher voice than rude stile*," should maintain
its ground against such lines as the following, sung to

a beautiful melody, which we know belongs to them?

" When as king Henry rul'd the land,

The second of that name,
Besides the queen he dearly lov'd
A fair and comely dame

* Sir P. Sidney, Defence of Poetry.

 ;:

THE MINSTRELS. xxxv

Most peerless was her beauty found,

Her favour and her face
A sweeter creature in the world
Did never prince embrace.

Her crisped locks like threads of gold

Appear'd to each man's sight,

Her sparkling eyes, like orient pearls,

Did cast a heav'nly light

The blood within her christal cheeks

Did such a colour drive,
As if the lily and the rose
"
For mastership did strive*.

The minstrels would seem to have gained little by

such a contest. In shorty they gave up the old Chevy-
chase to the ballad- singers, who, desirous, no doubt,
to avail themselves of so popular a subject, had it new
written, and sung it to the favourite melody just men-
tioned. The original, of course, became utterly neg-

lected and forgotten, and, but for its accidental dis-

covery by Hearne, would never have been known to

exist.

John Dory was the constant companion of the min-

strels ; he stuck by them to the last, and may be said
indeed to have died in the service. Let us see what
sort of a figure he would cut in company yfiXhlQueen (v*^ ^l.

BidoTl
*' As it fell on a holy day.
And upon a holy tide a,
, John Dory bought him an ambling nag.
To Paris for to ride a."

* Fair Rosamond.

d2
 : : ;; '; :

XXXVl OBSERVATIONS ON
^i
>'^ j^^^^l " When Troy town had, for ten years * past,

a*^>
* T Withstood tlie Greeks in manful wise,
Then did their foes increase so fast,
That to resist nought could suffice
Waste lye those walls which were so good,
'*
And corn now grows where Troy town stood.

One comparison more, and we have done

" Methinks I hear the throstle cock,
JMethinks I hear the jay,
Methinks I hear lord Barnards horn
And I would I were away.

Lye still, lye still, thou little Musgrave,

And huggle me from the cold
'Tis nothing but a shepherds boy,
A driving his sheep to the fold*."

" These pretty babes, with hand in hand,

Went wandering up and down

But never more could see the man,
Returning from the town

Their pretty lips with blackberries

Were all besmear'd and dy'd ;

And when they saw the darksome night.

They sate them down and cry'd f."

These stanzas, exclusive of their superior smoothness,

may defy all the minstrel-songs extant, nay even those
in the Reliques of ancient English poetry/, for simplicity^

nature, interest, and pathos, to which it must be con-

fessed these celebrated rhapsodies have very small
pretensions.

* Little Musgrave and lady Barnard,

•f
Children in the wood.
 THE MINSTRELS. xxxvii

&Of the Scotish minstrels few particulars can be

recovered. In an act of parliament, made «wwo 1457-8,
now -

hairdes are ranked with sornareSj maister-full beggers,

and feinzied fuiles (not gypsies as Pinkerton has it,

for that is not only an impudent interpolation but a

ridiculous anachronism). " But, in 1474 [r. 1471],"
says this writer, ^'^
minstrels are ranked with knights
and heralds, and such as could spend 100 pounds a
year land-rent, and are allowed to wear silk apparel."
(Aficie?ii Scotish poems, 1786, p. Ixxviii.) The pro-
vision of the statute is " That, considering the greate
povertie of the realme, . . . na man sail weare silkes in

time cumming, in doublet, gowne, or cloakes, except

knichtes, minstrelles, and kerauldes: without that the
wearer of the samin may spend ane hundreth pundes
worth of land rent, under the paine of amerciament to
the king of twentie pound, als oft as they ar found in
wearin silkes, and escheitting of the same, to be given
to the herauldes and minstrelles." These two cha-
racters should seem to have been excepted not only on
account of their party-coloured dress, but also because
they were not themselves at the expence of it. The
minstrelles here meant, I am persuaded, were trum-
peters or such like musicians in the kings service;
and by no means persons who got their livelihood by
contributing to the amusements of the common people,
and are, doubtless, the hairdes of the preceding statute. 7

After all, the minstrel songs, under the circum-

stances in which they were produced, are certainly
xxxviii OBSERVATIONS, ETC.

both curious and valuable compositions, and could

any further lights be thrown upon the history of those
by or for whom they were invented, a collection of all
that can be discovered would still be a very entertain-
ing and interesting work ; but if such a publication
should ever appear, it is to be hoped that it will come
from an editor who prefers truth to hypothesis, and
the genuine remains of the minstrel-poets, however
mutilated or rude, to the indulgence of his own poetical
vein, however fluent or refined.
 DISSERTATION
ON THE

SONGS, MUSIC, AND VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL

PERFORMANCE,
OF THE

ANCIENT ENGLISH.

I. To pretend to frame a History, or any thing re-

sembling one, from the scanty gleanings it is possible

to collectupon the subject of our ancient songs and

vulgar music, would be vain and ridiculous. To bring
under one view the little fragments and slight notices
which casually offer themselves in the course of ex-
tensive reading, and sometimes where they are least

likely to occur, may possibly serve to gratify a sympa-

thetic curiosity, which is all here aimed at ; and when
so little is professed, there can scarcely be reason to
complain of disappointment.
The trifling information that can be obtained upon
the songs and music of the Anglo-Saxons has been
already collected*, and is unnecessary to be here

* See Percys Essay on the Ancient English Minstrels, p. xxiii.

&c. and a Historical Essay on National Song, prefixed to '^ A Select

Collection of English Songs,^^ published in 1783, p. xlii.
xl DiSSEETATION ON

repeated. The present enquiry therefore must be

supposed to commence^opa the Norman Conquest,
although the first i/ English rime 'J to be met with in
it does not occur till long after. This is a couple of
lines preserved by old Lambarde, which, with the
anecdote they relate to, the reader may not be dis-
pleased to see. If he be, indeed, it is apprehended
there will be very little in this Essay capable of attract-
ing his attention, or preserving his good humour.
'' In tyme of Hen. II. \_anno 1173] Robert therl of
Leycester (after the spoile of his towne of Leicester)
came from beyond the «eas with a rabble of Fleminges
and Normanes, whom he made to beleve that al was
theirs before hand, and as he was on his way, he pur-
posed to spoile ' Ed-
the ' town and thabbey [of St.
mundes Burye]; but bycause he might come upon
them the more unwares, he swarved a litel out of the
waye, as thoughe he ment not to come neare theim.
Now while his gallantes paused upon the heathe, they
fell to daunce and singe,

" Hoppe Wylikin, hoppe Wyllykin,

Ingland is thyne and myne, ^cy

Ih the meane tyme the kinges army came sodenly upon

them, and eyther slew, drowned, or toke them all*."

For this story mr. Lambarde refers us to JNIatthew

Paris ; but where he found the song, or whether he
had any more of it, is not mentioned.
IMr. Camden has noticed another rime of the same

* Dictionary nf England, p. 36.

 :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xli

age, not strictly a song, perhaps, but deserving, never-

theless, .tobe brought forward upon the present oc-
casion. Having observed that the river Waveney
runs to Bungey in Suffolk, and almost encompasses it,
'^ Here,"
says he, " Hugh Bigod [earl of Norfolk]
when the seditious barons put all England in an up-
roar, fortify'd a castle, to the strength whereof nature
very much contributed. Of which he was wont to
boast, as if it were impregnable

" Were I in my castle of Bungey,

Upon the river of Waveney,
I would ne care for the khig of Cockeney."

Notwithstanding which, he was afterwards forc'd to

compound with a great sum of money and hostages with
Henry the second, to save it from being demolisht*."
These two rimes, supposing them to be given upon
good authority, are valuable, independent of other con-
siderations, as the earliest specimens of the English
language, not being pure Saxon t.
It should seem, from a rather extraordinary passage

* Britannia (by Gibson, 16*95, p. 375). [it is sufficient for any

editor to quote such authorities as Lambarde and Camden ; but it is

certain, from contemporary remains, that these extracts (particularly

the latter) cannot possibly be the idiom of the 12th century. 1
f iThe riming charter printed by Stow {Annalcs^ 1592. p. 141) is a
forgery.J Higgons, speaking of the massacre of the Danes, by order
of K. Ethelred, 1002, says, " This happen'd upon St. Brice's eve,

which is still celebrated by tlie northern English^ in commemoration

of this infamous action, the women beating Irass instruments in the
streets, and singing old rhimcs in praise of their cruel ancestors."

Short View of English History^

 :

xlii DISSERTATION ON

of Giraldus Cambrensis^ that songs and vocal harmony

were very common about this period. His words are
these
" They |^the Welsh] sing without uniformity of
musical modulation, as elsewhere, but multifariously,
and in many modes and tunes, so that in a croud of
singers, as is the manner of this people, as many heads
as you see, so many songs you hear and different
voices, all finally under B soft, with a charming sweet-
ness, agreeing in one harmony and organic melody.
In the northern parts also of Great Britain, beyond

the Humber, and in the borders of Yorkshire, the

English, who inhabit those parts, use in singing a

similar symphoniac harmony: but only in two dif-

ferent or various tones and voices ; the one murmur-

ing the lower, the other at the same time in a soft and
pleasing manner warbling the upper. Nor is it by art
only but by ancient use, and as if now converted into
nature by constant habit, that this or that people hath
acquired this peculiarity. For it so far hath grown
up, and such deep root hath now taken among each,
that nothing is wont to be uttered simply, or otherwise
than variously as among the first, or doubly as among
the latter : boys also (which is the more to be wondered
at) and even infants (when first from cries they break
forth into songs) observing the same modulation. The
English, I believe, for not generally all, but the northern

people only, use thi^ sort of modulation of voices, from

the Danes and Norwegians who used to occupy those
parts of the island more frequently, and continue in
 ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xliii

the possession of them longer, as they contracted the

affinity of speaking, so also the property of singing*."
The not being able to understand or account for such
a singularity, seems an insufficient reason for disbe-
lieving the relation : it is no unusual thing however
for this author, ancient as he is, and right-reverend as
he was, to have his veracity questioned.
From the reign of Henry II. to that of his successor
of the same name, is a long leap ; but we meet with
nothing to stay us. Of the latter reign, besides the
song before printed in the following collection, we have
a very curious historical ballad, a satire upon Richard
king of the Romans f another of the same age
: we
cannot with certainty refer to.
From that most valuable manuscript in the Harleian
library, whence the above satire is extracted, we are
supplied with several songs of the two following reigns;
and history, sufficiently sparing of such favours, con-

descends to furnish us with a vulgar relique or two

belonging to the first of them.
The battle of Dunbar was fought and won by the
earl ofWarenne, the 28th of April 1296; "and tho
seide the Englisshmen in reprefe of the Scottis:

Thus scaterand Scottis,

Holde I for sootis,

Of wrenchis unware
* Cambria; description c. xiii. See also Hawkins's History of
Music, i. 408. JDr. Bumey found similar effects produced by the
church-service in Flanders and Germany. See his Present state of
music in those countries, volume i. pp. 9, 201, 226.1
t See V Qxcy s Rcliques, ii. 1. and infra, p. 12.
xliv DISSERTATION ON

Eerly in a mornyng,
In an evyl tyding,
Went ye froo Dunbarre.'*

The wits on the other side had indeed, it should

seem, commenced this kind of hostilities, which it

were to be wished had been the only one that ever

prevailed between the two nations. '^ King Edward,"

says our authority, " went him toward Berwyke, and

biseged the toune and tho that were withyn manlich
hem defended, and sett on fire and brent ij of the king
Edwarde shippes, and seide in dispite and reprefe of
him:
*' Wend kyng Edewarde with his lange shankes,
To have gete Berwyke al our unthankes ?

Gas pikes hym, and after gas dikes hym."

Their pleasantry, however, was, in the present in-

stance, somewhat ill-timed, for as soon as the king
heard of it, he assaulted the town with such vigour,
that he carried it with the loss of 25,700 Scots. This
happened on the thirtieth of March in the same year*.
• Old Chronicle MSS. Harl. 226. 7333.,!much the same to all ap-
pearance with that printed by Caxton. See also P. Langtoft. pp. 272.
278. The number seems prodigiously exaggerated.
Robert JIannyng (or of Brunne) the ingenious translator of P.
Langtofts riming chronicle has preserved another song on the above
battle. For thus he writes in what he calls rime couwe :

" The Scottis had no grace, to spede in ther space, for to mend ther
nisse,

Thei filed ther face, that died in that place, the Inglis rymed this.

Oure fote folk puttham in the polk, and nakned ther nages,
Bi no way herd I never say of prester pages.
Purses to pike, robis to rike, and in dike tham schonne,
Thou wiffin Scotte of Abrethin, kotte is thi honne." p. 277* I
 ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xlv

Songs on national topics were at this time generally

written in French, ' many '

of which, and ' several ' of
them very curious, are still in being*.
The venerable father of English poetry had in his
time penned " many a song and many a lecherous
lay," of which we have infinitely more reason to regret

the loss, than he had in his old-age to repent the com-

position f. His larger works, and above all the in-
imitable Canterbury Tales, afford us numerous par-
ticulars relative to the state of vocal melody in that
age. The gentil Pardonere,

" That streit was comen from the court of Rome,

Ful loude he sang, Come hither, love, to me.
The Sompnour bear to him a stiff burdoun.
Was never trompe of half so gret a soun J."

This burdoun must have been the base, and would

somewhat resemble, in all likelihood, the drone of a
bagpipe ; which, it should be remembered, the word
actually signifies in its original language.

• See MS. HarL 2253.' [from which two specimens are now
printed.]^
Sjj; Gower, his contemporary and friend, bears testimony to the lyric
effusions of his juvenile muse:
" Grete wel Chaucer, whan ye mete,
As my disciple and my poete
For in the flours of his youth,
In sondrie wise, as he wel coutli.

Of detees' and of songes glade.

The which he for my sake made." 7

\ Milleres Tale. (Note, that all the quotations here made from
the Canterbury Tales, are from the valuable edition of the late mr.
Tyrwhitt)
 :

xlvi DISSERTATION ON

Alison^ the carpenters wife, had a great many ac-

complishments :

" But of hire song, it was as loud and yeme,

As any swalow sitting on a berne*."

And the Wife of Bath, in her younger days, as she

herself tells us, could sing like a nightingale.
The songs of Robin Hood, a hero of an earlier
period, were so popular in this age, that a satirical
writer of the time represents a secular priest as having
neglected his breviary to acquire them

" I can rimes of Robin Hood and Randal of Chester,

."
But of our lord and our lady I lerne nothing at allf

This Randal of Chester was Randal Blundeville, the

third and last earl of that name, a generous, martial
baron, and a crusader, who died in 1231 ; and not
Randal Higden, the monk and chronicler, as mr.
Warton strangely imagines |.
[The author, whoever he was, of the additions to
Chaucers Canterbury Tales, has in his Prologue of
" the mery adventure of the pardonere and tapstere,"
preserved the name of what was probably at that

period (the end of the 14th century) a popular

song:

Milleres Tale.

f Vision of(i. e. concerning) Piers the P bwman ;\su^posed to be

written by Robert Langeland, a priest, about the year 13G0.~!

t
Hist. Eng. Poetry, ii. 1 79.
 : ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xlvii

" And sighed there with a litil time that slie it here myghte,
And gan to rown and feyn this song, Now love then do me righte*,'* I

The common people, no doubt, have in all ages been

fond of singing in the alehouse f ; Thus, for the age
of v/hich we are now speaking, the author of Piers
Plowman
" And then saten some and songe at the nale."

And the author of the Plowmans Tale (not Chaucer,

towhom it has been erroneously ascribed) reprehends
the priests for the ambition of being

" Chief chantours at the nale if."

The songs made use of by these wassailers § would

* Urrys Chaucer, p. 594.

t They have been equally addicted to quarreling there, from the
remotest period. See LL. Ince^ c. 6. LL. jtEthelredi, c. 1. LL.
Hen. I.e. 81.
$ Part 3, Stan. 22, v. 2. Thus too a song of Henry the sixths
time: MS. Harl. 4294.

*' And thou goo to the nale

As mery as a nyghtyngale."

§ Washeil and Drincheil were the terms of art of the old topers
at the nakf who used to make the welkin resound with them. " The
old ale-knights of England," says Camden, " were well depainted
out of John Hanvill, a monk of S. Albans,' in the ale-house
*

colours of that time, in this manner

Jamqtte vagante scypho, discincto* gutture washeil

Ingeminant washeil; labor est plus perdere vini

* other copies have distento : but distincto f;utture seems the true reading,
and answers to the French, Gorge deploys.
 : :

xlviii DISSERTATION ON

not^ it is presumed, be remarkable for delicacy or ele-

Quam sitis ; exhaurire merum vehcmentius ardeni,

Quam exhaurire sitim.
Remaines, 4to. 1605. Poems, p. 6.

Sir T. de la IVIoor, about to describe the battle of Bannockburn, has

the following words : " Vidisses prima node Anglos hand Anglico
more vino madentes, crapulam eructantes, Wassaile ^- Drinkehaile
Vita Edwardi II.
jplus solito intonantes.^^ The Saxons, according
to Fordun, spent the night preceding the battle of Hastings in the
same manner : " Illam noctem Angli totam in cantibus ct poiihus
insomnem duxerunt.** c. 13.
]Fot the latter fact, indeed, we have a better authority in maistre
Wace^s Life of the conqueror

" Mult les veissiez demener

Treper et saillir et chanter,

Lublie [f.
luplice] orient et weisseil,
Et laticome et drincheil,
Drinchindrewart, et drincome
Drinc helf et drincome."

Some of these words are obscure and others corrupt ; but the sense
seeems to be this

Much you should see them demean [themselves]

Trip and dance and sing,

Gladly [do] they cry, and washeil

And Let ^em come [or let it come] and drinkheil,
Drink hitherward and drink to me.
Drink health, and drink to me.

Old Robert of Gloucester likewise has a similar observation.

*' The Englysse al the nyght byvore vaste bygon to synge,

And spende al the nyght in glotony and in dryngynge." j

It is almost needless to observe, that these two are the very first

Saxon words which we know, from historical evidence, to have been

 ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xlix

gahce ; but, whatever they were, it might afford some

little satisfaction to be acquainted with them*.

pronounced in this country. Vortigern, K. of Britain, being invited

to supper by his ally Hengist, at his newly built castle of Syding-
bourn in Kent, was, after supper, approached by Hengists beautiful
daughter Rowena, who, having a goblet of wine m her hand, and
making a graceful reverence, said, pses heil hlapofi't) cyriing,
i. c. be of health, lord king ; to which the king, being instructed
by his interpreter, replied, *ojiinc heil, i. e. drink health. The bait
had its effect ; the king, smitten with the young ladys charms, de-
sired and obtained her in marriage, divorcing his wife, and giving up
the whole of Kent to Hengist.
• Will the reader pardon the insertion of the only specimen that

has occurred, and of which, as dr. Johnson has somewhere observed,

" the merriment is very gross, and the sentiments very worthless ?"
to which mr. Andrews adds in the words of Thomas Hearne, " It is

trifling, and little is to be gathered from it, yet it is a curiosity."

" Bryng us home good ale, sir, bryng us home good ale
And, for our der lady love, brynge us home good ale.

Brynge home no beff, sir, for that ys full of bonys,

But brynge home good ale inowgh, for I love wyle that.

But, &c.

Brynge us home no wetyn brede, for that ys full of braund,

Nothyr no ry brede, for that ys of that same.
But, &C.

Brynge us home no porke, sir, for that ys very fat,

Nethyr no barly brede, for nethyr lovys I that.

But bryng us home good ale.

Bryng us home no mutton, sir, for that ys togh and lene,

Nethyr no trypys, for they be seldyn clene.
But bryng, &c.
Bryng us home no vele, sir, for that will not dur,
But bryng us home good ale inogh to drynke by the fyr.

But, &c.

VOL. I. e
1 DISSERTATION ON

II. With respect to the music of this distant period,

we are still more at a loss, than we are as to its songs.
It was probably nothing more than the plain chant, or
"a succession of somids of the same name and place
in the scale ; viz. C solfa ut, being the mean part of a
tenor voice," with little or no pretension to melody,
the graces of the air being altogether arbitrary, and
depending entirely upon the skill or powers of the
performer. Certain it is, that no secular music of
these times, such as may be supposed to have been in
vogue among the common people, is known to be pre-
served. Dr. Burney confesses that he had not been
so fortunate as to meet with a single tune to an English
song or dance, in all the libraries and manuscripts he
had consulted, so ancient as \he fourteenth century*.
Sir John Hawkins had already made a similar ob-
which these gentle-
servation t ; and the only doubt
men leave upon the minds of their readers is, whether
they have met with one so ancient as the Jfteenth,
One may go still further; it is perhaps impossible to
produce even the bare name of a song or dance-tune
in use before the year 1500. The oldest country-

dance- tune now extant, sir John Hawkins says, is

Bryng us home no sydyr, nor no palde wyne,

For and thu do thow shalt have Crysts curse and myne.
But, &c"
It is of or about the time of Henry VI. and is given from MS.
Harl. 541.
* Hist. ofMtisic, ii. 381.

f Hut. ofMunc, ii. 91.

 : :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. ll

thatknown by the name of Sellengers, i. e. St. Legers

Round, which may be traced back to nearly the time
ofHenry VIII*. It is nevertheless highly probable,
thatsome little light tunes for dances were known
from very early times. The hornpipe is thought by
musicians to be the native production of this country,
but, if so, it was, possibly, invented as well as used by
those who could not read a notef.

*^Hist. of Music, ii. 91. The proof dted, however, does not
carry it much nearer than the year 1591.

f Chaucer, in his Romant of the Rose, speaks of " hornpipes of

Cornewaile," as a musical instrument; to this the rural dances so
called were perhaps originally performed, and owe a denomination
for which it will otherwise be very difficult to account. In a MS. of
ancient songs and music foundamong the books of the kings library
in the Museum, and now deposited among the royal IMSS. not later
than Hen. the Vlllths time, is " a hornepype;" but the authority
of a gentleman, every way qualified to be a competent judge, enables
the editor to say, that it bears no resemblance to the hornpipe of
modern times, being a very lohg and solemn composition.
In Nicholas Bretons Woorkes of a young •wit, 1577? are preserved
the names of two ancient tunes :

" But let them be such as they were, by chaunce,

Our banquet doone, we had our musicke by
And then you knowe the youth must needes goe daunce,
First galiards, then larous, and heidegy.
Old lusty gallant, Allfloures of the broome,
And then a hall, for dauncers must have roome."
A hall! a hall! was the ordinary cry on such occasions. So in
Shakspeares Romeo and Juliet

" A hall ! a hall ! give room, and foot it, girls.'*

The following are noticed in Stephen Gossons " Schoole of abuse,'*

1579 : Rogero, Turkelony, The shaking of the sheets, and The
trenchmour,
e2
lii DISSERTATION ON

Sir John Hawkins has, indeed, pronounced that

** songs and ballads, with easy tunes adapted to them,
must at all times have been the entertainment not only
of the common people, but of the better sort ;" and
that '^ these must have been of various kinds, as namely
satirical, humorous, moral, and not a few of them of
the amorous kind. Hardly any of these," he adds,
" with the music of them, are at this day to be met
with, and those few that are yet extant are only to be
found in odd part booksj written without bars, and with
ligatures, in a character so obsolete, that all hopes of
recovering them, or of rendering, to any tolerable de-
gree intelligible, any of the common popular tunes in
use before the middle of the sixteenth century, must be
given up*." It is not to be presumed that the learned
writer is, in this very curious passage, describing what
he never saw, much less what does not exist; it is

therefore much to be regretted, that he did not consult

some persons (and undoubtedly there are many) to

whom the want of bars, the use of ligatures, and a
character so obsolete, would have proved no impedi-
ment. But what '^ common popular tunes " have to
do in ^' odd part books," is not easy to conceive.

A manuscript in the possession of the editor of the

following collection, and written, partly at least, in the
times of Richard II. and Henry IV. contains, perhaps,

the oldest specimens of vulgar music that can be pro-

duced ; and, as it is rather a curiosity, a few extracts

• Hist. Music, iii;. 2.

 ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. liii

may not be thought improper*. A total ignorance of

the musical art is not the only inconvenience under
which the present writer labours; what he thus in-
serts is, therefore, to be regarded as mere matter of
antiquity: He leaves bars to be added, ligatures to be
untied, and obsolete characters to be decyphered, by
those whose genius and studies have qualified them
for the task ; thinking it enough for him to have
afforded matter for the exercise of their ingenuity.

* Onthe inside of the cover is the following note by " honest

Tom Martin of Palgrave ; " " This book is the hand- writing of
the famous John Brakley, frier minor of Norwich, tutor and master
to judge Paston, whose accounts these are, when he was at the inns

of court at London

OUjt Willus Paston, Jusiiciarius Regis, Ao. 1418, Lra Dmcalis J).

The songs are very curious."

Mr. Martin was reckoned a skilful antiquary and an ingenious
man ; but he has committed at least one considerable mistake in this
account, as judge Paston, who was born in 1378, did not die before
1444 : and that frier Brakley was his tutor is, at least, highly im-
probable; since he is spoken of in 1469, as recently dead ; when even
his supposed pupil would have been 91. See Original LetterSy
during the reigns of Henry VI., &c. iv. 330.
The manuscript has been since presented to the British Museum,
 ;

liv DISSERTATION ON

These two seem fragments of Love Songs

sV

I have loved so many a day, ligthly spedde bot better T may

^. t j^' Jm> ui^ R

This ender day wen me was wo under a bugb, ther I lay.
Naght gale to mene me to

Here is a picture of the Virgin Mother rocking her

cradle

I saw a swete semly syght a blisful birde

A maydin moder mek & myld in credil kep

fe^ Li
a blossum bright that murnyng made and mirgh of mange
a knave child that softly slcpe scho sat and
 :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Iv

F^^^-^^-^^Hr i^Ei m:
-0-^
I saw a swete semly sight a blossum bright a blis-

A may din moder mek and mild in cradil kepe a knave

-0-0-
fc^
ft±3C5±±=i2
ful bird that mumyng made and mirthe of m[ange].
child that softly slepe scho sate and sange.

And here the Lullaby she uses upon the occasion

Lullay lullow lully, luUay bewy

bewy
H
lully
-g^
^
>\

bewy
iq

lully lullow
a
lully
m lullay

^ o c"^ ^^ ^V <r^ Mt ^"J^l

1 'Cy^^ >^ >1^ V -^-^ .
^ H ^ ^<^ <V*A
—A 1 fl ^»^^
baw baw my bame slepe softly now lullay loUow
 ; :

Ivi DISSERTATION ON

^^*^t J>AJb.^<y^iol^|¥
lully lullay bewy bewy lully

bewy lully lullow lullay luUow baw baw

my bame slepe softly now.

The longest and only complete piece, is a dreaming

relation of a dialogue supposed to have passed between
the above lady and her infant son. It begins thus

" This ender nithgt,

I saug ha sithgt,
Ha may ha credill kepe
Hande ever schuy sang,
Ande sayde in mang,
Lullay my child and slepe."

This no doubt, as well as the third, and possibly the,

last, of the above extracts, was a Christmas carol, a
species of composition of which the reader will find

a tolerable number of examples in the course of the

 ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ivii

' following collection.' It might indeed have been

easily enlarged, but is sufficient to show, that poetry
or song derived little advantage, in point of language
or sentiment, from the imagined sublimity of the
subject.

III. The music of these remote ages naturally leads

to an enquiry after the instruments by which it was
performed. Of these the harp, as it was probably the
most ancient, was long esteemed the chief. This in-
strument was well known in the time of Chaucer, by
whom it is frequently mentioned. His Frere could
play upon and sing to it*; and the genial Wife of
Bath had frequently danced to it in her younger dayst,
for which purpose, it seems to have been an ordinary
retainer or visitant to taverns and such like places J.

It continued in use till after the reign of queen Eliza-

beth, possibly till the civil wars, but was long held in
the lowest estimation § : since that time it has been

* Prologue.

t Wife of Baths prologue.

ij: Chaucer mentions the dancing of " yonge folk," in

stewes and tavern es,

—with harph, lutes, and giternes . .

And right anon in comen tombesteres,

Fetis and smale and yonge fruitesteres.

Singers •with harpes^ &c." Pardoners Tale.

§ From its being usually played by blind men, as hlind as a

harper became proverbial (see Lilys' Sappho and Phao, 1591); and
the phrase blind harper a term of general ridicule and contempt.
 : : : ; ; : :

Iviii DISSERTATION ON

entirely laid aside, or at least very rarely used as an

English instrument *. The sautrie, or psaltery, was
Thus in Jonsons Volpone

" Ccev. O my dear Mosca, do's he not perceive us ?

Mos. No more than a blind harper.''^
Again in Cottons Virgil Travestie

" Quoth !"

he, blind harpers, have among ye

Shakspeare has likewise used it in his Loves Labour Lost

" Nor woo in rime, like a blind harpers song."

Shakspeare, however, certainly does not mean to treat it with con-

tempt, when he makes Glendower say

" I can speak English, lord, as well as you,

For I was train'd up in the English court

Where, being young, I framed to the harp^

Many an English ditty lovely welL"
First part of K. H. IV. a. 3. s. 1.

* " Honest Jack N

Is^ the harper,*' is however remembered

in one of Tom Browns Letters from the Dead to the Living. Works,
iL 191. And seems to have plyed at '« the Cellar at the Still [in
the Strand]." See Wards *' Satyrical Rejlections upon Clubs,''^
p. 272.

Thus also, in one of Tom D'urfeys songs

" Whilst merrily blind Tom that harp'd

In tune our story tells."

In London Lyckpeny we find :

." Then I hyed me unto Estchepe,

Onne cryes rybbs of befe & many a pye;
Pewter pottes they clattered on a hepe.
There was harpe, ^ype, and mynstrelsye
Yea by cock, nay by cock, some began crye,
Some songe of Jenken and Julyan for there medel
But for lack of mony I myght not spede."
See MS. Harl. 367-
 : : ; :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. lix

an instrument of the harp kind, on which Hendy

Nicholas, the scholar of Oxenford, was an adept

" And all above there lay a gay sautrie.

On which he made on night& melodie
So swetely, that all the chamber rong,
And Angelus ad Virginem he song.
And after that he songe the kinges note.
Full often blessed was his mery throte*.'*

The Kinges Note was doubtless some well-known song

of the time, and probably the very same which is

mentioned in Vedderhurnes Complaynt of Scotland

(usually ascribed to Sir James Inglis) printed at St.
Andrews, in 1549, under the title of " kyng villyamis
note."
Chaucer mentions the rote as an instrument on
which his Frere excelled

" Wei coude he singe and plaien on a rote "f."

This, it is conjectured, was the same with the moremo-

In one of Hogarths prints of the Rakes progress^ a harper, a

French horn player, and a ragged big belly'd female ballad singer
are performing a concert in a brothel.

* Millers TaJe. Again

" He kissed here swete, and taketh his sautrie,

And plaieth fast, and maketh melodie."
t Prologue.
 : ; !

Ix' DISSERTATION ON

dem vielle *_, the li/ra mendicortim, or hurdy-gurdy f , so

frequent at this day in the streets of London, though
not in the hands of the natives, the strings of which
by the friction of a wheel J. It
are agitated is likewise
named by Gower in his Confessio Amantis,
" —Harpe, citole, and riote,
:"
With many a tewne and many a note

and by Spenser, in the fourth book oithe Faerie Queene

(Canto ix.)

'* There did he find in her delicious boure

The faire Pceana playing on a rote."

The CITOLE, or cistole, as it is elsewhere called

(from cistella, a little box), is thought to have been the
dulcimer, or some instrument of the same kind.
The RISIBLE and giterne were favourite instru-
ments of Absolon the parish clerk :

" A mery child he was, so god me save

In twenty manere could he trip and dance,

• The vielle of the Jongleurs, which dr. Percy makes " a kind of
lute or guitar," was the violin. See M. de la Ravailliere, de VAn-
ciennete des Chansons Francoises {Poesies du roy de Navarre)^
i. 249. M. le Grand, Fabliaux ou Contes, i. 49.

t The use of this term, though rejected by dictionary-makers, is

not without classical authority

" Whom have we here ? a sightly swain and sturdy

Hum plays, I see, upon the hurdy-gurdy.*^
! Midas.

See also Bonnel Thorntons Ode to St. Cecilia.

J See M. de la Ravailliere, VAnciennet6 des Clmnsons^ p. 254.

M. le Grands objection, grounded upon the equivocal term cifhara,

does not seem of much weight.

 ;;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixi

And playen songes on a small ribible,

Therto he song sometime a loud quinible.
And as wel coud he play on a giterne.
In all the toun n'as brewhous ne taverne,
That he ne visited with his solas,
Ther as that any gaillard tapstere was*."

The description of his serenading the carpenters

wife is admirable :

*' The moone at night ful clere and brighte shon,

And Absolon his giterne hath ytake,
For paramours he thoughte for to wake.
And forth he goth, jolif and amorous,
Til he came to the carpenteres hous,
A litel after the cockes had ycrow,
And him up by a shot window,
dressed
That was upon the carpenteres wal.
He singeth in his vois gentil and smal
Now, dere lady, — if thy wille be,
I pray you that ye —wol rewe on me
Ful wel accordant to his gitemingf."^

The ribible was probably the rebec or fiddle,

which has been a popular instrument, and, by gradual
improvement, has at length superseded almost every
other. Its antiquity is unquestionable J. The crouth
or crowd (cjiu^S, Saxon, crwdy Welsh) was another,
but larger instrument of the same nature §. The

* Millers Tale. t Ibid.

4: See M. de la Ravailliere, PAnciennete, &c. p. 249. Miltons

Poems, by Warton, 1791, p. 55.
§ Ficlc and crowth are both mentioned in song XT. class I. whence
it should seem they were at that time distinct instruments. See also
the figure and description of a crowth in Hawkins's History of Music,
vol. ii. p. 273. and in the Archceologia, vol. iii. p. 30. Spenser calls
 ; : :;

Ixii DISSERTATION ON

GiTERNE is the cittern * or guitar, -which was anciently

much used for singing to. Thus in the Vision of Piers
the PloTvman, one says, he can
" — neither taber, ne trumpe, ne tell no gestes
Farten ne fyssen at feastes ; ne harpen,
Jape, ne juhgele, ne gentillye pype
Ne neither sailen, ne saute, ne singe to the gitternef.^*

it *' the trembling crowd," in allusion, no doubt, to the vibration or .

tremulous motion of the chords. Crowd, however, was in later times

the common name of & fiddle, and Crowder, of a performer thereon
whence the name of Crowdtro in Hudihras. And that fiddle and
rebeck were synon3mious, appears from a passage in The Knight of
the burning Pestle, where it is said to be " present death for these

fidlers to tune their rebecks before the great Turks grace."

* Drayton in his enumeration of the " sundry Musick of Eng-
land," makes the gittern and cittern distinct instruments

" The cythron, the pandore, and the theorbo strike.

The gittern and the kit the wand^ing fidlers like."
Poly-Olbion, Song IV.
And they certainly were so. *'
Sum tyrae," says Langham, " I
foote it with dauncing: noow with my gittern, and els with my
cittern, then at the virgynalz: ye kno nothing cums amisse to mee
then Carroll I up a song withall :" &c. Letter signifying the queenz
entertainment at Killingwoorth Castl, 1575.
John Playford, in 1659, published " A book of new lessons for the
cithren and gittern, &c." and from his preface to a later publication,

intitled " Musick's delight on the cithren''* (16C6), it would seem

that the principal if not the only difference between the two instru-
ments at that period was that the Gittern was strung with gut-strings,
the Cittern with wire. The latter is unquestionably the modern
English guitar but whether the gittern of Chaucers time was the
;

same instrument may possibly still remain a doubt. At any rate,

cittern and gittern are originally the same word, from citharn, a harp
or stringed-instrument, and the former, supposing the C soft, is a
comparatively modern term.
t [8vo. 1561. jmssus 13.]
 :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixm

This instrument, which Chaucer thought worthy of

the god of musicj he has put with peculiar propriety
into the hands of the joly Absolon, who, among his
numerous accomplishments,
" Wei coud leten blod, and cUppe, and shave,'*

as it appears, for many centuries, to have made part of

the constant furniture of a barbers shop, where it was
" common to all men." It seems of late, however, to
have retrieved its credit, and to have received ample
amends for its disgrace, in the hands of the fair sex.
Most of these instruments, with others, are enume-*
rated in an old metrical romance, intitled. The Squyr of
lowe degre
" There was myrth and melody,
With harpe, getron, and sautry.
With rote, ribible, and clokarde.
With pypes, organs, and bumbarde,
With other mynstrelles them amonge.
With sytolphe and with sautry songe.
With fydle, recorde, and dowcemere,
With trompette and with claryon clere.
With dulcet pipes of many cordes *."

The liUTE, mentioned by Chaucer, must, from the

low state not only of the musical science, but of the
mechanical arts in that age, have been essentially dif-
ferent from the modern instrument of the same name,
which is said to have fallen into disuse on account of
the superior degree of skill requisite to its perform-
ance t,

* [Ritsons Met. Rom. iii. 189.]

•f-
See Browns Estimate^ vol. ii. p. 77* Sir J. Hawkins's Hist, of
Music, iv. 394. — This instrument in Skeltons time was chiefly in
 :

Ixiv DISSERTATION ON

The CYMBAL, the tabour, the tymbre, the sistrum,

are all mentioned, and some of them described, by
Bartholomeus, in his book De Proprietatibus Rerum,
which was translated into English by John de Trevisa,
and first printed by Wynken de Worde,
The SY3IPH0NIE, likewise, which Chaucer mentions
in his rime of Sir Topaz,

" Here is the quene of faerie,

With harpe and pipe, and symphonic^
Dwelling in this place,"

was " an instrument of musyke, . . . made of an

holowe tree, closyd in lether in eyther syde, and myn-
strels betyth it wyth sty ekes *."

An extract from the romance of Alisaundre, by

Adam Davie, will afford no bad idea of a grand con-

the hands of professors. See how he handles one of these camely

coystrownes

" He lumbryth on a lewde letvte roty buUe joyse,

Rumbill downe, tumbil downe, hey go now now.
He fumblyth in his fyngering an ugly good noise,
It semyth the sobbyng of an old sow.
He wold be made moch of and he wyst how, &c."

It is also noticed in an old poetical tract, in titled. The Schole

House of Women (originally printed in or before 1557) '-

" Or as the minstrel dooth intend

With help of lute, finger, or quil." Sig. D. j. 6.

And in Surreys Poems, first published in that year, is a beautiful

address " to his Lute,'' by Sir T. Wyatthe elder.

—
* Bartho. de Pro. Rerum. Hawkins's Hist, of Music, iL 284.
This instrument bears a pretty strong resemblance to the ro7nelpot of
the Hottentots, described by Vaillant.
 ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixv

cert/ and the other amusements at a royal festival in

the court of Edward II. or III. The author is speak-

ing of the marriage of '^ kyng Phelip" with " Clor-
patras the riche quene:"

" Spoused scheo is and set on deys,

Now gynnith the geste of nobles.
At theo feste was trumpytig,
Pipyng and eke taboryng,
Sytolyng and ek harpy ng,
Knyf pleyng and ek syng3nig,
Carolyng and turmentyng,
Wrastlyng and ek flymyng.
Theo game goth nought ful blyve,
Ther som helieth and some wyve."

Chancers Miller entertains his fellow pilgrims with

the sound of the " baggepipe," which he played very
well.

The " HORNEPiPEs OP CoRNEWAiLE," mentioned

in theRomant of the Rose, are thought to have been
the same as the pibcorn, an instrument still used in
some parts of the principality of Wales, of which Mr
Barrington has given a particular description *. The
stock and horn which Allan Ramsay mentions, and
* ArchoEOlogia^ iii. 33. Pihcorn is cornpipe^ pipeati de come.
Thus Complaynt of Scotland, " the feyrd [scheiphyrd playit]
in the
on ane cornepipe.'^ Hornpipe and compipe are synonymous. See
before, p. li. n. 2. This instrument is likewise mentioned by Spenser
" Before them yode a lusty taberere
That to the ' meynie on a home pype playd,
'

Whereto they ^auncen eche one with his mayd.

To see these folkes make suche jouisaunce.
Made my heart after the pype to daunce."
Shepherds Calendar, May,
'

VOL. I. f
 : ;

Ixvi DISSERTATION ON

explains to be " a reed or whistle, with a horn fixed

to it by the smaller end," is, however, with equal pro-
bability, the hornepipe of Chaucer. Though, after

all, his " Cornewaile" is not the county in England so

called, but Cornouaille in Bretagne, which he found in
his original *.

The martial instruments of these ages were,

" Pipes, trompes, nakeres, and clariounes,

That in the bataille blowen blody sounes f."

And the shepherd boys of Chancers time had

" —many a floite and litlyng horne,
And pipes made of grene corne ^:."

And Richard Brathwaite {Strappado for the Divell. 1615. (12mo.

p. 9.) has a poem addressed " To the Queene of Harvest, &c. much
honoured by the Reede, Corne-pipe and whistle."
Again, in The shepherds sluniber (Englands Helicon, 1600.)

" In pescod-time, when hound to home

Gives eare, till buck be kill'd

And little lads, with pipes of corne.

Sate keeping beasts a-field.'*

So in Mid. Nights Dream

" But I know
When thou hast stol'n away from fairy land,
And in the shape of Corin sat all day.
Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love.
To amorous PhUlida." Act. 2. s. 2.

* v. 3991. " Et sons nouveaulx de contretaille,

Aux chalemeaulx de Cornouaille."

•f
Canterbury Tales, i. 98. (Knightes Tale.) A Nakere (Naquaire,
F.) is a loud instrument somewhat resembling a hautboy. [The
French word is explained by Roquefort to mean petits tambours ou
timbales.Ed.]
X House of Fame, A\\. 133.
 ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixvii

Bartholomeus observing, that as " shepe lovyth py-

pynge, therfore shepherdes usyth pipes whan they
walk with theyr shepe *."

IV. The progress of Song- writing during the fif-

teenth century, may, in some degree, appear from the

following collection ; little additional information is to

be gleaned during a period only interesting in battles

and murders.
Among the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum
(No. 682) is a collection of love poems, roundels, and
songs, made by Charles duke of Orleans while a pri-
soner in England, in Henry the fifths time. It is not
to be expected that the poetry of a foreigner (and a
prince of the blood too) should have much merit in an
age in which that of the natives had so little.

The following, which is given as a specimen of this

young noblemans talents, seems to be a sort of dialogue

between him and his mistress, on his requesting the

favour of a chaste salute:

[He.] Lende me yowre praty mouth, madame, •

Se how y knele here at yowre feet.

[She.] Whie wolde ye occupy the same?
Now whereabowt first mot me wite.
[He.] I wis dere hert to basse it swete,
A twyse or thrise or that y die.
[She.] So may ye have when next we mete
Toforne or ye it oeupie.

* Hawk. Hist. Music, ii. 28.3.

f2
 : ;

Ixviii DISSERTATION ON

[He.] Or y it ocupy, wel, wel

Is my reward but suche a skome ?
woo is me for yowre seek hele,
[She.] Ye,
But it may heele right wel tomorne.
[He] Then se y wel though y were lorne.
For oon poore cosse ye set not by.
[She.] Seide y yow not ynough tofonie ?
Ye may have or ye ocupy.

[He.] Ye, for that cosse y thanke yow that.

For whie yet am y never the nere.
[She.] Then come agayne this w6t ye what?
An other tyme, and not to yere.
[He.] A fy, wel wel, a swet hert dere
Bi verry god, ye mot aby.
[She.] Nay bete me not, first take it here,
Tofome or ye it occupy.

[He.] Ye, so so, swete, ye, so, swete hert,

Good thrift unto that praty eye.
[She.] Nay erst lo must ye this avert,
How y seide or ye it ocupy.

A MS. in the Bodleian library has once contained

either the whole or part of a song, of which it was

found impracticable to make out more than the two
first lines

" Joly cheperte of Aschell-down

Can more on love than al this town."

Mr. Warton, who has printed the first of them, seems

to discover some resemblance between this same Joly
cheperte and Thomas ofErsildon, the Scotish vaticinal

Hist. English Poetry, i. 76.— The No. of the MS. is 692.

 :

ANCIKNT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixix

After the first battle of St. Albans, between Henry VI.

and the duke of York, by the mediation of the arch-
bishop of Canterbury and other prelates, both parties
were brought to acompromise and mutual exchange of
promise of friendship. " For the outward publishing
of this joy full agreement," says Stow, " there was upon
our Lady day in Lent, or five and twentieth day of
March, [[New Years Day, 1458] a solemne procession
celebrated within the cathedrall church of Saint Paule,
in the city of London : at the which the king was pre-
sent, in his habite royall, with the crowne on his head;
before him went, hand in hand, the duke of Somerset,
the earle of Salisbury, the duke of Excester, and the
earle of Warwick, and so one of the one faction, and
another of the other. And behind the K. the duke
of Yorke, and the queene, with great familiarity to
all mens sights, whatsoever was meant to the con-
trary . . .
."* This, it cannot be doubted, would
be a spectacle highly grateful to the people, as it

seemed to promise them a reprieve from the calamities

of a civil war, which they had previously every reason
to apprehend; it therefore certainly deserved to be
celebrated by a happier bard than the author of such
stanzas as the following

" Whan charite is chosen with states to stonde,

Stedfad, and skill without distaunce,
Than wrathe may be exiled out of this lande,
And god oure gide to have the governance :

Wisdom & wellth with all plesaunce

* Annates, (ed. 1631, fo.) p. 404.

 :

Ixx DISSERTATION ON

May rightful regne and prosperite.

For love hath underlaide wrathful venjaunce,
Rejoise Anglond oure lordes accrded to be*."

Other songs of this reign might be produced ; and

such readers as are not satisfied with the number
printed in the following collection, may be referred
to MS. Sloan. 2593, and- MS. Harl. 4294, where they
will find several more.

Skelton, laureate in the Bowge of Court, his best

serious poem, introduces a character under the name
of " Harvy ' Hafter f,'
" whose
" — Throte was dare, and lustely coulde fayne
And ever he sange, sithe I am nothinge plaine,
To kepe him from piking it was a grete paine."

Alluding no doubt to some well-known song. He

likewise bids

" Holde up the helme, loke up, and lete god stere,
I wolde be merie what wind that ever blowe,
Heve and how rombdow, row the bote, Norman, rowe.'*

* MS. Cotton. Vespasian, B. xvi. This compromise, however,

may have given the same disgust to the more zealous partizans of the
Red Rose which we are certain a former one did in the year 1450,
See a curious copy of verses, preserved by Hearne, in the appendix
to Hemingi Chartularium^ which was affixed to the gates of the

kings palace, where the parliament was sitting, and thus condudes

" Hange uppe suche false men to awr soverayne lord,

That ever consejrlyd hym with fals men to be acordyd.'*
^^ot Haster,

" Havel and Harvy Hafter^

Jacke travel, and Cole crafter
Why come yc not to Court^^
 ; :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxi

This last line is certainly the scrap of an old ballad,

*'In this xxxii yeare Qs. of Henry VI.] " says Fabian,
" John Norman ....
Qmayor of London] upon
the morowe of Symon & Judes daye, the accustomed
day when the newe mayre used yearly to ryde with
great pompe unto Westminster to take his charge, this

mayre first of all mayres brake that auncient and olde

continued custome, & was rowed thyther by water,
for the which the watermen made of hym a roundell
or songe to hys great prayse, the which began, Rowe
the bote, Norman, rowe to thy- lemman, and so forthe,
with a longe processe*."
This Harvy ' Hafter ' is represented entirely igno-
rant of prick-song, which, as an ordinary accomplish-
ment, he expresses a great desire to learn
*' Princes of youghte, can ye singe by rote.
Or shall I saile with you a feloship assaie,

For on the booke I cannot sing a note

Wolde to god, it wolde please you some daye,
A ballade booke before me for to laye,
And lerne me to singe (Re mi fa sol)
And when I faile, bobbe me on the noil."
* Ad An. 1453. ffeve and how rombelow appears to have been
a favourite chorus with the old English tars. Thus, the author of
Cocke Lovelies bote, an ancient satire, speaking of certain sailors,

says:

" For joye theyr trumpettes dyde they blowe.

And some songe Heve and howe romlelowey
So again in the still more ancient metrical romance of The Squyr
oflowe degre, the king tells his daughter;

" Your maryners shall synge a rowe

Hey hoxo and rumbylawey
 :

Ixxii DISSERTATION ON

" Ryot " too, another character in the same poem,

is a musical genius,

" And ay he sange in fayth decon thou crewe*.^^

He could likewise perform a popular piece of church

music, and accompany his voice with the sound of a

" Counter he coude O lux upon a potte."

We have doubtless lost many of Skeltons ballads.

In the enumeration of his works in " The Crorvne of
Latvrel/' he mentions several things which one may
reasonably conclude to have been of that species. For
instance ;

*' The umbles of venison, the hotels of wyne,

To faire maistres Anne that shuld have be sent,
He wrote therof many a praty lyne,
Where it became, and whither it went,
And howe that it was wantonly spent.
The balade also of the mustarde tarte.
Such problems to paint it longeth to his arte."

In a very old Morality, the earliest piece of that

description, perhaps, now extant, intitled, "The iiii

Elements f," " Sensual Appetite" one of the characters,

holds the following language

* This song is again mentioned in Why come ye not to Courts

•f It was printed by Rastall, and from a passage alluding to the dis-
covery of America, dr. Percy concludes it not to have been written
later than 1510. Mr. Steevens, in a note to his last edition of
Shakspeare, gives the date 1519 ; probably by mistake, as it does not
appear that a second copy of it is known to exist.
 . : ,

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxiii

" Make rome syrs, and let us be mery,

With huff a galand, synge tyrll on the bery
And let the wyde worlde wynde;
Synge, frysk a joly*, with hey troly loly,

For I se well it is but foly,

For to have a sad mynd."

And his advice to ^^

Humanity e" is:

" Ye shulde ever study pryncypall

For to comfort your lyfe naturall,
With metis and drynkes dilycate,
And other pastynies & pleasures among,
Daunsyng, laughyng, or plesaunt songe,
y This is mete for your estate."

In 1530 was published a collection of twenty part-

songs, nine of four parts and eleven of three ; com-
posed by Cornysh, Pygot, Ashwell, master Tavernar_,
John Gwynneth, dr. Fayrfax, dr. Cowper, and R.
Jones : but the bassus is alone preserved. The verbal
contents are as follows

1 Pater noster qui es in cells, &c

2. In youth in age both in welth and woo.
Auxilium meum a domino.
3. By, by, lullaby, by, by, lullaby, wrockyd I my chyld.
4. Bewar my lytyl fynger, syr, I yow desyre.
5. She may be callyd a soverant lady
That ys a mayd and beryth a baby.
6. The bella, the bella, we maydins beryth the bella.

7. So gret unkyndnes withoutedeservyng.

* " He how frisca joly under the grene wood tre," is the burthen
of an ancient song in the musical volume among the Kings MSS.
 ; ; ;

Ixxiv DISSERTATION ON

8. Who shall have my fayr lady.

9. Mynyon, go trym, go tiym. (A satire against the Flemings).
10. Joly felowe, joly, joly felowe. joly,
Yf thou have but lytyll mony,
Spend it not in foly
But spend yt on a prety wenche,
And she shal help the at a pinche,
Hey joly felow, joly.

11. And wyll ye serve me so.

12. Mi hart, my mynde, and my hole poure.
13. Love wyll I, & leve, so yt may befall.
14. And I mankynd have not in mynd.
16. Pleasure yt ys
To here, I wys,
The byrds syng [yng]e
The dere in the dale,
The shepe in the vale.
The come spryngyng.

Gods purvyaunce,
For sustenaunce,
Yt ys for man
Then we all wayse,
To hym gyve prase,
& thank hym than & thank hym than.
16. Concordans musycall jugyd by the ere.

17. Min hartys lust & all my plesure.

The other three pieces are lessons for the words Ut re my fa so[l]
Fa la soil.
la, or

The following song, of this reign, appears worthy

of notice, if it were but from the circumstance of ex-
plaining a seemingly corrupted passage of an ancient
Scotish writer, mentioned in a preceding page, who.
 ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxv

according to Mackenzie, among the titles of popular

songs of the time, names

Couthume the rashes grene*,

of which no one, it is supposed, has ever known what

to make. For this discovery, we are indebted to the

old book among the Kings MSS.

iJJJ-Jg.UJ. I
JJWjg^
^
CoUe to me the rysshys grene, Colle to me.

i1
0'4(}(nT77 \U!^i.uim ^
iffig

Colle to me the rysshes grene, Colle to me.

For my pastyme upon a day,

I walkyde alone ryght secretly
In a momyng of lusty May
Me to rejoyce I dyd aplye.

Wher I saw one in gret dystresse,

Complaynyng him thus pytuously;
Alas ! he sayde, for my mastres
I well perseyve that I shall dye.

• See Lives of Scottish •writers, iii. 44. The original, however,

(a most rare hook) reads

" Cou thou me the raschis grene."

Ixxvi DISSERTATION OK

Wythout that thus she of hur grace

To pety she wyll somewhat revert,
I have most cause to say alas,
For hyt ys she that hath my hart.

Soo to contynew whyle my lyfF endur,

Though I fore hur sholde sufFre dethe,

She hath my hart wythowt recure,

And ever shall duryng my brethe.

The burthen, Colle to me, &c. is, as usual, to be re-

peated at the end of every stanza. But the editor

should neither be surprised nor sorry to learn that

this is not the original song. Colle is cull.

The reader will pardon another extract from the

same MS. of which the brevity may serve to com-
pensate for whatever defects it may have:

c^=5=^
Westron wynde,
m^
when wyll thow
-r\
M
blow*, the smalle rayne

^ «
5-^ O
downe can rayne. Cryst yf my love were in my arrays

* This reminds one of a stanza in an ancient and pathetic Scotish

ballad:
*' Marti'mas wind, when wilt thou blaw,
And shake the green leaves from the tree?
O gentle death, when wilt thou come ?
For of my life I am wearie."
 ; ; :

ANCIKNT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxvii

13^Z^ i±^Jilli-'^
and I yn my bed a-gayne.

Puttenham, in his Arte of English Poesie (1589,

p. 12.)mentions " one Gray" as having grown unto
good estimation with king Henry VIII. and afterwards
with the duke of Somerset, protector, " for making
certaine merry ballades, whereof one chiefly was. The
hunte is up, the hunte is up." — Is this it ?

*'The hunt is up,

The hunt is up,
And now it is almost day
And he that 's in bed with another mans wife,
It 's time to get him away*."

* The following are the words of an ancient round for four voices

" The hunt is up, the hounds ar in the fyld.

The chase is up and newly gone
Up then and folow at hand for shame,
Els thow art lyke to leese the game."

" The first of the first three [who appear to Kind-hart in his
dreame"] was an od old fellow, low of stature, his head was covered
with a round cap, his body with a side skirted tawney coate, his legs
and feete trust uppe in leather buskins, his gray haires and fur-
rowed face witnessed hjs age, his treble viol in his hande, assured me
of his profession. On which (by his continuall sawing having left but
one string) after his best manner, hee gave me a hunts up : whome
after a little musing i assuredly remembred to be no other but old
Anthony now noiv.**
 : ; :

Ixxviii DISSERTATION ON

A foolish practice (which this little piece has brought

to mind) was introduced by the puritan reformers, of
moralising, as they called it, popular songs; that is,

parodying all but a few lines at the beginning of the

song, to favour their particular superstition, or the
innovation they wished to .effect*. The following,
indeed^ is Scotish, but as the measure was not taken
up in the North till there wa? no longer occasion for

it in the South, and particularly as The Hunt is up

was an English song, we may fairly enough lay claim
to the honour of the Travestie
*' With hunts up, with hunts up,
It is now perfite day
Jesus our king is gane ' a ' hunting,
Quha likes to speed they may."

There are several other stanzas, but none which ap-

pears to have any allusion to the original song t-.

The earliest of these parodies seems to be one at the

end of a MS. in the Kings Library (I7. B. XLIII.)
where it is written as prose. The beginning is given
for the sake of the original words, the rest is fanatical

trash

* Those modern puritans the methodists have adopted a similar

practice, and sing their hymns to popular song-tunes, which one of
their leaders used to say, had been too long devoted to, or were too

good for, the devil. This foolery is admirably ridiculed by Shak-

speare, where he speaks of the puritan who *' sings psalms to horn-
pipes.^^ See Winters Tale.

•f Sfee " Ane compendious booke of godly and spiritual] sdngs, &c.
Edinburgh, printed by Andro Hart." 1801. 8vo.
 : : :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxix

'
Com home agayne,
'

Com home agayne,

Mi nowne swet hart, com home agayne;
Ye are gone astray
Out of your way,
There [for, swet hart,] com home agayne."

In the before mentioned book of part-songs printed

in 1530, are ^ome of this sort of parodies, which is thus
proved to have preceded the reformation by many
years. The commencement and burthen of one of
them is as follows

" Who shall have my fayr lady ?

Who but I ? who but I ?
Who shall have my fayr lady ?
Who hath more ryght therto ?"
Another begins thus

, " And I mankynd have not in mynd.

My love that mornyth for me, for me,
Who is my love but god above, ^c."

A popular species of harmony arose in this reign,

of which the following collection will afford a few
examples ; it was called King Henrys Mirth, or Free-
mens Songs, that monarch being a great admirer of
vocal music, and even having the reputation of a com-
poser. Freemens So^gs is a corruption of Three mens
songSj from their being generally for three voices.

Thus the clown in Shakspeares Winters Tale — " She

hath made me four and twenty nose-gays for the
shearers : three-man-song-men all, and very good ones."
— And Carew expressly calls John Dory " an old
 : : : ;

Ixxx DISSERTATION ON

Three mans song" In the Turnament of Tottenham

we read of melody delycyous of syx menys sang *.
In the parliament holden in the 34th and 35th
years of this reign, an act passed to purge and cleanse
the kingdom of all religious plays, interludes, rhymes,
BALLADS and SONGS, which, it is observed, are equally
pestiferous and noysome to the commonweal ; that is,
we may presume, they are too apt to enlighten the
public mind and aiford the people an opportunity of
expressing their sentiments.
The religious morality of L^isty Juventus, written
and printed in the reign of Edward VI., opens with a
song, which, as it is but short, may be given entire ;

" In a herber grene aslepe where as I lay,

The byi^ies sange swete in the middes of the daye,
I dreamed fast of myrth and play
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Methough[t] I walked stil to and fro,

And from her company I could not go

But when I waked it was not so
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Therfore my hart is surely pyght

Of her alone to have a sight.
Which is my joy and hartes delj'ght
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure."

Towards the end is another, but of less merit, in the

same measure.
* Post. i. Are we from this expression to conclude that this was
94.
men joined in singing the
actually a song in six parts, or only that six
same melody? [Florio explains " Cantarini," such as sing three mens
songs, common legging singers. Ed.]
 ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxxi

In a MS. of Bennet college library, Cambridge,

(No. 106) are two ballads upon the inclosure of com-
mons, which appears to have caused great disturbances
in this reign.

In the new edition of Lelands Collectanea* is the

Kings coronation Song, and another the ditty whereof is
" Sing up heart, sing up heart, sing no more down,
But joy in king Edward that weareth the crown.*'

The amorous and obscene songs used in the court

of this virgin prince, gave such scandal to Thomas
Sternhold, " being," as Wood says, " a most zealous
protestant and a very strict liver, that he forsooth
tum'd into English metre 51 of Davids Psalms, and
caused musicall notes to be set to them, thinking
thereby that the courtiers would sing them instead
of their sonnets, but [[they] did not, only some few
excepted t."
John Baldwin, in The Canticles or Balades of Solo-
mon phrasely declared in English metre, printed in
1549, wishes to God, " that such songes might once
drive out of office the baudy balades of lecherous
love, that commonly are indited and sung of idle
courtyers in princes and noblemens houses %"
Of queen Marys time there is one ballad extant, made
on the unfounded report of her being with child §.
• IV. 314. 319.

•f AthencB Oxonienses, i. 76* But see Puttenham, Arte of English

Poesie, p. 12. where he says that " king Henry the 8, for a few
Psalmes of David turned into English meetre by Sternhold, made him
groome of his privy chamber, & gave him many other good gifts."

t See Ames, v. i. 552. 636. 666.

§ Ames's Typographical Antiquities by Herbert, vol. iii.

VOL. I.
g
 — :

Ixxxii DISSKRTATION ON

Long before the reign of queen Elizabeth, printed

songs and ballads had become common. Laneham,
describing the curious literary collection of Captain
Cox, the mason of Coventry, has the following words
" What I rehear^ heer, what a bunch of ballets and
songs, —As, broom, broom on — So
ALL ANCIENT- hil

wo me begon,
iz lo* — Over a whinny weg
troly
Hey ding a ding f—Bony upon a green— My lass

bony on gave me a bek — By a bank lay and a as I J,

HUNDRED MORE, he hath fair wrapt up in parchment,
and bound with a whipcord ||." The word ancient

» See infra^ " Brume on hil " is likewise mentioned in the Covi-
phynt of Scotland. [ 1 548 ] .

t Has not this been the ballad of Old Simon the king?

Says old Simon the king,

Says old Simon the king,
With his aledropt hose,
And his malmsey nose,
Sing hey ding ding a ding ding.

I A song with Uiis title and chorus, occurs in Bp. Percys folio MS.
atid in the 3d volume of Durfeys collection, but is probably of a later
date than 1575.j

t This last song is preserved in the old MS. already mentioned to

have been found among the books of the Kings Library in the Museum.
It is a love song, but without any other merit than antiquity. See
also Deuteromelia, 1609, 19. At the end of the only copy known
to exist of the book of songs with musical notes by Cornyshe,
Fairfax, and others, printed in 1530, a song is inserted in MS.
beginning with the same words, but containing a laboured panegyric
upon king Henry the 8th.

II
Letter from Killhigwoorih, Lend. 1676, 12mo. b. 1. These
printed ballads soon begun to be hawked up and down the country

in baskets. In the pleasaunt and stately IMorall of the three Lordes

 : —

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxxiii

would scarcely be applied to any thing of a later date

than the time of Henry VIII. Indeed their antiquity

may be presumed from another circumstance, not one
of them being now extant.
From '' a very mery and pythie commedie/' called
" The longer thou livest the more foole thou art, a
myrrour very necessarie for youth, and specially for
such as are like to come to dignitie and promotion,
.... newly compiled by W. Wager," imprinted at
London, &c. in 4to. bl. 1. without date, some time in
the reign of queen Elizabeth, we glean scraps of a
great many songs, most or perhaps all of them even
at that time old, with some of which the reader can
scarcely choose but be entertained, which may serve
as an apology for the length of the quotation.
'^
^ Here entereth Moros, counterfaiting a vaine
gesture and a foolish countenance, synging the foote
of many songes, as fooles were wont."

Moros. Brome, brome on hill,

The brome on hill hill

gentle
Brome, brome on Hiue hill,

and three Ladies of London, 1590, 4to. b. 1. Simplicities "in bare

blacke, like a poore citizen," on being asked what daintie fine ballad
he has now to be sold, says " IMarie, child, I have Chipping Norton
—A Mile from Chappel o' the Heath —A lamentable ballad of
burning the popes dog —The sweet ballade of the Lincolnshire
bagpipes — —
and Peggy and Willy But now he is dead and gone
]Mine own sweet Willy is laid in his grave, la, la, la, Ian ti dan dan
"
da dan, Ian ti dan, dan tan derry do." And that it was the " vocation
of such a fellow to " bear his part " in a song, appears from the cha-
racter of Autolycus, in the Winters Tale.

g2
 : : ;

Jxxxiv DISSEllTATION ON

The gentle brome on Hiue hill,

The brome standes on Hiue hill a.

% Robin, lende to me thy bowe, thy bowe,

Robin the bow, Robin, lende to me thy bow a*.
% There was a mayde come out of Kent,
Deintie love, deintie love
There was a mayde cam out of Kent,
Daungerous be
There was a mayde cam out of Kent,
Fajrre, propre, small and gent,
As ever upon the grounde went,
For so should it be.

^ By a banke as I lay, I lay,

Musinge on things past, hey how.
5[ Tom a Lin and his wife, and his wives mother
They went over a bridge all three together,
The bridge was broken and they fell in,
The devil go with all, quoth Tom a Linf.
^ Martin Swart and his man, sodledum sodledum,
Martin Swart and his man, sodledum bell ^I.

• See infra,

•f
Of this song the editor has fortunately met with a modern
printed copy, but much altered, it should seem, from the original,
beginning,

" Tommy Linn is a Scotchman born."

In the Complaynt of Scotland, " Thorn of Lin " is given as the name
of a dance.
$ Skelton, laureat, (who died in 1529) has an evident allusion to
the same song

" With hey troly loly lo, whip here Jak.

Alumbek sodyldym syllorym hen,
Curiowsly he can both counter and knak
Of Martyn Swart and all hys mery men.''*

Against a comely Coystrowne, &c

Works (1736) p. 254.
 : ;; ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxxv

^ Com over the boorne Besse,

My little pretie Besse,
Com over the boorne Besse to me *.
^ The white dove sat on the castell wall,
I bend my bow, and shoote her I shall
I put her in my glove both fethers and all.

I layd my bridle upon the shelfe,

If you will any more sing it yourselfe.

Moros having been interrupted by Discipline, goes

on thus

I have twentie mo songs yet,

A fond woman to my mother.
As I war wont in her lappe to sit,

She taught me these and many other

I can sing a song of robin redbrest,
And my litle pretie nightingale.
There dwelleth a jolly foster here by west,
Also I com to drink som of your christmas ale.

Whan by my selfe alone.

I walke
It doth me good my songs to render
Such pretie thinges would soone be gon.
If I should not some time them remembre.

Moros. Before you go let us have a song,

I can retch up to sing, sol fa and past.

Idlenessc. Thou hast songes good stoare, sing one,

And we three the foote will beare.
Moros. Let me study, it will come anone,
Pepe, la, la, la, it is to hye there,

Martin Swart was concerned in the insurrection made by the lord

Lovel and others against Henry VII., anno 1486, and was slain at

the battle of Stoke ; having been sent over with some troops, by
Margaret duchess of Burgundy, sister to K. Edward IV.
* Shakspeare has put these three identical lines into the mouth of
Edgar, in K. Lear. A moralisation of the song is (with the music)
in the editors foUo MS.
Ixxx VI DISSERTATION ON

So, ho, ho, and that is to lowe,

Soil, soil, fa, fa, and that is to flatte,

Re, re, re, by and by you shall knowe.

My, my, my, howe saye you to that?
Idlenes, Care not for the ' key,' but what is thy song ?
Moros. ^ I have a prety tytmouse,
All iiii. Come picking on ray to,

the sa7ne. Gossuppe with you I purpose,

To drinke before I go.
Moros. 51 Litle pretty nightingale.
All iiii. Among the braunches greene *,
the same. Geve us of your christmasse ale.

In the honour of saint Steven.

Moros. ^ Robyn readbrest with his noates,

Singing alofte in the quere,

All iiii. Warneth to get you frese coates,

tlie same. For winter then draweth nere.

Moros. ^ My brigle lieth on the shelfe,
Yf you will have any more.
Vouchsafe to sing it yourselfe.
For here you have all my stoare.
Wrath. A song much like th' authour of the same,

It hangeth together like fethers in the winde.

Moros. This song learned I of my dame,

When she taught me mustard sede to grinde.

Wj'aih seems to consider these scraps as Moroses own

invention ; and Idlenesse having before told the com-

* This song, with music, is in the old book already mentioned

among the Kings MSS. The first stanza is as follows ;

" The lytyll prety nyghtyngale,

Among the levys grene,
I wolde I were with hur all nyght.
But yet ye wot not whome I mene."

The last line is the concluding one of each stanza.

 ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxxvii

pany that he (Moros) could " sing songes and make

rymes/* one might have considered him as an m-
provisatore, or natural extempore poet, if he had not
himself told us how he came by them.
Ignorance, in a dialogue between Impietie and
Crueltie, is required to " sing some mery song,"
which unfortunately is not inserted, owing to an or-
dinary practice of our early dramatists, to leave the
choice of the song to the performer *. Upon the
whole, this is certainly a most curious piece, and it is

much to be desired, that a collection of these ancient

moralities were given to the public ; as they not only
furnish numberless particulars of the domestic life and
manners of our ancestors, but are besides infinitely

more entertaining than any dramatic production before

the time of Shakspeare.
" The over busie and too speedy returne of one
maner of tune," says Puttenham, doth '' too much
annoy & as it were glut the eare, unlesse it be in small
and popular musickes, song by these Cantabanqui,
upon benches and barrels heads, where they have none
other audience then boys or countrey fellowes that
passe by them in the street, or else by bli?id harpers,
or such like taverne minstrels^ that give a fit of mirth

• See Dodsleys Old Plays (edition 1780), vol. i. pp. 68. 282.
Shakspeares Works by Johnson and Steevens (Loves Labour Lost,
Act 3. sc. 1.) In Peeles " Famous chronicle of king Edward /."

1593. is this curious stage direction : " Enter the Harper, and sing
to the tune of Who list to lead a souldiers lifc.^'*
Ixxxviii DISSERTATION ON

for a groat*, &c. also they be used in carols and

rounds, and such like light or lascivious poems, which
are commonly more conunodiously uttered by these
buffons or vices in playes, then by any other personf."
Webbe also censures the vulgar songs of his time,
which he calls '' a few balde ditties made over the
beere potts which are nothing lesse then poetry %."
The song in Gammer Gurtons Garland, first printed
in 1575, which begins,
" I cannot eate but lytle meate,"

has been often mentioned as the first drinking song of

any merit in the language, and as such has been fre-

quently printed. It is certainly a singular perform-

ance, and deserves to be well known §.

* That this was the common price long after Puttenhams time
appears from Jonsons '* masque
of the metamorphosed gipsies^'''*
1621, where, on the introduction of Cheeks the piper, or Tom
Ticklefoot the taborer (it is not clear which) one of the company
says: —" I cannot hold now, there's my groat, let 's have &Jit for

mirth-sake." These groats gave rise to the expression of " fidlers

money," though as that coin is no longer current, we now apply it

to sixpences.

It is, therefore, evident, whatever might be the value of a groat at

either period, that the reward was neither regarded as considerable,
nor peculiar to ' the old harpers ;" but, on the contrary, that it was
the ordinary and established fee of every musical performer. One
may readily believe and it may be very easily accounted for, that all

sorts of contributors to popular entertainment were much better paid

formerly than they are at present.

•f"
Arte of English Poesie, p. 69.
X Discourse of English Poctrie, 1586, 4to. b. 1. sig. c. iii.

§ See it in the " Sckcf Collection of English Songs,'''' already

cited.
 ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. Ixxxix

The " passing merrie Interlude of Tome Tyler and

his wife" 1598, contains also a few humorous songs.
In an old pamphlet by Henry Chettle (before
quoted) intitled, " Kind-Harts Dreame" &c. 4to.
black letter, without date, but supposed to be printed
in 1592, is contained an ironical admonition to the
ballad- singers of London, from Anthony Now Now *,
or Anthony Munday, a great ballad-writer, wherein he
says, " When I was liked, there was no thought of

that idle upstart generation of ballad-singers, neither

was there a printer so lewd that would set his finger
to a lascivious line." But now, he adds, " ballads are
abusively chanted in every street ; and from London
this evil has overspread Essex and the adjoining
counties. There is many a tradesman, of a worship-
full trade, yet no stationer, who after a little bringing

uppe apprentices to singing brokerie, takes into his

shoppe some fresh men, and trustes his olde servantes

of a two months standing with a dossen groatesworth
of ballads. In which, if they prove thriftie, he makes
them prety chapmen, able to spred more pamphlets by
the state forbidden, than all the booksellers in London,
&c" The names of many i)allads are here given, as
" Watkins Ale, The Carmans Whistle, Chopping-knives,
and Frier Fox-tailef. And out-roaring Dick and Wat

* See infra.

t '* I should hardly be perswaded, that anie professor of so ex-

cellent a science [as printing] would bee so impudent, to print such
odious and lascivious ribauldrie, as Watkim Ale., The Carmans
Letter (with the signature T. N.
 : : ; )

xc DISSEETATION ON

Wimbars, two celebrated trebles^ are said to have got

twenty shillings a day, by singing at Braintree fair in
Essex *.
Bishop Hall thus censures the number of ballads
published in his time

" Some drunken rhymer thinks his time well spent,

If he can live to see his name in print
Who, when he is once fleshed to the presse,
And sees his handsell have such faire successe,
Sung to the wheele and sung unto the payle,
He sends forth thraves of ballads to the salef-"

By being sung to the wheele and payle^ the author

means sung by maids spinning and \_milking or~\ fetch-
ing water. Lord Surrey, in one of his poems, says,

[for Thomas Nashe, but written in reality by Chettle, as he confesses

ill the above pamphlet] to his good friend A [nthony ] M [unday]
prefixed to the latters translation of " The
Gerileon of England.
second part, &c." 1592, 4to. b. The object of this abusive letter
1.

has possibly been Thomas Delony. The tune of Watkhis Ale, was
in one of dr. Pepuschs MSS. See Wards Lives of the professors of
Gresham College (the Museum copy) p. 199. 'i'he Carmen of this
age should seem to have been singularly famous for their musical
talents. Justice Shallow, according to Falstaffs satyrical description,
" came ever in the rear- ward of the fashion ; and sung those tunes to
the over-scutcht huswives, that he heard the carmen •whistle^ and
sware they were his fancies^ or his good-nights.'''' 2 Hen. IV. Act
III. Scene II. See also Jonsons Bartholomew fair^ act 1. scene 4.
Skelton says of a professor in his time

" He whystelyth so swetely, he maketh me to swet."

* Wartons History of English Poetry, vol. iii. p. 291.

^f Satires (IV.) 1597. He very probably alludes to the peerless

who was no less famous for his drunkenness than his poetry.
Elderton,
" Thomas [r. William] Elderton, who did arm himself with ale (as
 : : : ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xci

" My mothers maids, when they do sitand spin.

They sing a song made of a lieldish mouse ;"

Alluding perhaps to the fable of the City Mouse and

Country Mouse. Thus also Shakspeare in his Twelfth
Night
" The spinsters and the knitters in the sun
Do use to chant it."

This admirable writer composed the most beautiful

and excellent songs^ which no one (so far as we know)
can be said to have done before him * ; nor has any
one excelled him since. Many of them have been
already inserted in a more refined collection than the
following t, in which however some of his lighter
pieces will be found in their due place. In the plays
of this favourite of the muses, we find a number of
fragments of old songs and ballads, which will afford
us infinite amusement in our pursuit.

old father Ennius did with wine) when he ballated, had tlus, in that

respect made to his memory :

" Hie situs est sitiens atque ebrius Eldertonus,

Quid dico, hie situs est ? hie potius sitis est."

Camdens Remaines, Epitaphes, p. 56.

Of this epitaph, dr. Percy has given the following version by

Oldys
" Dead drunk here Elderton doth lie

Dead as he is, he still is dry

So of him it may well be said,
Here he, but not his tJiirst is laid."

* Or at least but one, Marlows " Passionate Shepherd to his

Love," is the only instance that can be excepted.

f See the Collection of songs referred to in a preceding note.

xcil DISSERTATION ON

In the comedy of Twelfth Night, Act ii. Scene 3.

Sir Toby, on the Clowns entering, says, ''

Now let 's

have a catch." " By my troth," exclaims Sir Andrew,

" the fool hath an excellent breast. I had rather than
forty shillings I had such a leg ; and so sweet a breath
to sing as the fool has. . . . Now a song." Sir Toby,
'' Let 's have a song." " Would you have a love-
song," says the Clown, " or a song of good-life," {i. e.

a jolly bacchanalian song) " O," says Sir Toby, }

" A love-song, a love-song." " Ay, ay," adds Sir

Andrew (misconceiving the term) " I care not for
good-life." Upon this the Clown sings a song be-
ginning
'' O mistress mine, where are you roaming,'*

Which, though it does not at present appear to have

any great merit, is pronounced by Sir Andrew, to be
" excellent good i'faith." They presently " make the
welkin dance," and " rouze the night-owl," with the
catch of Hold thy peace thou knave, which is still pre-
served. Sir Toby being " in admirable fooling,"
sings, ^' Three merry men rve be" " There dwelt a —
man in Babylon," and " O the twelfth day of Decem-
ber:" of which the two first are extant, but the last is

unfortunately lost. Another, beginning

" Farewell dear heart, since I must needs be gone,"

Of which they sing a few lines, is likewise preserved.

Shakspeare takes every opportunity of discovering his
attachment to these old and popular reliques. In the
same play Orsino says.
 : ; -

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xciii

" Now good Cesario, but that piece of song,

That old and antique song we had last night,

Methought it did relieve my passion much,

More than light airs and recollected terms
Of these most brisk and giddy-paced tinqes."

The Clown being accordingly brought in to sing it,

the duke proceeds :

" O fellow, come, the song we had last night : —

Mark it, Cesario, it is old and plain
The spinsters and the knitters in the sun,

And the free maids that weave their thread with bones,
Do use to chant it it is silly sooth.
;

And dallies with the innocence of love,

Like the old age."

The words, indeed, are scarcely answerable to the

eulogium ; but united to the air, might have had all

the effect upon the audience the author proposed.

In the course of this play, we have another scrap
from the Clown :

" Hey Robin, jolly Robin,

Tell me how thy lady does.
My lady is unkind perdie,
Alas, why is she so ?
She loves another. *"

He also concludes the piece with an epilogue song, of

which the first stanza is,

" When that I was and a little tiny boy,

"With hey ho, the wind and the rain

A foolish thing was but a toy.
For the rain it raineth every day."

L* This song has been recovered by dr. Percy, and is inserted in

the 4th edition of the Reliqnes. \

 :: ; ; :

XCIV DISSERTATION ON

It is remarkable that Shakspeare puts these shreds

chiefly into the mouths of his fools and lunatics.

Edgar, in King Lear, personating the character of a

Bedlamite, sings,
*' Sleepest or wakest thou jolly shepherd?
Thy sheep be in the com,
And for one blast of thy minikin mouth,
Thy sheep shall take no harm."
Again
" Child Rowland to the dark tower came.'

This, if a song, was probably some translation from

the French or Spanish. Rowland is the Orlando of
the Italian romancers, who had him from France, and
gave him to Spain. As to the words which follow,
they have not the least connexion with Child Rowland,
but belong indeed to the story of Jack the Giant
Killer
" His word was still fie, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British-man."

Some of the little effusions, uttered by Ophelia, in

Hamlet, are very pathetic. For instance

" He is dead and gone, lady,

He is dead and gone
At his head a grass-green turf,

At his heels a stone.

White his shroud as the mountain snow,

/ Larded with sweet flowers
"Which bewept to the grave did go.

With true love showers."

A number of these fragments having been ingeniously

 : : ; ; ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xcv

worked up by dr. Percy into a little tale, in humble

imitation of so respectable an example, something of
the same nature is attempted in the following col-
lection.

Master Silence, in his cups, has a stanza for every

occasion : we shall do nothing, says he, but

" Eat and drink, and make good chear,

And thank god for the merry year,
When flesh is cheap, and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there
So merrily, and ever among so merrily."

Again

Be merry, be merry, my wife has all

For women are shrews, both short and tall

'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all;

And welcome merry Shrove-tide.

Be merry, be merry."

Again :

" A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine.

And drink unto the leman mine

And a merry heart lives long a."

In the comedy of Much Ado about Nothings Benedick

attempts to sing the following lines

" The god of love

That sits above.
That knows me, and knows me.
How pitiful I deserve."

This is the beginning of an old popular song by

Will Elderton ; a puritanical parody of which is now
extant.
 : : : ; : ; ^

xcvi DISSERTATION ON

In The Knight of the Burning Pestle, by Beaumont

and Fletcher, Old Merry Thought sings a variety of
shreds, which have all the appearance of being frag-
ments of old songs
" She cares not for her daddy, nor ..-
^"^
She cares not for her mammy, for

She is, "she is, she is.

My lord of Lowgraves lassy."

" Give him flowers enow. Palmer ; give him flowers enow
Give him red and white, and blue, green and yellow."

" Go from my window, love, go

Go from my window, my dear;
The wind and the rain
Will drive you back again,
You cannot be lodged here.

Begone, begone, my juggy, my puggy,

Begone, my love, my dear
The weather is warm,
'T will do thee no harm ;

Thou canst not be lodged here*."

And in the tragedy of Bonduca, Junius sings

" She set the sword unto her breast,

Great pity it was to see,

That three drops of her life- warm blood.

Run trickling down her knee.'*

Again
" It was an old tale ten thousand times told,

Of a young lady was tum'd into mould,

Her life it was lovely, her death it was bold."

The whole song of which these two stanzas are a fragment is,

with some little variation, and the original music, preserved in the

4th volume of D'Urfeys " Pills to purge melancholy,^^ 1719' It is

also printed at the end of Hey woods Rape ofLucrecc, 1C20.

 .

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xcvil

These fragments are the rather noticed, as they may

chance to prove the means of recovering the entire
ballad.
Toward the end of the long reign of queen Elizabeth,
l^ti^ard Johnson, author of the History of the Seven
Champions of Christendom, and Thomas Deloney, the
historian of the Gentle Craft, &c. wrote ballads for the
press, to be sung about the streets of London, and up
and down the country, in which they seem to have
excelled both their predecessors and contemporaries.
For though Elderton was known and celebrated for

the prince of ballad-mongers, and seems to have made

the composition of such things his sole profession*, yet
are those of his, which have come down to us, by no
means to be compared to such as, upon the authority of
the different garlands published under their respective
names, we may reasonably attribute to Johnson and
Deloney f

* " I scom'd your ballad then, though it were done

And had for Jinis, William Elderton."
Drayton.

f See " The Crown Garland of Golden Roses," by Richard

Johnson [1612, Bib. Bod.] 1683. "The Garland of Delight,"
containing Chronicles, Histories, &c. written by Thomas Delone,
the thirtieth edition, 1681, 12mo. b. L~" The Royal Garland,"
by T. D. 1681 ; and in " The Garland of Good Will," by T. D.
1668, all in the Pepysian library. From these it should appear, that
Deloney was author of Fair Rosamond, one of the best of the old
English ballads. The " Garland of Good Will " appears to have
been originally published before 1596. It is extant in the Pepysian
library, and was till very lately what is called a chap-book. In the

VOL. I. h
XCVlll DISSERTATION ON

Of the merits of Anthony Munday as a ballad

writer^ we have no opportunity to judge ; not a single

specimen of his abilities in that line being now to be
discovered.

V. The number of ancient printed songs and ballads

which have perished must be considerable. Very few
exist of an earlier date than the reign of James, or even
of Charles the first*. Being printed only on single
sheets, which would fall chiefly into the hands of the
vulgar, who had no better method of preserving their
favourite compositions, than by pasting them upon
the wallf^ their destruction is easily accounted for.

same collection is " The Garland of Delight, &c. by Thomas Delone,"

and " The Royal Garland of Love and Delight, by T. D." A still
scarcer work is, " Strange histories, or songs and sonnets, of Idngs,
princes, dukes, lords, ladyes, knyghts and gentlemen : &c. By
Thomas Delone, Lond. 1612, 4to." in which Dr. Percy found " the
ballad oi Fair Rosamond,^- though he is probably mistaken in con-
cluding it to have been first published therein ; as it is believed that
this industrious artist produced his compositions over and over under
different titles. There is a later edition in the above library. There
is no collection of Eldertons songs, of which no more than one or two
are known to be preserved.
* The oldest printed ballad known to be extant, is that on the
downfal of Thomas Lord Cromwell, in 1540, reprinted by Dr.
Percy.
-|- This measure, which may in some parts be still observed, is

alluded to by Cotton :

We in the country do not scorn

Our walls with ballads to adorn.
Of Patient Grissel and the Lord of Lorn.
 :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. xcix

The practice of collecting them into books, did not

take place till after queen Elizabeths time, and is

probably owing to Johnson and Deloney, who, when

they were advanced in years, and incapable perhaps of
producing any thing of merit, seem to have contented
themselves with collecting their more juvenile or hap-
pier compositions into little penny books, entitled Gar-
lands : of these, being popular and others reprinted,
many are still extant, particularly in the Pepysian
library *.
Those pieces which we now call old ballads, such
as Fair Rosamond^ The Children in the Wood, and the
Ladys Fall, which an ingenious writer seems to con-
sider " as the native species of poetry of this country f,"

And by S^ift

The ballads pasted on the wall,

Of Joan of France, and English Mall*.

* See Percy, i. Ixxvii. and the preceding page.

-l*
Aikin, Essays on Song "Writing, p. 27. " Many of the ancient
ballads," he sayp, " have been transmitted to the present times, and
in them the character of the nation displays itself in striking colours.
The boastful history of her victories, the prowess of her favourite
kings and "captain?, and the wonderful adventures of the legendar)r"
saint and knight-errant, are the topics of the rough rhyme and un-
adorned narration, which was ever the delight of the vulgar, and is

* These ladies are only mentioned as probable subjects ; there is no song

about either, [indeed, the line itself is from Hudibrcia.

A bold virago, stout and tall

As Joan of France, or English Mall.

English Mall, by the way, is neither Mary Carleton, the German princess, as
Dr. Grey observes, nor Moll Cutpurse, as the writer of this note formerly sup-
posed. He readily coincides with Dr. Percy that Mary Ambre is the lady
meant."]
 c DISSERTATION ON

are comparatively modern, that is of the latter end of

the 16th century, not one of them being found in^

print, or noticed in any book before that period*.

Queen Dido, to be sure, from its popularity at that

time,would seem to be somewhat older, and is pro-

bably one of the oldest, as it is certainly one of the

best we have. " O you ale-knights," exclaims an old

writer, " you that devoure the marrow of the mault,
and drinke whole aletubs into consumptions ; that sing
QUEENE Dine over a cupp, and tell strange news over
an alepot, &ct."
If indeed, by ''
native species of poetry," is meant
a species peculiar in this country, it is very certain
that we have as little pretension to originality in this

respect as in any other ; which a very slight acquaint-

ance with the ballad poetry of other countries will

now an object of curiosity to the antiquarian and man of taste." The

illustration of this passage by apposite examples, would have been a
favour to readers less happy in their researches after these rough
rhymes and unadorned narrations than the author.
* The earliest notice of any of these old ballads, is that which
Shakspeare has put into the mouth of FalstafF, in the second part
of K. Hen. IV. Act ii. Scene 4.

" When Arthur first in court began."

Which was at that time in all probability a new and popular ballad;
and enough by Richard Johnson, who had a great turn for
likely
subjects of chivalry and romance. The children in the wood appears
to have been written in 1595. See Ames's Typographical antiquities,
by Herbert.
•|- Jacke of Dover, his Quest of Inquiric. &c. Ifi04, 4to.

(fig. 2.)
 ; ;

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. ci

be sufficient to prove. Our most ancient popular

ballads^ if we may judge from the few specimens pre-
served, were singularly rude, and not above two or
three of these are known to have been printed for the
people. It is barely possible that something of the
kind may be still preserved in the country by tra-
dition. The editor has frequently heard of traditional

songs, but has had very little success in his endeavours

to hear the songs themselves*.

An ingenious Frenchman has projected the history

of his country by a chronological series of songs
and ballads f. And the multitude of manuscript and
printed collections preserved in the royal library, or
otherwise attainable, would leave a diligent compiler
at no loss for materials. A history of England of this

* In a copy of verses addressed to Mr. (afterward Dr.) Black-

lock, by Richard Hewitt, (a boy whom, during his residence in
Cumberland, he had taken to lead him); on quitting his service, are

the following lines

How oft these plains I've thoughtless prest

Whistled, or sung some fair distrest,

Whose fate would steal a tear.

" Alluding," as it is said in a note, " to a sort of narrative songs,

which make no inconsiderable part of the innocent amusements with
which the country people pass the winter nights, and of which the
author of the present piece was a faithful rehearser." Blacklocks
Poems, 1756, 8vo. p. v. It is a great pity, if these pieces have any
merit, that some attempt made to preserve them.
is not

t M. Meusnier de Querlon, Mcmoire Jiistgrique sur la chanson

{V Anthologie Frangoise, tome I.) j). 44, 45.
 :

CU DISSERTATION ON

sort would be no less interesting or delightful; but

the task is impossible*.
y[t has been elsewhere observed that the age of queen
Elizabeth is the sera of Catches and Glees, of which the
editor will only now add that he should wish to see a
better account than has hitherto appeared. The large
and valuable collection published under the direction of
the Catch Club does not contain any more ancient than
the year 1600 f. Hold thy peace thou knave is pro-
bably much earlier than the time of Shakspeare, by
whom it is introduced in his Twelfth Night. There
lyes a pudding in the Jire is likewise very old. Both
these with the music are preserved by sir John Hawkins.
Samuel Harsnet, who died archbishop of York, in his
declaration of egregious popish Impostures/' London,
^'

1604, p. 94. has the following passage :

" Lustie Jollie

Jenkin (another of Saras captain devils names) by his

name should seeme to be foreman of the motley morrice
he had under him, saith himselfe, forty assistants, or

* Dr. Percy having mentioned the '^fabulous and romantic songs

which for a long time prevailed in France and England^ before they

f^ had books of chivalry in j?ro*e," observes, that " in both these countries,
"•"^ the Minstrels still retained so much of their original institution, as
frequently to make true events the subject of their songs;'''' and indeed,
that " the memory of events was preserved and propagated among
the ignorant laity, by scarce any other means than the popular songs
of the Minstrels ;" adding in a note, that *•'
tlie Editors MS. contains

a multitude ofpoems of this latter kind:'^lt may be observed, how-

ever, that not one of this multitude has made its appearance in

pubUc.
t Although some are perhaps to be found of much greater an-

tiquity.
 :

ANCIENT SONGS AND MUSIC. cm

rather (if I mistake not) he had beene by some old

Exorcist allowed for the Master Setter of catches, or
roundes, used to be sung by Tinkers, as they sit by
the fire with a pot of good ale between theyr legges
Hey jolly lenkin, I see a knave a drinking, et ccet"
The words and music (for 3 voices) of the catch here
alluded to are to be found in Pammelia, 1618, and Ram-
says Tea Table Miscellany^ and in Arnolds Essex har-
mony, II. 103. /It may be the oldest thing of the kind
extant. There has certainly been some considerable
revolution in the national taste. Catch singing which
at present is a favourite science with nobility was two or
three centuries ago the amusement of drunken tinkersJ
This slight and imperfect essay ought not to be
concluded without a wish, that they who are in pos-
session of curiosities of this nature, for almost every

song prior to the commencement of the seventeenth

century is a curiosity, would contrive some method or
other of making them public, or at least of acquainting
us with their existence, and thereby preserving them
from that destruction to which they are otherwise so
exceedingly liable. With respect to the collection now
produced, there is scarce a public library which has
not been explored, in order to furnish materials for it.

Its contents, indeed, are far from numerous ^ a defect,

if it be one, which neither zeal nor industry has been
able to remedy.
 CLASS I.

COMPRISING

THE REIGNS OF HENRY II, RICHARD I, HENRY III,

EDWARD Ij EDWARD II, EDWARD III,
AND RICHARD II.

VOL. I.
 : :

A DRINKING ODE OF WALTER MAPES, ARCH-

DEACON OF OXFORD.
" Who in the time of king Henry the second" (says Camden) " filled
England with his meriments, [and] confessed his love to good
liquor, with the causes, in this maner * :"

MiHi est propositum in taberna mori,

Vinum sit appositum morientis ori
Ut dicant, cum venerint, angelorum chori,

Deus sit propitius huic potatori.

Poculis accenditur animi lucerna.

Cor imbutum nectare volat ad superna.
Mihi sapit dulcius vinum in taberna,

Quam quod aqua miscuit praesulis pincerna.

Suum cuique proprium dat natura mimus.

Ego nunquam potui scribere jejunus 10
Me jejunum vincere posset puer unus,
Sitim et jejunium, odi tanquam funus.

* " Rcmaines," 4to. 1605, p. 19.

b2
 : ;

ANCIENT SONGS

Unicuique proprium dat natura donum.

Ego versus faciens, vinum bibo bonum,
Et quod habent melius dolia cauponum.
Tale vinum general copiam sermonum.

Tales versus facio, quale vinum bibo.

Nihil possum scribere, nisi sumpto cibo.
Nihil valet penitus quod jejunus scribo,
Nasonem post calices carmine praeibo. 20

Mihi nunquam spiritus prophetiae datur.

Nisi tunc ciim fuerit venter bene satur.

Cum in arce cerebri Bacchus dominatur.
In me Phoebus irruit, ac miranda fatur.

IMITATION, BY ROBERT HARRISON, OF DURHAM

I'm fix'd: — I'll in some tavern lie.

When I return to dust ;

And have the bottle at my mouth.

To moisten my dry crust
That the choice spirits of the skies
(Who know my soul is mellow)
May say. Ye gods, propitious smile f

Here comes an honest fellow.

* Formerly master of the Trinity School in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

and the early and able preceptor of the present Lord Chancellor and
Lord StowelL He died in October, 1802. Ed.
 ; : ;

AND BALLADS. 5

My lamp of life ^'11' kindle up

With spirits stout as Hector 10
Upon the flames of which I'll rise
And quaff celestial nectar.
My lord invites me, and I starve

On water mix'd with wine ;

But, at The Grapes, I get it neat.

And never fail to shine.

To every man his proper gift

Dame Nature gives complete
My humour is—before I write,

I always love to eat, 20

For, when I 'm scanty of good cheer,
I'm but a boy at best :

So hunger, thirst, and Tyburn-tree

I equally detest.

Give me good wine, my verses are »

As good as man can make 'era
But when I've none, or drink it small.
You'll say. The devil take 'em !

For how can any thing that's good

Come from an empty vessel ? 30
But I'll out-sing even Ovids self
Let me but wet my whistle.

With belly full, and heart at ease.

And all the man at home,
I grow prophetic, and can talk
Of wonderous things to come.
 ; :

ANCIENT SONGS

When, on my brains, high citadel,

Strong Bacchus sits in state.

Then Phcehus joins the jolly god,

And all I say is great.

II.

A BALLAD OF KING RICHARD THE FIRST.

[Composed A. D. 1193, during his long and unjust detention in the

castle of Losemsten, by the emperor Henry VI, on returning from

the Holy Land.] Printed (with valuable annotations) by Sinner

(Catalogus lib. Bernensis, torn. 3, p. 370), from a manuscript of
the 13th century.
Another, but very inaccurate copy, is inserted in the preface to " La
tour tenebreiise^ et les jours lumincux, conies Anglois^'*'* par
Mademoiselle UHeritier (Paris, 1705), along with a " Chanson
en langue Provengale^ dont le commencement est de Blondel, et

la Jin du roy Richard.'''' Mr. Walpoles researches seem very

limited.

Jai nuls hons pris ne diroit sa raison

Adroitement, sensi com dolans non
Maix per confort puet il faire chanson
Moult ai damis, maix povre sont li don,
Honte en auront, se por ma reanson
Seux les ii. hi vers pris.

Se sevient bien mi homme et mi baron,

Anglois, Normant, Poitevin et Gascon,
Ke gi n'avoie si povre compagnon
 ; ; ;

AND BALLADS. 7

Ke je laissaisse, por avoir, en prixon 10

Je nel dis pais por nulle retraisson,

Mais encore seux je pris.

Or sai je bien de voir, certainement,

Ke mors, ne pris, n'ait amis, ne parent.
Quant on me ' laisse' por or, ne por argent.
Moult m'est de moi, maix plux m'est de ma gent,
C'apres ma mort auront reproche grant,

Se longuement seux pris.

N'est pais merveille se j'ai le cuer dolent.

Quant mes sires tient ma terre en torment 20
S'or li membroit de nostre sairement
Ke nos feimes anduis communement ;

Bien sai devoir ke seans longuement

Ne seroie pais pris.

Se sevient bien Angevin et Frain,

Cil baichelier ki or sont riche et sain,

Kencombries seux, loing d'eaus, en autrui mains
Forment m'amoient, maix or ne m'aime grain ;
De belles airmes sont ores ' veux' li plain,

Portant ke je seux pris. 30

[r. 15.1ait.]
[r. 20. By fties sires {mon seigneur) Richard means Philip.
Augustus, king of France, whose vassal he was.]
[ V. 29. veut.]
 : ; :

ANCIENT SONGS

Mes compagnons, cui jamoie et cui j'ain,

Ceals de Caheu, et ceaulx de Percherain,
Me di chanson kil ne sont pais certain ;

Nonkes vers eaus no' le cuer fauls ne vain

S'il me gueroient, il font moult ke vilain,
Portant ke je seux pris.

Contesse seur*, vostre pris souverain

Vos sault j et gairt cil a cui je me clain,

Et par cui je seux pris ;

Je ne dis pais de celi de chairtain, 40
La meire Loweis.

The following version of this ballad (or rather of the Proven9al trans-
lation of it) insefted by dr. Burney, in his History of Mtisic^
(ii. 238) is added by the present editor

No wretched captive of his prison speaks^

Unless with pain and bitterness of soul
Yet consolation from the Muse he seeks
Whose voice alone misfortune can controul.
Where now is each ally, each baron, friend.

Whose face I ne'er beheld without a smile.

Will none, his sovereign to redeem, expend

The smallest portion of his treasures vile.

* This is addressed to his sister Joan, marrietl, first, to William II,

king of Sicily, [and] afterward [to the] earl of Toulouse, whence she
is here called countess. .
 ! ! ;

AND BALLADS. 9

Though none may blush that near two tedious years,

Without relief, my bondage has endur'd, 10
Yet know, my English, Norman, Gascon peers.

Not one of you should thus remain immur'd

The meanest subject of my wide domains.
Had I been free, a ransom should have found ;

I mean not to reproach you with my chains.

Yet still I wear them on a foreign ground

Too true it is, so selfish human race

" Nor dead, nor captives, friend or kindred Jlnd"
Since here I pine in bondage and disgrace.
For lack of gold, my fetters to unbind. 20
Much for myself I feel, yet ah ! still more
That no compassion from my subjects flows;
What can from infamy their names restore.
If, while a pris'ner, death my eyes should close.

But small is my surprize, though great my grief.

To find, in spite of all his solemn vows.

My lands are ravag'd by the Gallic chief.
While none my cause has courage to espouse.
Though lofty tow'rs obscure the chearful day.

Yet, through the dungeon's melancholy gloom, 30

Kind Hope, in gentle whispers, seems to say,
" Perpetual thraldom is not yet thy doom."

Ye dear companions of my happy days.

Oh Chail and Pensavin, aloud declare.
Throughout the earth in everlasting lays.

My foes against me wage inglorious war.

 ;

10 ANCIENT SONGS

Oh tell them too^ that ne'er among my crimes

Did breach of faith^ deceit or fraud appear

That infamy will brand to latest times
The insults I receive while captive here. 40

Know all ye men of Anjou and Touraine,

And every bachlor knight, robust and brave.
That duty now and love alike are vain.

From bonds your sov'reign and your friend to save.

Remote from consolation here I lie.

The wretched captive of a pow'rful foe.

Who all your zeal and ardour can defy.
Nor leaves you aught but pity to bestow !

III.

A SONG OR CATCH IN PRAISE OF THE CUCKOO.

This curious piece, which is thought to be " the most ancient English
song, with [or without] the musical notes, any where extant," is

preserved in a manuscript of the Harleian Library, in the British

Museum (No. 978). It has been already published by Sir John
Hawkins and entertaining History of Music,
in his very instructive

vol. iL p. 93, and at p. 96 of the same volume it is reduced into

the scale of modern composition. The ingenious author remarks

that " Mr. Wanley has not ventured precisely to ascertain the an-
tiquity of this venerable musical relic," but adds, " that the follow-
ing observations will go near to fix it to about the middle of the
fifteenth century." A conjecture in which he is, doubtless, egre-

giously mistaken, as the manuscript is evidently of much higher

 ; !

AND BALLADS. 11

antiquity, and may, with the utmost probability, be referred to as

early a period (at least) as the year 1250.

Under the words here given are those of a Latin hymn, to which
Sir John Hawkins, on the authority of Du Cange, thinks the term
Rota alone refers ; an opinion for which there does not appear suf-
ficient reason ; more than our Round. And
the word implying no
hence perhaps a passage in Shakspeare may receive some illustra-
tion. In Hamlet, Ophelia, speaking of a ballad of " The false
steward who stole his masters daughter," exclaims —" O how the
wheel becomes it!" evidently meaning the burthen or return of the
stanza.
"It is observable," the above learned writer continues, " that the
most ancient species of musical imitation is the song of the Cuckow,
which must appear to be a natural and very obvious subject for
'it. Innumerable," he says, " are the instances that might be pro-
duced to this purpose : a very fine madrigal in three parts, com-
posed by Thomas Weelkes, organist of Chichester cathedral, about
the year 1600, beginning ' The Nightingale the organ of delight,'
has in it the Cuckow's song. Another of the same kind, not less

excellent, in four parts, beginning ' Thirsis, sleepest thou ?' occurs
John Bennet, published in 1599. Viraldi's
in the Madrigals of
Cuckow concerto," he adds, "is well known, as is also that of
Lampe, composed about thirty years ago."

SuMER is icumen in,

Lhude sing cuccu j

Groweth sed, and bloweth med.

And springth the wde nu.
Sing, cuccu

Awe bleteth after lomb,

Lhouth after calve cu
BuUuc sterteth, bucke verteth,

Murie sing cuccu.

 :

1^ ANCIENT SONGS

CuccUj cuccu, well singes thu^ cuccu^ 10

Ne swik thu naver nu.
Sing, cuccu, nu, sing, cuccu.
Sing, cuccu, sing, cuccu, nu.

IV.

A BALLAD ON RICHARD, KING OF THE ROMANS,

BROTHER OF KING HENRY THE THIRD.

[From a MS. of Edward the seconds time, in the Harleian Library,

No. 2253.]

SiTTETH alle stille, ant herkneth to me

The kyn[^g] of Alemaigne, bi mi leaute,
Thritti-thousent pound askede he
For te make the pees in the countre.
Ant so he dude more.
Richard,
Thah thou be ever trichard,
Tricthen shalt thou never more.

Richard of Alemaigne, whil that he wes kyng.

He spende al is tresour opon swyvyng, 10
Haveth he nout of Walingford oferlyng.
Let him habbe, ase he brew, bale to dryng,
Maugre Wyndesore.
Richard, &c.
 AND BALLADS. 13

The kyng of Alemaigne wende do ful wel.

He saisede the mulne for a castel,-

With hare sharpe swerdes he grounde the stel.

He wende that the sayles were mangonel.

To helpe Wyndesore.
. Richard, &c. 20

The kyng of Alemaigne gederede ys host,

Makede him a castel of a mulne-post,
Wende with is pride, ant is muchele host,

Brohte from Alemayne moni sori gost.

To store Wjmdesore.
Richard, &c.

By god, that is aboven ous, he dude muche synne.

That lette passen over-see the erl of Warynne.
He hath robbed Engelond, the mores ant the fenne.
The gold ant the selver ant yboren henne, 30
For love of Wyndesore.
Richard, &c.

Sire Simond de Mountfort hath suore bi ys chyn,

Hevede he nou here the erl of Waryn,
Shuld he never more come to is yn,
Ne with sheld, ne with spere, ne with other gyn.
To help Wyndesore.
Richard, &c.

SireSimond de Montfort hath suore by ys ' fot,'

Hevede he nou here sire Hue de Bigot, 40

[r. 39. cop.]

 .

14 ANCIENT SONGS

Al he shulde grante here twelf-moneth scot,

Shulde he never more with his sot pot,

To helpe Wyndesore.
Richard, &c.

Be the luef, be the loht, sire Edward,

Thou shalt ride sporeles o thy lyard,
Al the ryhte way to Dovere-ward,
Shalt thou nevermore breke foreward.
Ant that reweth sore,
Edward, 50
Thou dudest ase a shreward,
Forsoke thyn ernes lore *.

* The MS. here repeats " Richard, &c." which mr. Ritson has
intentionally omitted. Ed,
 AND BALLADS. 15

V.

A BALLAD ON THE DEATH OF SIMON DE MONT-

FORT, EARL OF LEICESTER,

Slain at the battle of Evesham, *in Worcestershire, on tuesday the

4th of August, 1265, by one of whose adherents it has evidently
been made. " The poet looks upon him as a martyr ; and r^rets
the loss of Hen/y his son, Hugh le Dispenser, justice of England,
and others who then lost their lives ; and concludes with a stanza in
English." Wanley.
The English stanza which Air. Wanley erroneously supposed to con-
clude this ballad is as follows ; but has no sort of connexion therewith,
and is, in fact, divided from it by an independent stanza in French :

" Erthe toe of erthe erthe wyth woh

Erthe other erthe to the erthe droh
Erthe leyde erthe in erthe ne throh
Tho hevede erthe of erthe erthe ynoh."

[From the same MS.]

Chaunter mestoit, mon cuer le voit.

En un dure langage,
Tut enploraunt fust fet le chaunt^

De nostre duz baronage.

Qe pur la pees, si loynz apres,
Se lesserent detrere
Lor cors trencher e demenbrer
Pur salver Engletere.
Ore est ocys la flur de pris,
.Qe taunt savoit de guere, 10
Ly quens Mountfort, sa dure mort
Molt enplorra la terre.
 :

16 ancii:nt songs

Sicom je qui par un mardi

Firent la bataile.
Tot a cheval fust le mal,

Sauntz nuUe pedaile.

Tres malement y ferirent
De le espie forbie
Qe la part sire Edward*
Conquist la mestrie. 20
Ore est ocis, &c.

Mesj par sa mort, le cuens Mountfort

Conquist la victorie,

Come ly martyr de Caunterbyr

Finist la vie.
Ne voleit pas li bon Thomas
Qe perist seinte eglise,
Ly cuenS;, auxi^ se combati
E morust sauntz feyntise.

Ore est ocys^ &c. 30

Sire Hue le fer, ly Despencer,

Tres noble justice t.
Ore est a tort lyvre ^ mort
A trop male guise
Sire Henri, pur veir le dy,
Fitz le cuens de Leycestre,
Autres assez, come vous orrez.
Par le cuens de Gloucestre.
Ore est ocis, &c.

* Afterward Edward I. f 1260-1205.

 :

AND BALLADS. 17

Qe voleint moryr, e mentenyr 40

La pees e la dreyture,
Le seint martir lur fra joyr
Sa conscience pure.
Qe velt moryr, e sustenir

Les houmes de la terre.

Son bon desir acomplir
Quar bien le guerdom fere.
Or6 est, &c.

Pres de son cors, le bon tresors,

Une heyre troverent 50'
Les faus ribaus tant furent maus
E ceux qe le tuerent
Molt fust pyr, qe demenbryr
Firent le prodhoume,
Qe de guerrer e fei tener
Si bien savoit la soume.
Ore est, &c.

Priez touz, mes amis douz,

Le fitz seinte Marie,
Qe lenfant her puissant
qq
Meigne en bone vie,
Ne vueil nomer li estoler,
Ne vueil qe lem die
Mes, pur lamour le salveour,

Priez pur la clergie.

Ore est ocys, &c.
VOL. I.
18 ANCIENT SONGS

Ne say trover rien, quil firent bien,

Ne baroun ne counte,
Les chivalers e esquiers
Touz sunt mys a hounte, 70
Pur lur lealte e verite/
Que tut est anentie,
Le losenger purra reigner,
Le fol pur sa folie.
Ore est ocis, &c.

Sire Simoun, ly prodhom,

E sa compagnie.
En joie vont^ en ciel amount^
En perdurable vie.
Mes Jhesu Crist, qe en croyz se mist, 80
Dieu enprenge cure
Qe sunt remis e detenuz
En prisone dure.
Ore est ocys, &c.

TRANSLATION, BY GEORGE ELLIS, ESQ.*

In song my grief shall find relief.

Sad is my verse and rude ;
I sing in tears our gentle peers
Who fell for Englands good.

* [The ingenious editor of " Specimens of the early English

poeU,^^ &c. It was made at mr. Ritsons request.]
 ; ; ! ;

AND BALLADS. ^ 19

Our peace they sought, for us they fought.

For us they dar'd to die

And where they sleep, a mangled heap.

Their wounds for vengeance cry.
On Eveshams plain is Montfort slain.

Well skill'd the war to guide 10

Where streams his gore shall all deplore
Fair Englands flower and pride.

Ere tuesdays sun its course had run

Our noblest chiefs had bled.

While rush'd to fight each gallant knight,

Their dastard vassals fled.

Still undismay'd, with trenchant blade

They hew'd their desperate way :

Not strength or skill to Edwards will.

But nmnbers gave the day. 20
On Eveshams plain, &c.

Yet, by the blow that laid thee low.

Brave earl, one palm was given
Nor less at thine than Beckets shrine
Shall rise our vows to heaven
Our church and laws, your common cause,
'Twas his the church to save.
Our rights restor'd, thou, generous lord,
Shalt triumph in thy grave.
On Eveshams plain, &c. 30
c2
 ; ;

20 ANCIENT SONGS

Despenser true, the good sir Hugh,

Our justice and our friend.

Borne down with wrong, amidst the throng.
Has met his wretched end.
Sir Henrys fate need I relate.

Our Leicesters gallant son.

Or many a score of heroes more
By Gloucesters hate undone ?
On Eveshams plain, &c.
Each righteous lord who brav'd the sword, 40
And, for our safety, died.
With conscience pure shall aye endure.
Our martyr'd saint beside.
That martyr'd saint was never faint

To ease the poor mans care

With gracious will he shall fulfill
Our just and earnest prayer.
On Eveshams plain, &c.

On Montforts breast a hair-cloth vest

His pious soul proclaim'd 50
With ruffian hand, the ruthless band
That sacred emblem maim'd :

And, to assuage their impious rage.

His lifeless corpse defac'd.
Whose powerful arm, long sav'd from harm.
The realm his virtues grac'd.
On Eveshams plain, &c.
 ; ;; !

AND BALLADS. 21

Now all draw near, companions dear.

To Jesus let us pray.
That Montforts heir his grace may share, 60
And learn to heaven the way.
No priest I name none, none I
; blame.
Nor aught of ill surmise.
Yet, for the love of Christ above,
I pray be churchmen wise.
On Eveshams plain, &c.

No good, I ween, of late is seen

By earl or baron done
Nor knight or squire to fame aspire.

Or dare disgrace to shun. 70

Faith, truth, are fled, and, in their stead.
Do vice and meanness rule
E'en on the throne may soon be shown
A flatterer or a fool.
On Eveshams plain, &c.

Brave martyred chief! no more our grief

For thee or thine shall flow

Among the bless' d, in heaven ye rest

From all your toils below.
But, for the few, the gallant crew, 80
Who here in bonds remain,
Christ condescend their woes to end.
And break the tyrants chain
On Eveshams plain, &c.
S2 ANCIENT SONGS

VI.

A BALLAD ON THE COMMISSION OF TRAILE-

B ASTON*.

— " being a sort of libel upon that commission, issued by our king
Edward I. near the end of his reign ; that is about A. D. 1306.
Herein the author says, that he served his lord the king both in
peace and war in Flanders, Scotland, and Gascoign ; but wanted
to return into his own country. He names some of the com-
missioners or judges (who are not so particularly mentioned in
every chronicle) ....
The last stanza shews the privacy wherein it was written "
Wanley.
[From the same MS.]

Talent me prent de rymer e de geste fere

Dune purveaunce qe purveu est en la terre
Mieux valsit uncore que la chose fust afere
Si dieu ne prenge garde je quy que sourdra guere.

* [The following curious account of the origin and objects of this

commission is to be found in the Chronicle of Peter Langtoft, a

contemporary rhither, as translated by Robert Mannyng, (ii. 327.) •*

The moneth of September yolden was Strivelyn

Edward may remembre the travaile and the pyn.
With many grete encumbre of in hard stoure.
At Brustwick opon Humbre ther he mad sojoure.

Sir Jon of Warenne that ilk tyme gan deie,

His body was redy then in grave for to leie.

After the enterment the kyng tok his way,

To the south he went thorgh Lyndesay.
He spired, as he yedc, who did suilk trespas.
 ; : : ;

AND BALLADS. 23

Ce sunt les articles de Trayllebastoun

Salue le roi meismes, de dieu eit raaleysoun
Qe adeprimes graunta tiel commissioun,
Quar en ascuns des pointz n'est mie resoun.

Brak his pes with dede, tille he in Scotland was

Of suilk suld be spoken, if thei mot be atteyned.

* Wise men of gode gaf ansuere to the kyng,

That suilk foles yode, it was certeyn thing,
Thorgh the lond is don suilk grete grevance,
Bot it be mendid son, a werre may rise o chance.
Thise contekours whidere thei assigned a stede that es.

And ther thei com togidere and mak a sikemes,

That thei salle alle go to whom or where thei wille,
To robbe, bete, or slo, ageyn all manere skille.

Thei profere a man to bete, for two schilynges or thre,

With piked staves grete beten salle he be.
In feire and markette thei salle seke him oute
Alle the lond is sette with suilk foles stoute.
If a chapman wille not lene of his merchaundie
In his hous for tene thei do him vilenie,

Or els he be at one largely to give of his.

Els thei salle him ilkone bete him that he pis.

For men of suilk maners, bot ther be som justise,

Sone, in for yers perchance, a werre salle rise.

** Respouns cunt fet al reis gentz de bien voillaunce,

Coment parmy la terre fet est graunt grevance

Par commune contekours, qe sunt par fiaunce
Obligez ensemble a une purveaunce
Traylbastouns sunt nomez de eel retenaunce.
En faires et marches se * proferent' fere covenaunce.
Pur iii souzj ou iiii, ou pur la vayllaunce,

Batre un prod home, qe unqes fist nosaunce," &c.

MS. Gall. [Cotton. JuUus, A. V.]
 : ; ;

^ ANCIENT SONGS

Sire, si je voderoi mon garsoun chastier,

De une bufFe ou de deus, pur ly amender, 10
Sur moi betera bille e me fra d'attachier,
E avant qe isse de prisone raunsoun grant doner.

Quauraunte soue parvent pur ma raunsoun,

E le viscounte vint a son guerdoun,
Qu'il ne me mette en parfounde prisoun
Ore agardez, seigneurs, est ce resoun ?

Pur ce me tendroi antre bois sur le jolyf umbray.

La n'y a faucete, ne nulle male lay.
En le bois de Bel-regard, ou vole le jay,

E chaunte russinole touz jours santz delay. 20

The kyng herd alle the fame, the pleynt of ilka toun,
And gaf them a newe name, and cald them Trailebastoun.
The date was a thousand thre hundred mo by five,

Suilk men thorgh the land he did tham tak bilyve.

The kyng thorgh the lond did seke men o resons,

And with the justise tham bond, to site on Trailebastons.
Som thorgh quest thei demed be bonden in prisons,
And tho that fled thei flemed als the kynges felons.
Som men out the[i] kast of lond was holden wrong
Fals covenantz thei brast thorgh powere holden long
And som gaf raunson after ther trespas,
Als the dede was don, so the amendes was.
Bot men did amend suilk folie openly knowen,
Non suld them defend, ne dur wonne in ther owen.

See also M. Westm. 450. T. Wal. 90. Trivet 339. Knyghton,

2494. (2559, .2606, 2626). Ahridgnieni of records^ 67, &c. and
Spelman, in voce, — Ed.]
 AND BALLADS. 25

Mes le male doseynes, dount dieu neit ja piete,

Parmi lur fauce bouches me ount enditee

De male robberies, e autre mavestee.
Que je nos entre mes amis estre receptee.

Jai servi my sire le roy en pees e en guere.

En Flaundres, e Seoce, en Gascoyne sa terre,
Mes ore ne me sai je point chevisaunce fere.
Tot mon temps ay mis en veyn pur tiel houme plere.

Si ces mavois jurours ne se vueillent amender.

Que je pus a mon pais chevalcher e aler, 30
Si je les pus ateindre la teste lur 'ferroi*' voler,
De touz lur manaces ne dorroi un dener.

Ly Martyn et ly Knouille sunt gent de piete,

E prient pur les povres quil eyent sauvete.
Spigurnelt e Belflour sunt gent de cruelte,
S'il fuissent en ma baylie ne serreynt retornee.

Je lur appreQn]droy le giw de Traylebastoun,

E lur bruseroy leschyne e le cropoun,
Les bras e les jaumbes ce serreit resoun.

La lange lur tondroy, e la bouche ensoun. 40

Qy cestes choses primes comenca

Ja jour de sa vie amende ne serra,

Je vous di pur veyr trop graunt perche ena,

Quar pur doute de prisone meint laroun serra.

* [froi.]

t Henry Spigurnal was one of the justices of the Kings Bench in

1308.
26 ANCIENT SONGS

Y tel devendra leres que ne fust unque mes.

Que pur doute de prisone ne ose venir a pes,
Vivre covient avoir chescun jour ades,
Qy ceste chose comenca yl emprist grant fes.

Bien devoient marchaunz e moygnes doner malicoun,

A tous iceux que ordinerent le Traillebastoun, 50
Ne lur vaudra un ayle le roial proteecioun.
Que il ne rendrount les deners sauntz regerdoun.

Vous qy estes endite je lou venez a moy,

Al vert bois de Belregard la ny a nul ploy,
Forque beste savage e jolyf umbroy.
Car trop est dotouse la commune loy.

Si tu sachez de lettrure e estes coronee

De vaunt les justices serrez appellee,

Uncore poez estre a prisone retornee.

En garde de ie evesque jesque seiez purgee. 00

E soiFryr messayse e trop dur penaunce,

E par cas naverez james delyveraunce*.
Pur ce valt plus ou moi a bois demorer
Qen prisone le evesque syerge gyser. ,

Trop est la penaunce e dure a sofFrer,

Quy le mieux puet eslyre fol est qe ne velt choyser,

* The third and fourth lines of this stanza, riming in aunce, seem
to be lost : as it is observable that the four lines of every preceding
stanza rime together; which, upon this supposition, those of the re-
maining stanzas will do : and the number of lines in tlie last stanza,

which are now six, will in that cose be the same with the rest.
 AND BALLADS. 27

Avant sanoy poy de bien ore su je meins sage,

Ce me fount les male leis par mout grant outrage.

Qe nos a la pes venyr entre mon lignage

Les riches sunt a raunsoun povres a estolage ^0
Fort serroit engager ce qe ne puet estre aquytee,
Cest la vie de houme que taunt est cher amee.

E je nay mye le chatel de estre rechatee,

Mes si je fusse en liir baundoun a mort serroi lyveree,

Uncore attendroy grace e orroi gent parler,

Tiels me dient le mal que me ne osent aprochier.

E volentiers verroient mon corps le denger,

Mes entre myl debles dieu puet un houme sauver,
Cely me prist saluer que est le fitz Marie
Car je ne su coupable, endite su par envye. 80

Qy en cesti lu me mist dieu lur maldie

Le siecle est si variant fous est qe safFye

Si je sei compagnoun e sache de archery e,

Mon veisyn irra disaunt cesti est de compagnie.

De aler bercer a bois e fere autre folie.

Que ore vueille vivre come pork menra * ' ' sa vye.
Si je sache plus de ley qe ne so vent eux,
Yl dirrount cesti conspyratour de estre ' fous t.
'

E le heyre naprocheroy de x lywes ou deus,

De tous veysinages hony serent ceux, 90

* [marra.] f [faus.]
28 ANCIENT SONGS

Je pri tote bone gent qe pur moi vueillent prier,

Qe je pus a mon pais aler e chevaucher.

Unqe ne fu homicide certes a moun voler,

Ne mal robberes pur gent damager.

Cest rym fust fet al bois desouz un lorer.

La chaunte merle, russinole e eyre lesperver :

Escrit estoit en parchemyn pur mout remenbrer,

E gitte en haut chemyn qe um le dust trover.

VII.

A BALLAD AGAINST THE SCOTS:

'' many of whom,** Mr. Wanley observes, " are here mentioned by
name, as also many of the English beside the king and prince.'*
It particularly notices Sir William Walleys, taken at the battle of
Dunbar, 1305, and Sir Simon Frisell [or Eraser], taken at the

battle of Kyrkenclif, 130(J, both of whom " were punished as

traitors to our king Edward the first, and their heads set (among
others of their countrey-men) upon London-bridge : and of the
coronation of Robert le Brus and his lurking afterward."
This ballad contains a variety of incidents little noticed by historians.

From the same MS.

Lystneth, lordynges, a newe song ichulle bigynne.

Of the tray tours of Scotlond, that takebeth wyth gynne,

Mon that loveth falsnesse, and nule never blynne.
Sore may him drede the lyf that he is ynne,
Ich understonde :

Selde was he glad

That never nes asad
Of nythe ant of onde.
 AND BALLADS. 29

That y sugge by this Scottes that bueth nou to drawe.

The hevedes o Londone-brugge, whose con yknawe 10 ;

He wenden han buen kynges;, ant seiden so in sawe^

Betere hem were han ybe barouns^ ant libbe in godes
lawe
Wyth love.

Whose hateth soth ant ryht,

Lutel he douteth godes myht.
The heye kyng above.

To warny alle the gentilmen that bueth in Scotlonde,

The Waleis wes to drawe, seththe he wes an honge,
Al quic biheveded, ys boweles ybrend.
The heved to Londone-brugge wes send, 20
To abyde.
After Simond Frysel,
That wes traytour ant fykel.
Ant ycud ful wyde.

Sire Edward oure kyng, that ful ys of piete.

The Waleis quarters sende to is oune contre.

On four half to honge huere myrour to be,
Theropon to thenche that monie myhten se.

Ant drede.
Why nolden he bewar 30
Of the bataile of Donbar,
Hou evele hem con spede *.

* The Scots had Jbeejj defeated there with great loss, anno 1296.
 : ; ;

30 ANCIENT SONGS

Bysshopes ant barouns come to the k3niges pes,

Ase men that weren fals, fykel ant les,

Othes hue him sworen in stude ther he wes.

To buen him hold ant trewe for alles cunnes res,

Thrye
That hue ne shulden ayeyn him go.
So hue were temed tho
Weht halt hit to lye ? 40

To the kyng Edward hii fasten huere fay,

Fals wes here foreward so forst is in May,
That Sonne from the southward wypeth away
Moni proud Scot therof mene may
To yere.
Nes never Scotlond
With dunt of monnes hond
Allinge aboht so duere.

The bisshop of Glascou ychot he wes ylaht.

The bisshop of Seint- Andre bothe he beth ycaht, 50
The abbot of Scon with the k3nig nis nout saht,
Al here purpos ycome hit ys to naht,
Thurh ryhte ;

Hii were unwis

When hii thohte pris
Ayeyn huere kyng to fyhte.

Thourh consail of thes bisshopes, ynemned byfore.

Sire Robert the Bruytz furst kyng wes ycore.
 ;

AND BALLADS. 31

He mai everuche day ys fon him se byfore,

Yef hee mowen him hente ichot he bith forlore, 60
Sauntz fayle.

Soht forte sugge,

Duere he shal abugge

That he bigon batayle.

Hii that him crounede proude were ant bolde,

Hii maden kyng of somer, so hii ner ne sholde^
Hii setten on ys heved a croune of rede golde.
Ant token him a kyneyerde, so me kyng sholde^
To deme.
'
Tho he wes set in see 70
Lutel god couthe he
Kyneriche to yeme,

Nou kyng Hobbe in the mures yongeth *,

Forte come to toune nouthim ne longeth
The barouns of Engelond, myhte hue him grype.
He him wolde techen on Englyssh to pype,
Thourh streynthe :

* K. Robert Brus, after the battle of KirkenclifFe (or Methven, as

it is more generally called) fled into the Highlands, v/here he lurked
for some time. In a pretended conversation between him and his

queen, reported by some of our old historians, she is made to say,

" You are but a Summer king, I take it ; I do not imagine you will
be a Winter one." (M. West. 456.) This calumny seems alluded
to in V. 66.

Some chronicle, quoted by Spelman, v. Maimna, supposes her,

after she was taken by the English, to have said that her husband
and herself were like to be such a king and queen as led dances round
a maypole. See also Holinshed, ad an. 1306.
 ;

32 ANCIENT SONGS

Ne be he ner so stout.

Yet he bith ysoht out

O brede ant o leynthe. 80

Sire Edward of Carnarvan (Jhesu him save ant see !)

Sire Emer de Valence, gentil knyht ant free,

Habbeth ysuore huere oht that, par la grace dee,
Hee wolleth ous dely vren of that false contree,
Yef hii conne *.
Muche hath Scotlond forlore.
Whet alast, whet bifore.
Ant lutel pris wonne.

Nou ichuUe fonge ther ich er let.

Ant tellen ou of Frisel, ase ich ou byhet. 90

In the batayle of Kyrkenclyf Frysel wes ytake,
Ys continaunce abatede eny host to make
Biside Strivelyn;
Knyhtes ant sweynes,
Fremen ant theynes,
Monye with hym.

So hii weren byset on everuche halve,

Somme slaye were, ant somme dre3nite hemselve ;

Sire Johan of Lyndeseye nolde nout abyde.

He wod into the water his feren him bysyde, 100
To adrenche.
Whi nolden hii bewar ?
Ther nis non ayeyn star

Why nolden hy hem bythenche.

* A very judicious proviso, as appeared in the sequel.

 :; : ;

AND BALLADS. 33

This wes byfore seint Bartholomeus masse.

That Frysel wes ytake, were hit more other lasse

To sire Thomas of Multon, gentil baron ant fre.

Ant to sire Johan Jose bytake tho wes he.

To honde
He wes yfetered weel llO
Bothe with yrn ant wyth steel

To bringen of Scotlonde.

Sone, therafter, the tydynge to the kyng com.

He him sende to Londone, with mony armed grom
He com yn at Newegate, y telle yt ' ou aplyht, '

A gerland of leves on ys hed ydyht, *

Of grene
For he shulde ben yknowe
Bothe of heghe ant of lowe
For tray tour y wene. 120

Yfetered were ys legges under his horse wombe,

Bothe with jrrn ant with stel mankled were ys honde,
A gerland of pervenke set on his heved,
Muche wes the poer that him wes byreved
In londe
So god me amende,
Lutel he wende
So be broht in honde.

• So Wallace, at his mock-trial at Westminster, was " crowned

with laurel," as Stowe relates, " for that he had said, in times past,
that he ought to bear a crown in that hall (as it was commonly re-
ported)." V. ante v. 11. and^o*^ v. 180.

VOL. r. i>
 : '

34 ANCIENT SONGS

Sire Herbert of ' Norham '*, feyr knyht ant bold.

For the love of Frysel ys lyf wes ysold, 130
A wajour he made, so hit wes ytold,
Ys heved of to smhyte yef men him brohte in hold,
Wat so bytyde
Sory wes he thenne
Tho he myhte him kenne
Thourh the toun ryde.

Thenne seide ys sewyer a word anon ryht.

we beth dede, ne helpeth hit no wyht,
Sire,

Thomas de Boys the sewyer wes to nome,

Nou, ichot, our wajour turneth ous to gome, 140
So ybate :

Ydo ou to wyte.
Here heved wes of smyte,
Byfore the tour-gate.

This wes on oure levedy event, for sothe ych under-

stonde.
The justices seten for the knyhtes of Scotlonde,
Sire Thomas of Multon %, an hendy knyht ant wys.
Ant sire Rauf of Sondwych §, that muchel is hold '

in prys,

* He was one of the Scotish prisoners in the' Tower; and is said

to have been so confident of the safety or success of sir Simon Fraser,

that he had offered to lay his own head on the block if that warrior
suffered himself to be taken ; and (however involuntarily) it seems he
kept his word. Vide M. West 460.
t 7th September, 1306.

X He was one of the Justices of the Kings Bench in 1289. 17

E. 1.

§ Made a Baron of the Exchequer 5 £. 2. 1312.

 ;

AND BALLADS. 35

Ant sire Johan Abel

Mo ymihte telle by tale, 150
Bothe of grete ant of smale.
Ye knowen suythe wel.

Thenne saide the justice, that gentil is ant fre.

SireSimond Frysel, the kynges traytour hast thou be.
In water ant in londe that monie myhten se.

What sayst thou thareto, hou wolt thou quite the ?

Do say.

So him wiste,
foul he
*
Nede waron ' triste
For to segge nay. 160

Ther he wes ydemed, so hit wes londes lawe.

For that he wes lordswyk, furst he wes to-drawe.
Upon a retheres hude forth he wes ytuht.
Sum while in ys time he wes a modi knyht.
In huerte.
Wickednesse ant sunne
• Hit is lutel wunne
That maketh the body smerte.

For al is grete poer yet he wes ylaht,

Falsnesse antswykedom al hit geth to naht, I7O
Tho he wes in Scotlond lutel wes ys thoht
Of the harde jugement that him wes bysoht
In stounde.
He wes foursithe forswore
d2
 :

36 ANCIENT SONGS

To thekyng ther bifore *,

Ant that him brohte to grounde.

With feteres ant with gyves ichot he wes to-drowe.

From the tour of Londone^ that monie myhte knowe.
In a curtel of burel a selkethe wyse.
Ant a gerland on ys heved of the newe guyse, 180
Thurh Cheepe ;
Moni mon of Engelond
For to se Symond
Thide[^r]ward con lepe.

Tho he com to galewes furst he wes anhonge,

Al quic byheveded, thah him thohte longe,
Seththe he wes yopened, is boweles ybrend.
The heved to Londone-brugge wes send.
To shonde
So ich ever mote the, 190
Sumwhile wende he
Ther lutel to stonde.

He rideth thourh the site, as y telle may.

With gomen, ant wyth solas, that wes here play,

whom K. Edward brought out of

* Sir Simon was one of those
Scotland in 1296, whenkingdom was first subdued. He re-
that
mained a close prisoner about eight months, and was then freed, on
entering into the usual engagement with the conqueror, to which,
however, it is certain he did not think proper to adhere ; esteeming
it, perhaps, more sinful to keep such a forced obligation than to take
it. Abercrombie, I. 552.
 !'

AND BALLADS. 37

To Londone-brugge hee nome the way,

Moni wes the wyves chil that theron laketh a day.
Ant seide, Alas
That he wes ibore.

Ant so villiche forlore.

So feu* mon ase he was. '
200

Nou stont the heved above the tubrugge,

Faste bi Waleis, soth forte sugge,
After socour of Scotlond longe he mowe prye.
Ant after help ofFraunce : wet halt hit to lye,
Ich wene.
Betere him were in Scotlond,
With is ax in ys hond.
To pleyen othe grene.

Ant the body hongeth at the galewes faste,

With yrnene claspes longe to laste, 210

Forte wyte wel the body, ant Scottysh to garste,
Foure ant tuenti ther beoth to sothe ate laste,

By nyhte,
Yef eny were so hardi •

The body to remuy '

Also to dyhte.

Were sire Robert the Bruytz ycome to this londe.

Ant the erl of Asseles *, that harde is an honde,

* The earl of Athol, John de Strathbogie. Attempting ia escape

by sea, he was driven back by a storm, taken, and conveyed to London,
where he was tried, condemned, and, with circumstances of great
barbarity, put to death, 7th &c. November, 1306. (M. West. 46L)
Which proves the present ballad to have been composed between that
time and the 7th of September preceding.
 ;

38 ANCIENT SONGS

Alle the other pouraille, forsothe ich understonde,

Mihten be ful blythe ant thonke godes sonde, 220
Wyth ryhte
Thenne myhte uch mon
Bothe riden ant gon
In pes withoute vyhte.

The tray tours of Scotland token hem to rede

The barouns of Engelond to brynge to dedC;,
Charles of Fraunce, so moni mon tolde.
With myht ant with streynthe hem helpe wolde,
His thonkes.
Tprot Scot, for thi strif, 230
Hang up thyn hachet ant thi knyf,
Whil him lasteth the lyf

With the longe shonkes.

*^* The following curious particulars of the capture and execution

of- this sir Simon Fraser are transcribed from the fragment of an old
chronicle in the British Museum, (MSS. Harl. 266.) written about
the time of Henry the sixth ; being much the same with that printed

by Caxton.
Howe Robert the Brus was scomfited in bataille and howc
Symond Frisell was slayn.
THE fryday next bifore [the] assumpcioun of oure lady king
Edeward mette Robert the Brus bisides seynt Johns toune in Scotland,
and with his companye, of whiche companye king Edewarde quelde
sevene thowsand. When Robert the Brus saw this niyschif and gan
to flee and hovd hym that men myghte nought hym fynde but sir :

Simond Fnsell pursuede hym socore, so that he tuniede ayen and

abode bataille, for he was a worthy knyght and a bolde of body ; and the
Englisshe men pursuede hym sore yn every syde, and quelde the stede
that sir Symond Frisell rood uppon ; and thei toke hym, and lad hym
to the host. And sir Symond bigan for to flater and speke faire, and
saide lordys I shalle yeve you iiij thousand marke of sylver, and myne
 :

AND BALLADS. 39

hors and barneys and alle my armure and vicome. Tho answerd
Theobaude of Pevenes tbat was the kmges archer. Now god me so
beipe hit is for nought thou spexte, for alle the gold of Engelonde I
wold the noght lete gone, withoute commaundement of king Edeward
and tho was he lad to the king. And the king wolde not see hym but
conmaaunded to lede hym awey to his dome to London, on our ladyes
even nativite ; and he was honge and drawe and his heede srayten of;
and honged ayene with ch)mes of iren oppon tlie galwes ; and his hede
was sette oppon London-brug on a sper ; and ayens Cristemasse the
body was brent : for enchesoun that the men that kepte the body by
nyghte sawe menye devellis rampande with iren crokes, rennynge
uppon the gallews and horribliche turmented the body ; and meny
that ham sawe anoon after thei deied for dred or woxen mad or sore
sykenesse thei had.

The history of the great Scotish champion Wallace is better known.

The cruel and arbitrary treatment which these and other illustrious

patriots experienced from the ambitious, but, happily, disappointed

Edward, when treachery or the fortune of war had put them in his
power, will for ever deprive his character of that admiration to which
his courage and ability would otherwise have justly intitled it. The
following animated imprecation, with which Wallace's military chap-
lain concludes his annals, is too remarkable not to deserve frequent

notice, and, indeed, perpetual remembrance. " Damnandus sit dies

nativitatis Johannis de Monteith*, et excipiatur suum nomen ex
libro vitae ; maledictus sit in aetemum inhumanus iste tyrannus, cum
nobilis ille Scotorum ductor pro suae virtutis praemio vitam aet£mam
habebit, in secula seculorum. Amen." Rclationes Arnaldi Blair,
apud " The acts and deeds of sir W. Wallace.'''' Edinburgh, 1758.

* The •« immanem prodUortm" of Wallace.

 : ;

40 ANCIENT SONGS

VIII.

A BALLAD ON THE SCOTISH WARS.

From a MS. in the Cotton library, Julius, A. V.

As y yod on ay mounday,
Bytwene Wyltinden and Walle,
* Be ane
' after brade waye,
Ay litel man y met withalle.

The leste that ever y sa, the Qsothe] to say,

Oither in bour, cither in halle :

His robe was noither grene na gray,

Bot alle yt was of riche palle.

On me he cald, and bad me bide,

Wei stille y stode ay litel space, 10

Fra Lanchestre, the parTie-syde,
Y cen he come, wel fair his pase.

He hailsed me, with mikel pride,

Ic haved wel mykel ferly wat he was ;

1 saide, Wel mote the bityde,

* Thou* litel man, with large face I

I biheld that litel man.

By the stretes als we gon gae
His berd was syde ay large span.
And ' gilded * als the fether of pae
' 20
* GUded, MS.
 : :

AND BALLADS. 41

His heved was wyte als any swan.

His hegehen war gret and grai,

Als so brues lange, wel i the can,

Merk it to five inches and mae.

Armes scort, forsothe i saye.

Ay span semed thaem to bee,
Handes brade, yytouten nay.
And fingeres lange he scheued me.

Ay Stan he tok op thar it lay.

And castid forth that i mothe see, 30

Ay merk soot of large way
Bifor me strides he castid three,

Wel stille i stod, als did the stane.

To loke him on thouth me nouthe lange :

His robe was alle golde bigane^

Wel crustlik maked i understande.

Botones ' asure * everilk ane,

'

Fra his elbouthe ontil his hande

Elidelik man was he nane.
That in myn hert ich onderstande. 40

Til him, i sayde, ful sone onane,

Forthirmar, i wald him fraine
' Gladli ' wild i wit thi name.
And i wist wat me mouthe gaine

* Asurd, MS.
 ANCIENT SONGS

Thou ert so litel of flesse and bane,

And so mikel of mithe and mayne :
—
War vones thou, litel man, at hame,
Wy t of their walde Qi] ful faine.
" Thoth i be Jitel and lith.

Am y noth wythouten wane, 50

Ferli frained thou wat hi hith.

That thou salt noth with my name.

My '
woninge'-stede ful wel es * dyght,'
Nou, sone, thou salt se at hame."
Til him, i sayde, for godes mith,
Lat me forth myn erand gane.

" The thar noth of thin errand lette,

Thouth thou come ay stonde wit me,

Forther salt thou noth bisette
Bi miles twa, noyther bi three." 60

Na linger durst i for him lette,

Bot forth ii fundid wyt that free,

Stintid us brok no beck,

Ferlick, me thouth, hu so mouth bee.

He vent forth, als ii you say.

In at ay yate, ii understande,
Intil ay yate, ' wyouten nay. '

It to se *
thouth ' me nouth lange.
 : "

AND BALLADS. 43

The bankers on the binkes lay.

And fair lordes sett ii ^ fande,' 70
In ilke ay hirn ii herd ay lay.

And levedys, south, me loude sange.

Lithe, bothe yonge and aide.

Of ay worde ii wil you saye.
Ay litel tale that me was tald
Erli on ay wedenesdaye

A mody barn, that was ful bald.

My frend, that frained aye, ii

Al my yering he me tald.

And yatid me, als we went bi waye. 80

" Miri man, that es so wythe.

Of ay thinge gif me answere.
For him that mensked man wyt mith,
Wat sal worth of this were ?

And eke our folke, hou sal thai fare.

That at ere bi-northen nou ?

Sal thai have any contre thare ?

' Or ' * wether hande sal have the prou ?

Ay Toupe, he sayde, es redy thare,

Agayn him yitt es nana that don, 90
On yonde-alf Humbre es ay Bare,
Be he sped sal sides son ;

* Other, MS.
 ;

44 ANCIENT SONGS
9
Bi he have sped, als sal thai spede.

And redi gates on to fare.

And man be mensked for his mede.
And stable stat for evermare.

And, sethen thou fraines, ii wille the say.

And sette the state in stabilite,

Rymittes recth, als thou may.

For ay skill ii tell it thee 100

And warn em wel, wytouten nay,

A tyme bifor the Trinite,

Thare sal deye, on ay day,

A folke on feld ful fa sal flee.

Wa so flees sal duelle in care.

For thare may na man time tyde,

A Toupe sal stande agayn ay Bare,
He es ful bald, him dar habide.

" Miri man, ii pray thee, yif thou maye,

Yif that thi wille ware, 110
Bathe thair names thou me saye,

Wat hate the Toupe, and wat the Bare?"

Ant he sayde, [with]outen nay.

Hate the tane, trou thou my lare,

Ar thou may that other say.

That sal be falden wyt that fare.

 AND BALLADS. 45

The wiser es, ii noth of that.

"
'^ Miri man, wat may this be ?
" Nou have ii sayde the, wat thai hat,
Forther, wites thou noth for me. 120

So lange the Lebard loves the layke,

Wat hi on sped your spel ye spille.
' '

And lates the Lion have his raike.

Wit werke in ' Werdale,' als he wille.

The Bare es bonden hard in baite.

Wit foles that wil folies fille.
The Toupe in toune your werkes wayte.
To bald his folke he bides stille.

Bide wa bide, he sal habide,

Thar foles for thair false fare, 130
Fa fra feld I cen sal ryde.
The land sal lev6 wit the Bare."

" Forthermar, ii wille the frein.

My frend, yif that thi wille ware,
Sal ii telle it forthe or layn.

Or thou sal telle me any mare."

" Rymith ' reeth,' als ii the sayn,

Als sal thou redi find it thare.

And fel be of thi tithinges fain.

Wen lives liggen on holtes hare. 140

 ;

46 ANCIENT SONGS

Bot, oute sal ride a chivauche.

Wit febel fare on a nith.

So false sal thaire waytes be.

That deye sal many a doug[h]ty knyth.

Knyth and scoyer bathe sal deye.

That other moren biyond ma,
Thouche thay be never so sleeche,

Wyt schrogen suet fra lives ga.

The Bare es bone to tyne the tour,

Bot bald sal be of bataille swa, 150
Wa bides him on hard and herch.
That day sal deye, and duelle in wa.

Wyt foles sal the feld be leest,

A poeple liest fol neghe biside,

Sal come out of the souther-west,

Wyt reken routes ful on ride.

Thar sal the foles dreeg is paine.

And folic, for his false fare.

Lie opon the feld slayne.

And lose his live for evermare. 160

And wyt sal winne the lande agayn,

A day fra Glide onto Clare,
And fa be of thair frendes fain.
And toures stande, als that did are
 :

AND BALLADS. 47

And simple men, that wil have dede,

Thar sal thai ful redi finde.

That mester afFe to wynne theem mede.

For faute sal noth stande bihinde.

' The' Bare es brouth out of his denne.

The Lepard haldes hym so lange, 170
That we wate never swa ne swenne,
Na wilk of them sal weld the land.

Amange ay hondre, no fynd ii tenne.

That thai ne fald als a wande.
By reson may thou knaw and kenne.
That be ful fele has wroth alle wrang.

Wrangwis werkes sul men se

Be flemed for thair fals willes.
And after them sal with ay be.
And out em out of alle thair wyles." 180

" Miri man, Mi the beseke '*

Of a tything telle me mar

Hou hendes alle ys folke to-yere,
Suilke qualme no, saith ii, never ar.

So comeli ^ som men deyen

' here,
Pover na riche es nane to spare.
Lithe, he sayd, ii sal the ler[[e].
Have thou no ferly of that fare.

* Beseke the yif that the wUle ware, MSi

48 ANCIENT SONGS

For twenti ' thousand/ mot thou say,

' Deyed ' tother day, on this half ' Twede/ 190
I^That] sal falle by thou on ay day
So lives lithe sal alle that lede.

In my sa, the south ii say,

Herkens alle, of a tyme
That sal be after neue-yers-day,

"Lat clerkes se the neexte prime.

The terme es werde, soeth to say.

And twelve es comen after nigne.

To led him forth a lange waye.
His wonyng-stede es on ' yond-half Tyne. 200
'

On sout[^h]-half Tyne sal he wone,

Wyt thou wel, it sal be swa,
Fra suth sal blessed brether come.
And dele the lande even in twa.

When domes es do, and on his dede,

Sal na mercy be biside,

Na man have mercy for na mede,

Na in hope thair hevedes hide.

Bot soffid sal be mani of stede.

For res that thai sal after ride j

210
And seen sal jLeaute Falsed lede.
In rapes, sone after that tyde.
 AND BALLADS. 49

Fra twa to three the lande es liest,

Bot, nameli, sal ic fur the twa.
The Lion thare sal fare to feght
The lande til the Bare sal ga.

Wei ' gladli ' wald ii understande.

To telle theem hou so ' most it ' be,

Welke of theem ' sal' weld the lande.

For wel thou spake of the three. 220

A T biside an L ii '^
fande,'
Chese thi selven, seg|Ti]e and see.

An Ed the thred, wyt hope and hande,

[Thai schuUen bathe] the baillifs bee.

Bot nou of theem pi sal] the lede*.

That es so bald that dar habide.

That theem sal reu, yif ii can rede.

On ay friday, on est-half Glide.

For, wel thai wen hour lande to winne.

To fele that Qhai] may finde biforin, 230
Thai sal ' be blenked ar thai blinne,
'

' Thai* folis that haves ben forthorin.

Many be dampned to ' deye ' tharinne.

That riden hech, wyt hond and horin.
Wen yonge sal falle, for aid synne.
And lose the lyf, and be forthorin.

* Hat loves, MS.

VOL. I. K
60 ANCIENT SONGS

Wrange werkes wil away

It sal be als god haves sette.

Of thair biginnynge can ii say,

Sal na frend of other ' rette.' 240

' Doughty sal/ deye on the feld.

' '

To wyt theem be never so wa.

And Falsed, under halles held.
In frith sul men the foles ta.

Leaute men haves ben ful seld.

"
It sal be sette wyt mirthes ma,
And marchantQs] have the werld to weld.
And chapmen* ' * wyt thair packes ga.

And, than, sal Reson raike and ride.

And Wisdom^ beware es best,

' ' 250
And Leaute sal gar leal habide.
And, sithen, sal hosbond-men af rest.

* Capman, MS.
 AND BALLADS. 51

IX.

A BALLAD AOALNST THE FRENCH,

—'' whose officers," it seems, " extorting too much from the in-
habitants of Bruges, in Flanders, were murthered there ; and the
French kings power, commanded by the count ' de ' St. Pol, dis-

comfited : after which K. Philip the Fair sending another mighty

army, under the conduct of the count d'Artois, against these
Flemings ; he was killed, and the French were almost aU cutt to
pieces. The later of these battels was stricken on Wednesday the
7thof July, 1301." Wanley.

From the MS. in the Harleian Library, No. 2253.

LusTNETHj lordinges, bothe yonge ant olde.

Of the Freynssh men that were so proude and bolde,

Hou the Flemmyssh men bohten hem ant solde.
Upon a Wednesday.
Betere hem were at home in huere londe

Then forte seche Flemmyssh by the see stronde,

Whare rourh moni Frensh wyf wryngeth hire honde.
Ant singeth weylaway.

The kyng of Framice mad statuz newe.

In the lond of Flaundres among false ant trewe, 10
That the commun of Bruges ful sore con arewe.
And seiden amonges hem,
Gedere we us togedere hardilyche at ene.

Take we the bailifs bi tuenty ant by tene,

Clappe we of the hevedes anonen o the grene.
Ant caste we y the fen.
e2
 ,

52 ANCIENT SONGS

The webbes ant the fullaris assembleden hem alle.

Ant makeden huere consail in huere commune halle.
Token Peter Conyng huere kyng to calle.
Ant beo huere cheventeyn, 20
Hue nomen huere rouncyns out of the stalle,
Ant closeden the toun withinne the walle,
Sixti baylies ant ten hue maden adoun falle.

Ant moni an other sweyn.

Tho wolde the baylies that were come from Fraunce,
Dryve the Flemisshe that made the destaunce.
Hue turnden hem ayeynes with suerd ant with launce,
Stronge men ant lyht.
Y telle ou for sothe, for al huere bobaunce,
Ne for the avowerie of the kyng of Fraunce, 30
Tuenti score ant fy ve haden ther meschaunce.
By day ant eke by nyht.
Sire Jakes de Seint Poul, yherde ' hou ' hit was,

Sixtene hundred of horsmen asemblede o the gras,

He wende toward Bruges pas pur pas.
With swithe gret mounde.
The Flemmyssh yherden telle the cas,

Agynneth to clynken huere basyns of bras.

Ant al hem to dryven ase ston doth the glas.

Ant fellen hem to grounde. 40

Sixtene hundred of horsmen hede ther here fyn.

Hue leyghen y the stretes ystyked ase swyn,
Ther hue loren huere stedes ant mony rouncyn,
Thourh huere oune prude.
r. 33. hcut, MS.
 ;

AND BALLADS. 53

Sire Jakes ascapede, by a coynte gyn,

Out at one posterne ther me solde wyn.
Out of the fyhte horn to ys yn.
In wel muchele drede.

Tho the kyng of Fraunce yherde this anon,

Assemblede he is dousse-pers everuchon, 50

The proude eorl of Artoys ant other mony on.

To come to Paris.
The barouns of Fraunce thider conne gon.
Into the paleis that paved is. with ston.
To jugge the Flemmissh to bernen ant to slon,
Thourh the flour de b's.

Thenne seide kyng Phelip, lustneth nou to me,

Myn eorles ant my barouns gentil ant fre,

Goth faccheth me the traytours ybounde to my kne ;

Hastifliche ant blyve. 60
Tho suor the eorl of Seint Poul, par la goule de.
We shule facche the rybaus wher thi wille be.

Ant drawen hem Qwith] wilde hors out of the countre.

By thousendes fyve.

Sire Rauf Devel, sayth the eorl of Boloyne,

Nus ne lerrum en ure, chanoun ne moyncy

Wende we forth anon ritht withoute eny assoygne,
Ne no ly ves man
We shule flo the Conyng, ant make roste is loyne,
The word shal springen of him into Coloyne, 70
So hit shal to Acres ant into Sesoyne,
Ant maken him ful wan.
54 ANCIENT SONGS

Sevene eorls ant fourti barouns y tolde,

Fiftene hundred knyhtes, proude ant swythe bolde,
Sixti thousent swyers amonge yunge ant olde,
Flemmisshe to take.
The Flemmisshe hardeliche hem com toyeynes.
This proude Freinssh eorles, huere knyhtes ant huere
sweynes,
Aquelleden ant slowen, by hulles ant by pleynes,
Al for huere k)mges sake. 80

This Frenshe come to Flaundres so liht so the hare,

Er hit were mydnyht hit fel hem to care.

Hue were laht by the net so bryd is in snare.

With rouncin ant with stede.
The Flemmisshe hem dabbeth o the het bare.
Hue nolden take for huem raunsoun ne ware.
Hue deddeth of huere hevedes, fare so hit fare.

Ant thareto haveth hue nede.

Thenne seyth the eorl of Artois, y yelde me to the,

Peter Conyng, by thi nome, yef thou art hende ant fre.
That y ne have no shame ne no vylte.
That y ne be noud ded.
Thenne swor a bocher. By my leaute,
Shalt thou ner more the kyng 'of Fraunce se,

Ne in the toun of Bruges in prisone be.

Thou woldest spene bred.

Ther hy were knulled y the putfalle.

This eorles ant barouns ant huere knyhtes alle,

Huere ledies huem mowe abide in boure ant in halle,

Wellonge: 100
 AND BALLADS. 55

For hem mot huere kyng other knyhtes calle,

Other stedes taken out of huere stalle,

Ther hi habbeth dronke bittrere then the galle,

Upon the drue londe.

When the kyng of Fraunce yherde this tydynge,

He smot doun is heved, is honden gon he wrynge,
Thourhout al Fraunce the word bygon to sprynge,
Who wes huem tho.
Muche wes the sorewe ant the wepinge
That wes in al Fraunce among olde ant yynge, 110
The mest part of the lond bygon fort^ synge
!"
" Alas ! ant weylawo

Awey, thou yunge pope, whet shal the to rede^

Thou hast lore thin cardinals at thi mest nede,
Ne keverest thou hem nevere for noneskunnes mede,
Forsothe y the telle.

Do the forth to Rome, to amende thi misdede.

Bide gode halewen, hue lete the betere spede.

Bote thou worche wysloker, thou losest lond ant lede.

The coroime wel the felle. 1 20

Alas ! thou seli Fraunce ! for the may thunche shome

That ane fewe fuUaris maketh ou so tome,
Sixti thousent on a day hue maden fot-lome.
With eorl ant knyht.

Herof habbeth the Flemyssh suithe god game,

Ant suereth by seint Omer ant eke bi seint Jame,
Yef hy ther more cometh, hit falleth huem to shame
With huem forte fyht.
56 ANCIENT SONGS

I telle ou for sothe, the bataille thus bigon

Bituene Fraunce ant Flaundres, hou hue weren fon,
Vor Vrenshe the eorl of Flaundres in prison hedenydon.
With tresoun untrewe.
'
'eQf] the prince of Walis his lyf habbe mote.
Hit falleth the kyng of Fraunce bittrore then the sote,
Bote he the rathere therof welle do bote,
Wei sore hit shal hym rewe.

X.

A SONG IN PRAISE OF THE AUTHORS MISTRESS.

From the same MS.

Bytuene Mersh ant Averil,

When spray biginneth to springe.
The lutel foul hath hire wyl
On hyre lud to synge ;

Ich libbe in lovelonginge

For semlokest of alle thynge.
He may me blisse bringe,

Icham in hire banndoun.

An hendy hap ichabbe yhent,
Ichot from hevene it is me sent, 1

From alle wymmen mi love is lent,

Ant lyht on Alysoun.

 ; : ;

AND BALLADS. 57

On hen hire her is fayr ynoh.

Hire browe broune, hire eghe blake
With lossum chere he on me loh ;
With middel smal ant wel ymak :

Bote he me woUe to hire take, ^

Forte buen hire owen make,
Longe to lyven ichulle forsake,

And, feye, fallen adoun. 20

An hendy hap, &c.

Nihtes when y wende ant wake,

Forthi myn wonges waxeth won,
Levedi, al for thine sake
Longinge is ylent me on.
In world nis non so wyter mon.
That al hire bounte telle con
Hire swyre is whittore then the swon.
Ant feyrest may in toune.
An hendy hap, &c, 30

Icham, for wowing, al forwake,

Wery so water in wore
Lest eny reve me my make,
Ychal be y-yyrned yore.
Betere is tholien whyle sore
Then mournen evermore,
Geynest undergore,
Herkne to my roun.
An hendi, &c.
 ! ! ' !

58 ANCIENT SONGS

XI.

A LOVE SONG,

whose author describes his beautiful, but unrelenting mistress."

From the same MS.

IcHOT a burde in boure bryht.

That fully semly is on syht,
Menskful maiden of myht,
Feir ant fre to fonde.
In al this wurhliche won,
A burde of blod ant of bon
Never yete ynuste non
Lussomore in londe.
Blow, northerne wynd
' Send thou me
' my suetyng 10
Blow, northerne wynd ! blou, blou, blou

With lokkes lefliche ant longe.

With frount ant face feir to fonge, '

With murthes monie mote heo monge.

That brid so breme in boure.

With lossom eye grete ant gode.

With browen blysfol underhode.
He that reste him on the rode.
That leflych lyf honoure.

[Blou, &c.] 20
 ! ;

AND BALLADS. 59

Hire lure lumes liht,

Ase a launterne a-nyhty

Hire bleo blykyeth so bryht,
So feyr heo is ant fyn.
A suetly suyre heo hath to holde,
With armes shuldre ase mon wolde.
Ant fyngres feyre forte folde,
God wolde hue were myn
[Blou, &c.]

Middel heo hath menskful sraal, 30

Hire loveliche chere as crista!

Theghes, legges, fet ant al,

Ywraht wes of the beste.

A lussum ledy lasteles.
That sweting is ant ever wes,
A betere burde never nes.
Yheryed with the heste.

[Blou, &c.]

Heo is dereworthe in day,

Graciouse, stout ant gay, 40
Gentil, jolyf, so the jay,

Worhliche when heo waketh.

Maiden murgest of mouth,
Bi est, by west, by north ant south,
Ther nis ficle ne crouth
That such murthes maketh.
[Blou, &c.]
 ;

60 ANCIENT SONGS

Heo is coral of godnesse,

Heo is rubie of ryhtfulnesse,
Heo is cristal of clairnesse, 50
Ant baner of bealte.
Heo is lilie of largesse,
Heo is parvenke of prouesse,
Heo is solsecle of suetnesse.
Ant ledy of lealte.
[Blou, &c.]

To love that leflich is in londe,

Ytolde him, as ych understonde,

Hou this hende hath hent in honde.
On huerte that myn wes 60
Ant hire knyhtes me han so soht,
Sykyng, sorewyng, ant thoht,
Tho thre me han in bale broht,
Ayeyn the poer of pees.
[Blou, &c.]

To love y putte pleyntes mo,

Hou sykyng me hath siwed so.
Ant, eke, thoht me thrat to slo.
With maistry yef he myhte.
Ant serewe sore in balful bende, 70
That he wolde, for this hende.

Me lede to my lyves ende,

Unlahfulliche in lyhte.
[Blou, &c.]
 ;

AND BALLADS. 61

Hire love me lustnede uch word.

Ant beh him to me over bord.
Ant bed me hente that hord.
Of myne huerte hele
Ant bisecheth that swete ant swote,
Er then thou falle, ase fen of fote, 80
That heo with the wolle of bote
Dereworthliche dele.
[Blou, &c.]

For hire love y carke ant care.

For hire love y droupne ant dare.
For hire love my blisse is bare.

Ant al ich waxe won.

For hire love in slep yslake.
For hire love al nyht ich wake.
For hire love mournyng y make 90
More then eny mon.
[Blou, &c.]
 ;

ANCIENT SONGS

XII.

A SONG ON THE AUTHORS MISTRESS,

— " whom he admires as the fairest maid bituene Lyncolne ant

Lyndeseye, Norhampton ant Lounde (i. e. London)."

From the same MS.

When the nyhtegale singes the wodes waxen grene,

Lef ant gras ant blosme springes in Averyl y wene.
Ant love is to myn herte gon with one spere so kene,
Nyht ant day my blod hit drynkes, myn herte deth
me tene.

Ich have loved al this yer that y may love na more,

Ich have siked moni syk lemmon for thin ore.

Me nis love never the ner, ant that me reweth sore,

Suete lenmion, thench on me, ich have loved the yore.

Suefe lemmon, y preye the of love one speche,

Whil y ly ve in world so wyde other nulle y seche ; 10
With thy love, my suete leof, mi blis thou mihtes eche,
A suete cos of thy mouth mihte be my leche.
Suete lemmon, y preye the of a love bene,
Yef thou me lovest ase men says, lemmon, as y wene
Ant yef hit thi wille be thou loke that hit be sene.
So muchel y thenke upon the that al ywaxe grene.
 :

AND BALLADS. 63

Bituene Lyncolne ant Lyndesey, Norhamptoun ant

Lounde,
Ne wot y non so fayr a may as y go * sore ' ybounde
Suete lemmon, y preye the thou lovie me a stounde,
I wole mone my song els to al that ys on grounde. 20

XIII.

A SONG SETTING FORTH THE GOOD EFFECTS OF

THE SPRING.
From the same MS.

Lenten ys come with love to toune.

With blosmen ant with briddes roune.
That al this blisse bryngeth ;

Dayeseyes in this dales.

Notes suete of nyhtegales,

Uch foul song singeth.

The threstelcoc him threteth oo.

Away is huere wynter wO;,
When woderove springeth ;

This foules singeth ferly fele, 10

Ant wlyteth on huere wynter wele.
That al the wode ryngeth.

The rose rayleth hire rode.

The leves on the lyhte wode.
Waxen al with wille ;

[ V, 20. on wham that hit ys on ylong. MSJ]

 ;;

64. ANCIENT SONGS

The mone mandeth hire bleo.

The lilie is lossom to seo.
The fenyl ant the fille.

Wowes this wilde drakes.

Miles murgeth huere makes, . 20
Ase strem that striketh still e

Mody meneth, so doh mo,

Ichot ycham on of tho.
For love that likes ille.

. The mone mandeth hire lyht.

So doth the semly sonne bryht.

When briddes singeth breme ^

Deawes donketh the dounes,

Deores with huere derne rounes.
Domes forte deme. 30

Wormes woweth under cloude,

Wymmen waxeth wounder proude.

So wel hit wol hem seme.
Yef me shal wonte wille of on.
This wunne weole y wole forgon.
Ant wyht in wode be fleme.
 ! : : ;

AND BALLADS. 65

XIV.

" A DITTY UPON THE UNCERTAINTY OF THIS

LIFE AND THE APPROACH OF DEATH."

From the same MS.

Wynter wakeneth al my care ;

Nou this leves waxeth bare.

Ofte y sike ant mourne sare,

When hit cometh in my thoht.

Of this worldes joie, hou hit geth al to noht.

Nou hit is, ant nou hit nys.

Also hit ner nere, y wys
That moni mon seith, soth hit ys,

Al goth bote godes wille :

Alle we shule deye thah us like ylle.

All that gren me graueth grene

Nou hit faleweth albydene
Jhesu help, that hit be sene.
Ant shild us from helle

For ynot whider y shal, ne hou longe her duelle.

VOL. I.
 ; ; ;

66 ANCIENT SONGS

XV.

ADVICE TO THE FAIR SEX.

[From the same MS.]

In May hit murgeth when hit dawes.

In dounes with this dueres plawes.

Ant lef is lyht on lynde

Blosmes bredeth on the bowes,
Al this wylde wyhtes wowes.
So wel ych underfynde.

Ynot non so freoh flour,

Ase ledies that beth bryght in bour.
With love who mihte hem bynde ;

So worly wymmen are by west, 10

One of hem ich herie best
From Irlond into Ynde.

Wymmen were the beste thing

That shup oure heghe hevene kyng,
Yef feole false nere
Heo beoth to rad upon huere red.
To love ther me hem lastes bed.
When heo shule fenge fere.

Lut in londe are to leve,

Thah me hem trewe trouthe yeve, 20
For trecherie to yere
 ;

AND BALLADS. 67

When trechour hath is trouth yplyht.

By swyken he hath tHat suete wyht,
Thah he hire othes swere.

Wymmon war the with the swyke.

That feir ant freoly ys to fyke,
Ys fare is o to founde
So wyde in world ys huere won.
In uch a toune untrewe is on,
From Leycestre to Lounde. 30

Of treuthe nis the trechour noht.

Bote he habbe is wille ywroht.
At stevenyng umbestounde.
Ah ! feyre levedies, be ou war
To late Cometh the yeyn char.
When love ou hath ybounde.

Wyramen bueth so feyr on hewe,

Ne trow y none that nere trewe,
Yef trechour hem ne tahte.

Ah feyre thinges, freoly bore,

! 40
When me|[n] ou woweth beth war bifore,

Whuch is worldes ahte.

Al to late is seind ayeyn.

When the ledy liht byleyn.
Ant lyveth by that he hahte,
Ah ! wolde Lylie leor in lyn,

Yhere levely lores myn.

With selthe we weren s^hte.

f2
 —

68 ANCIENT SONGS

XVI.

A SONG UPON THE MAN IN THE MOON.

We are here presented, by the same MS. with the idea our ancestors
. entertained of an imaginary being, the subject of perhaps one of
the most ancient as well as one of the most popular superstitious
in the world. He is represented leaning upon a fork, on which he
carries a bush of thorn, because it was for" pycchynde stake" on
a Sunday that he is reported to have been thus confined*. There
cannot he a doubt that the following is the original story, however
the Moon became connected with it.

^ And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they

found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath-day.
And they that found him gathering sticks, brought him unto Moses
and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should
be done to him.
And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to

death : all the congregation shall stone him with stones without
the camp.
And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned
him with stones, and he died ; as the Lord commanded Moses.
Numbers^ xv. 32, et seq.

To have a care " Lest the chorle may fall out of the moone," ap-
pears from Chaucers Troilus to have been a proverbial expression
in his time.

* In the Midsummer Nights Dream, Peter Quince, the parpenter, in

arranging his dramatis persona: for the play before the duke, directs that
" One must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say, he comes
to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine." Which we afterwards
find done. * All that I have to say," concludes the performer of this strange

part, " is, to tell you, that the lantern is the moon ; I, the man in the

moon; this thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog:" and such
a character appears to have been familiar to the old English stage. Vide
also Tempest, Act II. Scene ii.
 ; : ; :

AND BALLADS. 69

MoNj in the mone, stond ant streit;,

On is bot-forke is burthen he bereth

Hit is muche wonder that he na down slyt.

For doute leste he valle he shoddreth ant shereth

When the forst freseth muche chele he byd.
The thornes beth kene is hattren to-tereth ;

Nis no wytht in the world that wot wen he syt,

Ne, bote hit bue the hegge, whet wedes he wereth.

Whider trowe this mon ha the wey take.

He hath set is o fot is other to foren, 10

For non hithte that he hath ne sytht me hym ner shake.
He is the sloweste mon that ever wes yboren.
Wher he were o the feld pycchynde stake.
For hope of ys thornes to dutten is doren.

He mot myd is twybyl other trous make.

Other al is dayes werk ther were yloren.

mon upon heh whener he

This ilke were,
Wher he were y the Mone boren ant yfed.
He leneth on is forke ase a grey frere.
This crokede caynard sore he is adred. 20
Hit is mony day go that he was here,

Ichot of is ernde he nath nout ysped

He hath hewe sumwher a burthen of brere,
Tharefore sum hayward hath taken ys wed.
" Yef thy wed ys ytake, bring hom the trous,
Sete forth thyn other fot, stryd over sty
We shule preye the haywart hom to ur hous,
Ant maken hym at heyse for the maystry ;
 : ; !

70 ANCIENT SONGS .

Drynke to hym deorly of fol god bous,

Ant oure dame Douse shal sitten hym by, 30
When that he is dronke ase a dreynt mous,
Thenne we schule borewe the wed ate bayly."

This mon hereth me nout, thah ich to hym crye

Ichot the cherl is def, the del hym to-drawe
Thah ic yeghe upon heth nulle nout hye,
The lostlase ladde con nout o lawe.
Hupe forth, Hubert hosede pye,
!

Ichot thart amarstled in to the mawe

Thah me teone with hym that myn teh mye.
The cherld nul nout adoun er the day dawe.

XVII.

A SONG,
— " made A. D. 1308, in praise of the valiant knight Sir Piers de
'
Birmingham, who while he lived was a scourge to the Irish, and
died A. D. 1288." From a MS. in the Harleian library (No. 913)
of the same age. The editor confesses his inability to reconcile the

title and second stanza with the following passage in the " Annals
oflrelarid" in which this valiant knight is frequently mentioned,
but never till after the year 1288
" MCCCVIII. On the second of tlie ides of April [i. e. the 14th
day of that month] died the lord Peter de Birmingham, a noble
champion against the Irish.*'

SiTH Gabriel gan grete

Ure ledi Mari swete
That godde wold in hir lighte,
 ;
: ;

AND BALLADS. 71

A thousand yer hit isse,

Thre hundred ful i wisse.

Ant over yeris eighte.

Than of the eight yere

Tak twies ten ifere
That wol be tuenti fuUe
Apan the tuenti dai 10
Of Averil bifor Mai,
So Deth us gan to pulle.

He pullid us of on,
Al Irlond makith mon
Englelonck as welle
Ful wel ye witte his nam.
Sir Pers the Brimingham,
Non nede hit is to telle.

His nam hit was ant isse,

Y sigge you ful, i wisse, 20

That uppe ssal arise

In felle, flesse ant bone,

A better knight nas none.
No none of more prise.

Noble werrure he was,

A gode castel in place.
On stede ther he wold ride.

With his sper ant scheld.

In hard wodde ant feld.

No thef him durst abide. 30

 ! ;

72 ANCIENT SONGS

Do thenchith al in him.
With weepin who wol win,
Hou gode he was to nede.
In batail stif to stond,

I wis is pere nas nond,

Alas he sold be dede

Al Englis men that beth

Sore mow wep is deth,
That such a knigbt ssold falle
Thos knightis everich one 40
Of him mai mak mone.
As pervink of ham alle.

Pervink he might be.

Ant that for thinges thre.
He ussid oft ant lome.
That was one of the oest,

He ne leet no thef hav rest, .

In no stid ther he come.

Another thing also.

To Yrismen he was fo, 50

'
That wel wide whare ;

Ever he rode aboute,

With streinth to hunt ham ute,
As hunter doth the hare.

For whan hi wend best

In wildernis hav rest.

That no man ssold ham see.

 ;

AND BALLADS. 7S

Than he wold drive a quest

Anon to har nest.
In stid ther hi wold be. 60

Of slep he wold ham wak.

For ferdnis he wold quak.
Ant fond to sculk awai ;

For the hire of har bedde.

He tok har hevid to wedde.
Ant so he taght ham plai.

Thos Yrismen of the lond

Hi swor ant tok an hond
The Englis men to trai
Ant seid hi wold quelle, ^0
As fale as ic you telle,
Al apon o dai.

The erl of Ulvester,

Sire Emond the Botiler,
Sire Jon le Fiz Tomas,
Algate al bi name.
Sire Pers the Briminghame,
This was har compas.

This compasment com ute

Fram knight to knight abute, 80
Hit nas noght lang ihidde ;

Thos knightis preid al.

That meschans most ham fal,

Yif scape hi ssold ther midde.

 :;
;; ; ;

74 ANCIENT SONGS

Ant swor bi godis name

To yild the cuntre pane.
Whan hi might com to
Ant that withute lette
To certein dai isette.
This thing ssold be do. 90

Lang er this dai was com

Hit was foryit with som.
That neisse beth to nede
Alas ! what ssold hi ibor
Throgh ham this lond is ilor

To spille ale ant bred.

Sire Pers the Brimingham,

On ernist ant again.

This dai was is thoght

He thoght ordres to raak, 100
What time he might ham tak.
Of travail nas him noght.

O Konwir that was king

His ketherin he gan bring.
The maister heet Gilboie
Right at the Trinite,

Whan hodes sold best be.

To Pers in Totomoye

Ant yite of other stoore

Com Ethe Mac Mai More, 110

Ant other fale bi name
 ; ; ;

AND BALLADS. 75

Sire Pers lokid ute.

He seei such a rut
Him thoght hit nas no game.

Sir Pers ses ham com.

He receivid al ant som,
Noght on iwernd nas
Sith hoodis he let mak,
Noht on nas forsak,
Bot al he did ham grace. .
120

Save o wrech that ther was.

He cuthe noght red in place,
' Ne ' sing whar he com
He was of Caym is kinne.
Ant he refusid him, '

He wend unhodid hom.

He that this sang let mak.

For sir Persis sake,
Wei wid hath igo
Wid whar isoght, 130
Ant god pardon iboght.
Two hundrid dales ant mo.

V. 123, No. MS.

 ; ;

76 ANCIENT SONGS

XVIII.

" AYEYN MI WILLE I TAKE MI LEVE."

From an immense folio in the Bodleian library, known by the title
of MS. Vernon, consisting of between four and five hundred large
parchment leaves, and containing a variety of religious and other
poems, in a character wliich the editor conjectured, on looking over
it, to be of the fourteenth century (i. e. of the reign of Edward III.
or Richard II.). The song is at folio 404.

Now burnes, buirdes, bolde and blythe

To blessen ow her nou am I bounde,
I thonke you alle a thousand sithe.
And prei god save you hoi and sounde
Wherever ye go, on gras or grounde.
He ow goveme, withouten greve.
For frendschipe that I here have founde,
Ayeyn mi wille I take mi leve.

For frendschipe and for yiftes goode.

For mete and drinke so gret plente 10

That lord that raught was on the roode
He kepe thi comeli cumpayne
On see or lond, wher that ye be.
He governe ow withouten greve
So good disport ye han mad me,
Ayein mi wille I take my leve.
 AND BALLADS. 77

Ayein mi wille althaugh I wende,

I may not alwey dwellen here.
For everi thing schal have an ende.
And frendes are not ay ifere. 20
Be we never so lef and dere.
Out of this world al schul we meve.
And, whon we buske unto ur here,
Ayeyn ur wille we take ur leve.

And wende we schuUe, I wot never whenne

Ne whoderward, that we schul fare.
But endeles blisse, or ay to brenne.
To everi mon is yarked yare ;

Forthi, I rede, uch mon be ware.

And lete ur werk ur wordes preve, 30
So that no sunne ur soule forfare,
Whon that ur lyf hath taken his leve.

Whon that ur lyf his leve hath lauht,

Ur bodi lith bounden bi the wowe,
Ur richesses alle from us ben raft.
In clottes colde ur cors is throwe.
Wher are thi frendes ? ho wol the knowe ?
Let seo ho wol thi soule releve ;

I rede the, mon, ar thou ly lowe,

Beo redi ay to take thi leve. 40

Be redi ay, whatever bifalle,

Al sodeynli lest thou be kiht ;
Thou wost never whonne thi lord wol calle,
Loke that thi laumpe beo brennynge briht* :

* An allusion to S. Matthew, c. 25-

 ! ; : :

78 ANCIENT SONGS, &c.

For, leve me wel, but thou have liht,

Riht foule thi lord wol the repreve.
And fleme the fer out of his siht.

For al to late thou toke thi leve.

Now god that was in Bethleem bore,

He yive us grace to serve him so, 50
That we may come his face tofore.

Out of this world whon we schul go

And for to amende that we misdo.

In clei or that we cljmge and cleve

And mak us evene with frend and fo,

And in good tyme to. take ur leve.

Nou haveth good dai, gode men alle,

Haveth good day, yonge and olde,

Haveth good day, both grete and smalle.

And graunt merci a thousend folde. 60

Yif ever I mighte, ful fayn I wolde,
Don ought that weore unto you leve
Crist kepe ow out of cares colde
For nou is tyme to take my leve.
 CLASS II.

COMPRISING"

THE REIGNS OP HENRY IV. HENHY V. AND HENRY VI.

 THE DEATH OF ROBIN LYTH.

This singularly curious relic is given from a small quarto MS. in the

Sloane library in the IMuseum (No. 2593.), consisting of a pretty

considerable number of poetical pieces, " some pious, some the con-
trary," in a hand which appears to be nearly, if not quite, as old as
the time of Henry V. But from the uncommon rudeness of the
following extract, which is totally dissimilar in point of language
and manner to any thing the editor has hitherto met with, one
may safely venture to pronounce it at least of equal date with the
commencement of the preceding reign. Who or what this Robin
Lyth was, does not, otherwise than by this little performance,
composed, it should seem, to commemorate the manner of his death,
and of the revenge taken for it, any where appear. That he was
a native or inhabitant of Yorkshire is, indeed, highly probable, for
two reasons : the first is, that a few miles north of Whitby is a
village called Lythe, whence he may be reasonably supposed to

have acquired his surname : the second, that near Flamborough,

in Holdemess, is a large cavern in the rocks, subject, at present,
to the influx of the sea, which, among the country people, re-
tains to this day the name of Robin Lyth hole ; from the
circumstance, no doubt, of its having been one of his skulking
places. Robin Hood, a hero of the same occupation, had several
such in those and other parts : and, indeed, it is not very improbable
that our hero had been formerly in the suite of that gallant robber,

and, on his masters death, had set up for himself. See a further
account of the above cave in Pennants Tour in Scotland.
Gandalin, an uncommon name, occurs in the old Spanish romance of
Amadis de Gaul.

VOL. I, G
 ;

82 ANCIENT SONGS

I HERDE a carpyng of a clerk,

Al at yone wodes ende.
Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn,
Was ther non other thynge.* '

Robyn Lyth in grene wode bowndyn.

Stronge thevys wern tho chylderin non.
But bowmen gode and hende
He wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych.

If god wold it hem sende.

[Robyn, &c.] 10

Al day wentyn tho chylderin too.

And fleych fowndyn he non.

Til it wer ageyn evyn.
The chylderin wold gon horn.
[Robyn, &c.]

Half a honderid of fat falyf der.

He comyn ayon.
And alle he wern fayr and fat inow.
But markyd was ther non.
Be dere god, seyde gode [Robyn], 20
Hereof we xul have on. .

[Robyn, &c.]

Robyn ' bent' his joly bowe,

Therin he set a flo.

The fattest der of alle the herte

He clef ato.

[Robyn, &c.]
V. 4. Gynge, MS. V. 23. Went. MS,
 ;

AND BALLADS. 83

He hadde not the der islawe

Ne half cut of the hyde,
Ther cam a schrewde arwe out of the west, 30
That felde Robertes pryde.
Gandelyn lokyd hym est and west.
Be every syde.
[Robyn, &c.]

" Hoo hat rayn mayster slayin ?

Ho hat don this dede ?

Xal I never out of grene wode go

Ti[l]
J se sydis blede."
[Robyn, &c.]

Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west, 40

And sowt under the sunne
He saw a lytil boy,
Heclepyn Wrennok of Doune.
[Robyn, &c.]

A good bowe in his bond,

A brod arwe therine.
And fowre and twenty goode arwys
Trusyd in a thrurame.
" Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Herof thu xalt ha' summe. 50
QRobyn, &c.]

" Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,

Hirof thu gyst plente."
Evere on for another, seyde Gandeleyn,
Mysaunter have he xal fle.

[Robyn, &c.]
g2
84 ANCIENT SONGS

Qworat xal our marke be ?

Seyde Gandeleyn.
Everyche at otheris herte,

Seyde Wrennok ageyn. 60

[Robyn, &c.]

Ho xal yeve the ferste schote ?

Seyde Gandeleyn.
And i xal yeve the on beforn,
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
. [Robyn, &c.]

Wrennok schette a ful good schote.

And he schet not to hye.
Throw the sanchothis of his bryk.
It towchyd neyther thye. 7^
[Robyn, &c.]

Now hast thu yovyn me on beforn,

Al thus Wrennok seyde he.
to
And, throw * the myght of our lady,
'

A better i xal yeve the.

[Robyn, &c.]

Gandeleyn bent his goode bawe.

And set therin a flo.
He schet throw his grene certyl.

His herte he clef on too. 80

[Robyn, &c.]

F, 76. thu, MS,

 ;' : ;

AND BALLADS. 85

Now xalt thu never yelpe, Wrennok,

At ale ne at wyn,
That thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And his knave Gandeleyn.
[Robyn, &c.]

Now xalt thu never yelpe, Wrennok,

At wyn, ne at ale.
That thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And Gandeleyn his knave. 90
Robyn Lyghth in grene wode bow[n]dyn.

II.

THE TURNAMENT OF TOTTENHAM.

From a MS. in the Ilarleian library (No. 5396).

Op alle thes kene conquerours to carpe it wer kynde

Of fele feghtyng folk ferly we fynde
The Tumament of Totenham have we in mynde ;

It wer harme sych hardynes wer holden byhynde.

we rede
In story as
Of Hawkyn, of Herry,
Of Tomkyn, of Terry,
Of them that were dughty '

And stalworth in dede.

It befel in Totenham on a der day, 10
Ther was mad a ' shurtyng' be the hy-way
 : .

86 ANCIENT SONGS

Theder com al the men of the contray,

Of Hyssylton, of Hygate, and of Hakenay,
And all the swete swynke[rs].
Ther hopped Hawkyn,
Ther daunsed Dawkyn,
Ther trumped Tomkyn,
And all wer trewe drynkers.

Tyl the day was gon and evyn-song past,

That thay schuld rekyn ther scot and ther contes cast:
Perkyn, the potter, into the '
press ' past.
And sayd Rondol the refe, a doghter thou hast,
Tyb the dere
Therfor wyt wold i,

Whych of alle thys bachelery

Wer best worthy
To wed hur to hys fere.

Upstyrt thos gadeljnngys wyth ther long staves.

And sayd, Rondol the refe, lo ! thys lad raves,
Baldely amang us thy doghter he craves, 30
And we er rycher men then he, and mor gode haves
Of cateU and com ;

Then sayd Perkyn to Tybbe i have hyght

That i schul be alway redy in my ryght.
If that it schuld be thys day sevenyght.
Or ' elles ' yet to morn.

Then sayd Randolfe the refe. Ever be he waryed.

That about this carpying lenger wold be ' taryed :'
 : : ; :

AND BALLADS. 87

Iwold not ray doghter, that scho wer miscaryed.

But at hur most worschyp i wold scho wer maryed ; 40
Therfor a turnament schal begyn,
Thys day sevenyght,
Wyth a flayl for to fyght ;
And [he] that is of most myght,
Schalle brouke hur wyth wynne.

Whoso berys hym best in the turnament,

Hym schalle be granted the gre be the comon assent,

For to Wynne my doghter wyth dughty[nesse] of dent.

And Coppeld, my brodcnhenne, Qthat] was broght out
of Kent
And my donnyd kowe 50
For no spens wyl i spare.

For no catell wyl i care.

He schal have my gray mare,

And my spottyd sowe.

Ther was many [a] bold lad ther bodyes to bade

Than thay toke thayr leve, and homward thay yede ;

And alle the ' weke after ' thay graythed ther wede,
Tyll it come to the day, that thay suld do ther dede.

They armed tham in mattes

Thay set on ther noUys, 60
For to kepe ther pollys,
Gode blake bollys.

For batryng of battes.

[ V. 67. Woke afterward, MS.]

 ; : : :

88 ANCIENT SONGS

Thay sowed tham in schepeskynnes, for thay suld not

brest
Ilk-on toke a blak hat, insted of a crest
A ' basket or a panyer before ' on ther brest.
And a flayle in ther hande ; for to fyght prest,

Furth gon thay fare

Ther was kyd mekyl fors.

Who schuld best fend hys cors : 70

He that had no gode hors.
He gat hym a mare.
Sych another gadryng have i not sene oft.

When alle company com rydand

the gret to the croft.
Tyb on a gray mare was set up on loft
On a sek ful of fedyrs, for scho schuld syt soft.

And led ' till ' the ' gap.'

For cryeng of al the men
Forther wold not Tyb then,
Tyl scho had hur brode-hen 80
Set in hur lap.

A gay gyrdyl Tyb had on, borwed for the nonys,

And a garland on hur hed ful of rounde bonys.

And a broche on hur brest ful of ^ sapphyre' stonys,
Wyth the holy-rode tokenyng was wretyn for the
nonys
' For no spendings thay had spared. '

When joly Gyb saw hur there,

[ V. 66. Harow brod as a fanne above, MS.'\

[F. 77. And led hur to the cap, MS.'\

[ V. 86. No catel was ther, MS.]

 : ' '

AND BALLADS. 89

He gyrd so hys gray ' mare

' That' sche lete a ' fowkin fare'

At the rereward. 90

I wow to god, quoth Herry, schal not lefe behynde, i '

May mete wyth Bernard on Bayard the blynde,

i

Ich man kepe hym out of my wynde.

For whatsoever that he be, befor me fynde, i

I wot i schul hym greve.

Wele sayd, quoth Hawkyn,

And i avow, quoth Dawkyn,
May i mete wyth Tomkyn,
Hys flay le schal] hym reve.
[^i

I vow to god, quoth Hud, Tyb, son schal thou se, 100
Whych of alle thys bachelery grant[]ed] is the gre :

I shal scomfet thaym alle, for the love of the ;

In what place so i come thay schul have dout of me,

Myn armes ar so cler
I bere a reddyl and a rake,
Poudred wyth a brennand drake.
And three cantell[]es] of a cake
In ych a ' corner.'

I vow to god, quoth Hawkyn, yf ' i ' have the gowt,

Al that i fynde in the ' felde thrustand' heraboute, 110
Have i twyes or thryes redyn thurgh the route.
In ych a stede ther thay ' may se,' of me thay schal
have doute.
When begyn i to play.

I make avowe that i ne schalle.

 : : : : : ;

90 ANCIENT SONGS

But yf Tybbe wyl me calle.

Or i be thryes doun falle,
Ryght onys com away.

Then sayd Terry, and swor be hys crede ;

Saw thou never yong boy forther hys body bede.

For when thay fyght fastest and most ar in drede, 120
I schal take Tyb by the hand, and hur away lede

I am armed at the full

In mjm armys i bere wele,

A dogh-trogh, and a pele,
A sadyll wythouten a panell.
With a fles of woll.

I vow to god, quoth Dudman, and swor be the stra,

Whyls me has left my mer, thou gets hur not swa

For scho ys wele schapen, and tyght as the ' rae/
Ther ys no capul in thys myle before hur schal ga : 130
Sche wil ne noght begyle
Sche wyl me ber, i dar wele say.
On a lang somerys day.
From Hyssylton to Hakenay,
Noght other half myle.

I vow to god, quoth Perkyn, thow speks of cold rost,

I schal wyrch wyselyer withouten any bost

Five of the best capuUys, that ar in thys est,

I wot i schul thaym wynne, and bryng thaym to my

cost.

And here i grant tham Tybbe 140

Wele boyes her ys he,
 ;; ; : ; :

AND BALLADS. 91

That wyl fyght, and not fle.

For i am in my jolyte,
Wyth so forth, Gybbe,

When thay hadther vowes [[made], furth Qc]an they hye,

Wyth flayles, and homes, and trumpes mad of tre
Ther wer alle the bachelerys of that contre.
They were dyght in aray, as thamselfe wold be
Thayr baners wer ful bryght
Of an old roten' felle
' 150
The cheverone of a plow-mell
And the schadow of a bell,
Poudred wyth mone lyght.

I wot it ' was' no chylder game, whan thay togedyr met.

When ich a freke in the feld on hys felow bet '
',

And layd on styfly, for nothyng wold thay let.

And faght ferly fast, tylle ther horses swet.
And fewe wordys spoken
Ther were flayles al to-slatred,

Ther were scheldys al to-flatred, 160

Bollys and dysches al to-schatred.

And many hedys brokyn.

There was clynkyng of cart-sadellys and clatteryng of

Cannes,
Of fele frekys in the feld brokyn wer ther fannes
Of sum wer the hedys brokyn, of sum the brayn-panes,
And yll war Qhay] besene,' or thay went thens.
'

{V. 155. Feky be, MS.\

 : ! : ;: ;

92 ANCIENT SONGS

With swyppyng of swepyllys.

The boyes wer so wery for-fught.
That thay myght not fyght mar oloft.
But creped then about in the croft, 170
As they wer croked crepyls.

Perkyn was so wery, that he began to ' loute *

" Help, Hud i am ded in thys ylk

!
' rowte '

A hors for forty pens, a gode and a stoute

That i may lyghtly come of my noye out.
For no cost wyl i spar."

He styrt up as a snayle.
And hent a capul be the tayle.
And raght Dawkin hys flayle.
And wan there a mar. 180

Perkyn wan five, and Hud wan twa

Glad and blythe thay war, that thay had don sa ;

Thay wold have tham to Tyb, and present hur with tha:
The capulls were so wery, that thay myght not ga.
But styl gon thay stond.
Alas quoth Hudde, my joye, i lese
!

Me had lever then a ston of chese,

-That der Tyb had al these.

And wyst it wer my ' sond.'

Perkyn turnyd hym about in that ych thrange, 190

Among thos wery boyes he wrest and he wrang
He threw tham doun to the erth, and thrast tham amang,
When he saw Tyrry away wyth Tyb fang,
 : ; ;:

AND BALLADS. 93

And after hym ran ;

Off his horse he hym drogh.

And gaf hym of hys flayl inogh
We te he ! quoth Tyb, and lugh.
Ye er a dughty man.

' Thus' thay tugged and rugged, tyl yt was ner nyght
All the wy ves of Totenham come to se that syght 200
With wyspes and kexis, and ryschys ther lyght.
To fech hom ther husbandes, that wer tham trouth-
piyght.
And sum broght gret ' harows'
Ther husbandes for to hom fech,
' ' Sum on dores, and sum on hech.
Sum on hyrdyllys, and som on crech.
And sum on whele-barows.
Thay gaderyd Perkyn about []on] everych syde.
And grant hym ther the []gre], the mor was hys pride
Tyb and he, wyth gret merthe, homward con thay
ryde, 210
And wer al nyght to gedyr, tyl the morn tyde ;
And thay to ' church went':
So wele hys nedys he has sped.
That der Tyb he ' hath wed '

The prayse-folk, that hur led,

Wer of the torniment.

To that ylk fest com many for the nones ;

Some come hyphalt, and some trippand on the stonys

[V. 212. In fere as sent, MS.]

 : ; ; ;

94 ANCIENT SONGS

Sum a staf in hys hand, and sum two at onys

Of sum wer the hedes broken, and [of] sum the schulder
bonys 22(J
With sorow com thay thedyr.
Wo was Hawkyn, wo was Herry,
Wo was Tomkyn, wo was Terry,
And so was al the bachelary
When thay met togedyr. «

At that fest thay wer servyd with a ryche aray.

Every fyve and fyve had a cokenay ;

And so thay sat in jolyte al the lang day

And, at the last, thay went to bed, with ful gret deray :

Mekyl m)rrth was them among 230

In every corner of the hous
Was melody delycyous
For to her precious

Of syx menys sang.

III.

THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN*.

Yt fell abowght the Lamasse tyde.
Whan husbondes wynne ther haye.
The dowghtye Dowglasse bowynd him to ryde.
In Ynglond to take a praye.

* Fought the J)th of August, 1388.

 ; :; ;

AND BALLADS. 95

The yerlle of FyfFe^ withouten siryiFe,

He bowyn him over Sulway

The grete wolde ever together ryde.
That raysse they may rewe for aye.

Over ^ Ottercap '-hyll they cam in.

And so dowyn by RodelyfFe-crage, 10

Upon Grene-' Ley ton they lyghted dowyn, '

' Styrande many a ' stage :

And boldely brente Northomberlond,

And haryed many a towyn
They dyd owr Ynglyssh men grete wrange.
To battell that were not bowyn.

Than spake a berne upon the bent.

Of comforte that was not colde.
And sayd. We have Northomberlond,
We have all welth in holde. 20

Now we have haryed all Bamborowe schyre.

All the welth in the worlde have wee,
I rede we ryde to Newe-castell,

So styll and stalwurthlye.

Upon the morowe, when it was day.

The standerdes schone fuUe bryght
To the Newe-castell they toke the waye.
And thether they cam fuUe ryght.
Sir Herry Perssy laye at the New-castell,

I tell yow withowtten drede 30

 : ;

96 ANCIENT SONGS

He had byn a march-man ail hys dayes.

And kept Barwyke upon Twede.

To the Newe-castell when they cam.

The Scottes they cryde on hyght.
Sir Hary Perssy, and thow byste within.
Com to the fylde and fyght

For we have brente Northomberlonde,

Thy ery tage good and ryght ;

And syne my logeyng I have take.

With my brande dubbyd many a knyght. 40

Sir Harry Perssy cam to the walles.

The Skottyssh oste for to se

And sayd. And thou hast brent Northomberlond,
Full sore it rewyth me.

Yf thou hast haryed all Bamborowe schyre,

Thow hast done me grete envye ;

For the trespasse thow hast me doiie.

The tone of us schall dye.

Where schall I byde the, sayd the Dowglas,

Or where wylte thow com to me ? 50
" Atte Otterborne in the hygh-way,
Ther mast thow well logeed be.

" The roo full rekeless ther sche runnes.

To make the game and gle :

The fawken and the fesaunt both,

"
Among the holtes on hye.
 : : : ;

AND BALLAIjS. 97

Ther mast thow have welth at wyll.

Well looged ther mast be,

Yt schall not be long or I com the tyll,

Sayd syr Harry Perssye. 60

Ther schal I byde the, sayd the Dowglas,

,
By the fayth of my bodye.
Thether schall I com, sayd sjrr Harry Perssy
My trowth I plyght to the.

A pype of wyne he gave them over the walles,

Forsoth, as I yow saye
Ther he mayd the Dowglasse drynke.
And all hys ost that daye.

The Dowglas turnyd hym homewarde agayne,

Forsoth withowghten naye, 7^
He took his logeynge at Oterborne,
Upon a wedynsday

And ther he pyght his standerd dowyn,

Hys gettyng more and lesse ;

And syne he warned his men to goo

To chose ther geldynges gresse.

A Skottysshe knyght hoved upon the bent,

A wache, I dare well saye

So was he ware on the noble Perssy,

In the dawnyng of the daye. 80

He prycked to his pavyleon dore.

As fast as he might ronne,
VOL. I.
-
H
 : : : : ;

98 ANCIENT SONGS

Awaken, Dowglas cryed the knyght.

!

For hys love that syttes in trone.

Awaken, Dowglas cryed the knyght.

!

For thow maste waken wyth wynne

Vender have I spyed the prowde Perssye,
And seven standardes wyth hym.

Nay, by my trowth, the Dowglas sayed.

It ys but a fayned taylle 90,
He durst not loke on my brede banner.
For all Ynglonde so haylle.

Was I not yesterdaye at the Newe-castell,

That stondes so fayre on Tyne ?

For all the men the Perssy had.
He cowde not garre me ones to dyne.

He stepped owt at his pavelyon dore.

To loke and it were lesse
" Araye yow, lordynges, one and all.

For here hygynnes no peysse. 100

The yerle of Mentaye, thow art my eme.

The fowarde I gyve to the
The yerlle of Huntlay, cawte and kene.
He schall ' wyth the be. '

The lord of Bowghan, in armure bryght.

On the other hand he schall be
Lorde Johnstone and lorde Maxwell,
Thev to schall be with me.
 : : ; :

AND BALLADS. 99

Swynton fayre^ tylde upon your pryde.

To make you bowen
batell 110
Syr Davy Skotte, syr Water Stewarde,
Syr Jhon of Agurstone. "

The Perssy came byfore hys oste>

Whych was ever a gentyll knyght.

Upon the Do-yv^glas lowde can he crye,
I wyll holde that I have hyght :

For thow haste brente Northomberlonde,

And done me grete envye
For thys trespasse thow hast me done.
The tone of us schall dye 120

The Dowglas answerde hym agayne.

With grete wurdes upon hye.
And sayd, I have twenty agaynst ^ thy '
one,
Byholde and thow maste see.

With that the Perssye was grevyd sore,

Forsoth, as I yow saye

He lyghted dowyn upon hys foote.

And schoote his horsse clene away.

Every man sawe that he dyd soo.

That rail was ever in rowght, 130

Every man schoote hys horsse hym froo,
And lyght him rowynde abowght.
Thus syr Hary Perssye toke the fylde,
Forsoth, as I yowe saye
h2
 ; :: ; : ;

100 ANCIENT SONGS

Jesu Cryste in heven on hyght

Dyd helpe hym well that daye.

But nyne thowzand, ther was no moo

The cronykle wyll not layne
Forty Qthowsande] Skottes anji fowre
That day fowght them agayne. 140

But when the baiell byganne to joyne.

In haste ther cam a knyght^

The letters fayr furth hath he tayne.
And thus he sayd full ryght

My lorde, your father he gretes you well.

With many a noble knyght
He desyres yow to byde
That he may see thys fyght.

The baron of Grastoke ys com out of the west,

Wyth hyra a noble companye 150
All they loge at your fathers thys nyght.
And the battel fayne wolde they see.

For Jesus love, sayd sjrr Harye Perssy,

That dyed for yow and me,
Wende to my lorde my father agayne.
And saye thow sawe me not with yee.
My trowth ys plyght to yonne Skottysh knyght,
It nedes me not to layne.
That I schulde byde hym upon thys bent.
And I have hys trowth agayne 160
 :

AND BALLADS. 101

And if that I wynde off thys growende,

Forsoth onfowghten awaye^
He wolde me call but a kowarde knyght
In hys londe another daye.

Yet had I lever to be rynde and rente.

By Mary, that raykell maye.
Then ever my manhood schulde be reprovyd
Wyth a Skotte another day.

Wherfore, schote, archars^ for my sake.

And let scharpe arowes flee: 170
Mynstrells, playe up for your waryson.
And well quyt it schall be.

Every man thynke on hys trewe love.

And marke hym to the trenite

For to god I make myne avowe
This day wyll I not fle.

The blodye harte in the Dowglas armes,

Hys standerde stode on hye ;
That every man myght full well knowe,
Bysyde stode stanes thre. 180

The whyte lyon on the Ynglyssh perte,

Forsoth, as I yow sa3nQe,
The lucettes and the ' cressawntes both ; *

The Skottes fowght them agayne.

Upon sent Andrewe lowde can they crye.

And thrysse they schowte on ayght.

 ;; ;

102 ANCIENT SONGS

And syne marked them one our Ynglysshe men.

As I have tolde yow ryght.

Sent George the bryght, owr ladyes knyght.

To name they were full fayne 190
Owr Ynglyssh men they cryde on hyght^
And thrysse they schowtte agayne.
' '

Wyth that scharpe arowes bygan to flee^

I tell yow in sertaine ;

Men of armes byganne to joyne

Many a dowghty man was ther slayne.

The Perssy and the Dowglas mette.

That ather of other was fayne ;
They ' swapped together whyll that they
' ' '
swette.
With swordes of fine collayne 200

Tyll the bloode from ther bassonettes ranne^

As the roke doth in the rayne.
Yelde the to me, sayd the Dowglas,
Or elles thow schalt be slayne :

For I see, by thy bryght bassonet,

Thow arte sum man of myght
And so I do, by thy burnysshed brande,
Thow art an yerle or elles a knyght.
By my good fajrthe, sayd the noble Perssye,
Now haste thou rede full ryght, 210
Yet wyll I nev€r yelde me to the,
Whyll I may stonde and fyght.
 ; ;

AND BALLADS. 103

They swapped together, whyll that they swette.

With swordes scharpe and long ;

Ych on other so faste ' they '

beette,

Tyll ther helmes cam in peyses dowyn.

The Perssy was a man of strenghth,

I tell yow in thys stounde.
He smote the Dowglas at the swordes length,
That he felle to the growynde. 220

The sworde was scharpe and sore can byte,

I telle yow in sertayne

To the harte he cowde him smyte.

Thus was the Dowglas slayne.

The stonderdes stode styll on ^ ilke a ' syde.

With many a grevous grone ;
Ther '
they '
fowght the day, and all the nyght.
And many a dowghty man was slayne.

Ther was no freke that ther wolde flye.

But styfFely in stowre can stond, 230
Ych one hewyng on other whyll they myght drye,
Wyth many a bayllefull bronde.
Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde, v

Forsoth and sertenly,

Syr James a Dowglas ther was slayne.
That daye that he cowde dye.

The yerlle of Mentaye he was slayne,

Gryssely groned upon the growynd

 ; ; '

104 ANCIENT SONGS

Syr Davy Skotte^ syr Water Stewarde,

Syr ' John of Agurstonne.
' 240

Syr Charlies Morrey, in that place, •

That never a fote wold flee

Sir Hugh Maxwell, a lorde he was.

With the Dowglas dyd he dye.

Ther was slayne upon the Skottes syde,

Forsoth, as I yow saye.
Of fowre and forty thowsande Skottes,
Went but eyghtene awaye.

Ther was slayne upon the Ynglisshe syde,

Forsoth and sertenlye, 250
A gentyll knyght, sir John ' Fitzhewe,'
Yt was the more pety.

Syr James Harebotell ther was slayne

For hym ther hartes were sore.
The gentyll ' Lovell ' ther was slayne.
That the Perssys standerd bore.

Ther was slayne upon the Ynglyssh perte,

Forsoth, as I yow saye
Of nyne thowsand Ynglyssh-men,
Fyve hondert cam awaye. 260

The other were slajnne in the fylde,

Cryst§ kepe ther sowlles from wo,
Seyng ther was so fewe fryndes
Agaynst so many a foo.
 ;

AND BALLADS. 105

Then on the mome they mayde them beerys

Of byrch and haysell graye ;

Many a wydowe with wepyng teyres

Ther makes they fette awaye.

Thys fraye bygan at Otterborne,

Bytwene the nyghte and the day 270
Ther the Dowglas lost hys lyfFe,
And the Perssye was lede awaye.

Then was ther a Scottyssh prisoner tayne,

Syr Hewe Mongomery was hys name,
Forsoth as I yow saye.

He borowed the Perssy home agayne.

Now let us all for the Perssy praye
To Jesu most of myght.
To bryng hys sowlle to the blysse of heven.
For he was a gentyll knyght.

u.<^^,f''^ ^^
'i'-jf F:rt^«-0 -H,
IV.

THE HONTYNG OF THE CHEVIAT.

The Perse owt off Northombarlande,
And a vowe to gOd mayd he.
That he wold hunte in the mountayns
Of Chyviat within dayes thre;
In the magger of doughte Dogles,
And all that ever with him be.

The fattiste hartes in all Cheviat

He sayd he wold kyll and cary them away.
 ; ;; ; ;

106 ANCIENT SONGS

Be my feth, sayd the dougheti Doglas agayn,

I wyll let that hontyng yf that I may. 10

Then the Perse owt of Banborowe cam^

With him a myghtee meany
With fifteen hondrith ' archeres bold. '

The wear chosen owt of shyars thre.

This begane on a monday at morn.
In Cheviat the hillys so he
The chyld may rue that ys unborn.
It was the mor pitte.

The dryvers thorowe the woodes went

For to reas the dear 20
Bomen byckarte uppone the bent
With ther browd aras cleare.

Then the wyld thorowe the woodes went ;

On every syde shear;
Grea hondes thorowe the grevis glent.

For to kyll thear dear.

V
The begane in Chy viat the hyls ' abone,'

Yerly on a monnyn-day.
Be that it drewe to the oware of none
A hondrith fat hartes ded ther lay. 30

The blewe a mort uppone the bent.

The semblyd on sydis shear
To the quyrry then the Perse went.
To se the bryttlynge off the deare.
He sayd. It was the Duglas promys
This day to met me hear
 ; : ; : :; ;

AND BALLADS. 107

/ But I wyste he wold fay lie verament

f A great oth the Perse swear.
At the laste, a squyar of Northomberlonde
Lokyde at his hand full ny, 40
He was war athe doughetie Doglas commyrige.
With him a myghtte meany,

'^ Both with by 11 and brande

spear, ' '

I
Yt was a myghti fight to se,
\
Hardyar men both off hart nar hande
V Wear not in Christiante.
(I

The wear twenty-hondrith spear-men good,

*"- ^
Withowte any feale

The wear borne along be the watter a Twyde,

Yth bowndes of Tividale. 50

Leave off the brytlying of the dear, he sayde.

And to your ^ bowys lock ye tayk good heed
'

For never sithe ye wear on your mothars borne

Had ye never so mickle ned.

The dougheti Dogglas on a stede.

He rode ' all * his men beforne
His armor glytteryde as dyd a glede
A bolder barne was never born.

Tell me what men

'^
' ye ar, he says.

Or whos men that ye be 60

Who gave youe leave to hunte in this

Chy viat-chays in the spyt of me ?

 : ; : ;

108 ANCIENT SONGS

The first ^ man ' that ever him an answear mayd.

It was the good lord Perse
We wyll not tell the ' what men we
*
ar, he says.
Nor whos men that we be
But we will hoiuit here in this chays
In the spyt of thyne and of the.

The fattiste hartes in all Chyviat

We have kyld and cast to carry them away. 7^
By my troth, sayd the doughte Dogglas agayn,
Therfor the ton of us shall de this day.

Then sayd the doughte Doglas

Unto the lord Perse
To kyll all these giltles men,
Alas ! it wear great pitte.

But, Perse, thowe art a lord of lande,

I am a yerle callyd within my contre

Let all our men uppone a parti stande,,

And do the battell off the and of me. 80

Now Cristes cors on his crowne, sayd the lord Perse,

Whosoever therto says nay.

Be my troth, doughte Doglas, he says,

Thow shalt never se that day ;

Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar France,

Nor for no man of a woman born.
But and fortune be my chance,
I dar met him on man for on.
 : ; —
; :

AND BALLADS. 109

Then bespayke a squyar of Northombarlonde,

RicQard] Wytharyngton was his nam 90
It shall never be tolde in Sothe- Ynglonde, he says.
To kyng Herry the fourth for sham.

I wat youe byn great lordes tAvaw,

I am a poor squyar of lande ;

I wyll never se my captayne fyght on a fylde.

And stande myselffe and loocke on
But whyll I may my weppone welde,
I wyll not [^fayl] both harte and hande.

That day, that day, that dredfuU day,

The first fit here I fynde 100
And youe wyll here any mor athe hountyng athe
Chyviat,
Yet ys ther mor behynd.

The Yngglyshe-men hade ther bowys yebent,

Ther hartes were good yenoughe
The first off arros that the shote off.

Seven skore spear-men the sloughe.

Yet byddys the yerle Doglas uppon the bent,

A captayne good yenoughe.
And that was sene, verament.

For he wrought hom both woo and wouche. 110

The Dogglas pertyd his ost in thre,

Lyk a cheffe ' cheften' off pry de.

With suar speares off myghtte tre.

The cum in on every syde.

 : ;

110 ANCIENT SONGS

Thrughe our Yngglishe archery

Gave many a wounde full wyde ;

Many a doughete the garde to dy.

Which ganyde them no pryde.

The Ynglyshe-men let thear ' bowys '

be.
;'
And pulde owt brandes that wer ^ bright 120
It was a hevy syght to se
Bryght swordes on basnites lyght.

Thorowe ryche male and myne-ye-ple.

Many sterne the stroke done streght
Many a freyke, that was full fre,
. Ther undar-foot dyd lyght.

At last the Duglas and the Perse met,

Lyk to captayns of myght and of mayne
The swapte togethar tyll the both swat
With swordes that wear of fjm myllan. 130

I
Thes worthe freckys for to fyght

I
Therto the wear full fayne,
'*-
Tyll the bloode owte off thear basnetes sprente.
As ever dyd heal or ran.

/ ' Holde '

the. Perse, sayd the Doglas,

And ifeth I shall the brynge

Whar thowe shalte have a yeris wagis
Of Jamy our Scottish kynge.

Thou shalte have thy ransom fre,

I hight the hear this thiiige, 140

 ;

AND BALLADS. Ill

For the manfuUyste man yet art thowe.

That ever I conqueryd in filde fightyng.

Nay, sayd the lord Perse,

I tolde it the befome.
f That I wolde never yeldyde be
To no man of woman born.

With that ther cam an arrowe, hastely,

Forthe off a myghtte wane.
Hit hathe strekene the yerle Duglas
In at the brest-bane. 150

' Thoroue ly var and longs bathe

'

The sharpe arrowe ys gane.

That never after, in all his lyffe-days.

He spayke mo wordes but ane.

That was, Fyghte ye, my myrry men, whyllys ye may.
For my lyfF-days ben gan.

The Perse leanyde on his brande.

And sawe the Duglas de ;

He tooke the dede mane be the hande.

And sayd. Wo ys me for the ! 160

To have savyde thy lyfFe I wold have pertyde with

My landes for years thre
For a better man of hart, nare of hande.
Was not in all the north contre.

Off all that se a Skottishe knyght.

Was callyd sir Hewe the Monggonbyrry,
 : ; ; ; : ;

112 ANCIENT SONGS

He sawe the Duglas to the deth was dyght

He spendyd a spear, a trusti tre
He rod uppon a corsiare
Throughe a hondrith archery 17^
He never stynttyde, nar never blane,
Tyll he cam to the good lord Perse.

He set uppone the lorde Perse

A dynte that was full soare
With a suar spear of a myghtte tre
Clean thorow the body he the Perse ' bore/

Athe tother syde, that a man myght se,

A large cloth-yard and mare ;

Towe bettar captayns wear nat in Cristiante,

Then that day slain wear ther. 180

An archar off Northomberlonde

Say slean was lord Perse,
He bar a bende bowe in his hand.
Was made off trusti tre

An arow, that a cloth-yarde was lang,

Toth harde stele hayld he
A dynt that was both sad and soar.
He sat on sir Hewe the Monggonbyrry.

The dynt yt was both sad and sar.

That he of Monggonberry sete, 190

The swan-fethars, that his arrowe bar.
With his hart-blood the wear wete.
 : ; : :

AND BALLADS. 113

Ther was never a freake wone foot wolde fle.

But still in stour dyd stand,

Heawyng on yche othar, whyll the rayght dre.
With many a balfuU brande.

This battell begane in Chyviat,

An owar before the none.
And, when even^song-bell was rang.
The battell was nat half done. 200

/ The tooke Qon] on ether hand,

I
Be the lyght off the mone ;
Many had no strenght for to stande,
In Chyviat the hillys ' abone.'

Of fyfteen-hondrith archars of Ynglonde

Went away but fifti and thre
Of twenty-hondrith spear-men of Skotlonde,
But even five and fifti

But all wear slayne Cheviat within

The had no ' strenght' to stand on hy 210
The chylde may rue that ys unbome,
It was the mor pitte.

Thear was slayne with the lord Perse,

Sir John of Agerstone,
Sir Roger the hinde Hartly,-
Sir Wyllyam the bolde Hearone.

Sir Jorg the worthe Lovele,

A knyght of great renowen,
VOL. I. I
 ; '

114 ANCIENT SONGS

Sir Raff the ryche Rugbe,

With dyntes wear beaten dowene. 220

For Wetharryngton my harte was wo.

That ever he slayne shulde be ;
For when both his leggis wear hewyne into.

Yet he knyled and fought on hys kny.

Ther was slayne with the dougheti Duglas

Sir Hewe the Monggonbyrry,
Sir Davy Lwdale that worthe was.

His sistars son was he.

Sir Charls a Murre, in that place.

That never a foot wolde fle 230
Sir Hewe Maxwell, a lorde he was.
With the Doglas dyd he dey.

So on the morrowe the mayde them byears

OfF birch and hasel so ^ gray
Many wedous, with wepyng tears.
Cam to fach ther makys away.

Tivydale may carpe off care,

Northombarlond may mayke ' great ' mon.
For towe such captayns as slayne wear thear
On the march-perti shall never be non. 240

Word ys commen to Eddenburrowe,

To Jamy the Skottishe kyng.
That dougheti Duglas, lyfftenant of the marches,
He lay slean Chyviot within.
 : !

AND BALLADS, 115

His handdes dyd he weal and wryng.

He sayd, Alas and woe ys me
! !

Such anothar captayn Skotland within.

He sayd, yefeth shuld never be.

Worde is commyn to lovly Londone,

Till the fourth Harry our kyng, 250
That lord Perse leyfF-tenante of the merchis,
He lay slayne Chyviat within.

God have merci on his soil sayd kyng Harry, !

Good Lord, yf thy will it be

I have a hondrith captayns in Ynglonde, he sayd.
As good as ever was he
But, Perse, and I brook my lyffe.

Thy deth well quyte shall be.

As our noble kyng mayde his avowe,

Lyke a noble prince of renowen, 260
For the deth of the lord Perse,
He dyde the battell of Hombyll-down :

Wher syx and thritte Skottish knyghtes

On a day wear beaten down :

Glendale glytteryde on ther armor bryght,

Over castill, towar, and town.

This was the hontynge off the Cheviat,

That tear begane this spurn ;

Old men, that knowen the grownde well yenoughe,

Call it the battell of Otterburn. 270
i2
 : !

116 ANCIENT SONGS

At Otterburn began this spume

Uppon a moiinyn-day
Ther was the dougghte Doglas slean,
The Perse never went away.

Ther was never a tym on the march-partes.

Sen the Doglas and the Perse met.
But yt was mervele and the rede blude ronne not
As the reane doys in the stret.

Jhessue Crist our ' balys ' bete

And to the blys us brynge ! 280
Thus was the hountynge of the ^ Chyviat:'
God send us all good endyng
 : ;;

AND BALLADS. 117

REQUIEM TO THE FAVOURITES OF HENRY VL

The subject of this ballad is the death of William de la Pole, duke
of Suffolk, who being exiled for five years, was taken at sea by a
ship of war called the Nicholas of the Toioer^ belonging to the
duke of Exeter, and on the 2d day of May, 1450, beheaded on
the coast of Dover. (See Caxtons, Stowes, and other chronicles*.)
It appears to have been written immediately after that event, and
before the Kentish insurrection which began in the latter part of
the same month.

From a MS. in the Cotton Library, Vespasian B. xvi.

In the moneth of May, when grasse groweth grene,

Flagrant in her floures, with swete savour,
Jac Napes wold over the see, a mariner to ben
With his clogs and his cheyn, to seke more tresour
Suych a payn prikked hym, he asked a confessoui
Nicolas said, I am redi thi confessour to be.

He was holden so, that he ne passed that hour

For Jac Napes soule Placebo and Dirige t.

[* A particular account of this treacherous murder is contained

in a letter dated the 5th of May, 1450, from William Lomner to

" the ryght worchipfull John Paston at Norwich." Fenns Original
Letters, i. 39. Ed.]
t The Placebo and Dirige are' part of the mass or service for
* the

dead in the Romish church, of which the author distributes the

several parts among the characters he has introduced. See the

Officium Defunctorum of the Roman Breviary. Skelton, in his

" Boke of Philip Sparrow," makes a similar use of it
 ; ; ; ; ;

118 ANCIENT SONGS

Who shall execute his exequies, with a solempnite ?

Bisshopes and lordes, as grete reson is, 10
Monkes, chanons, prestes, and other clergie.

Pray for this dukes soule, that it might come to blis

And let never suychn another come after this.

His interfectours, blessed might thei be.

And graunte them for ther dede to regne with angelis.

And for Jac Nape soule Placebo and Dirige.

Placebo begynneth the bisshop of Herford

Dilexi, for myn avauncement, saith the bisshop of
Chestre
Heir me, saith Salisbury, this gothe to ferre forthe ; 20
Ad deum cum tribularer, saith the abbot of Gloucestre;
Deus custoditf saith the abbot of Rouchestre
Levavi oculos, saith frere Stanbury, volavi;
Si iniquitates, saith the bisshop of Worce[]s]tre
For Jac Nape soule, De prqfundis clamavi.

Opera manuum tuarum, seith the cardynal wisely.

That brought forth coiifitebor, for all this Napes reson,-

Audivi vocem, songe allemighty god an hye.
And therfore syng we. Magnificat anima mea do-

Lucie widow of Edmund earl of Kent (brother and successor to

Thomas) bequeathed 1000 crowns to the priory of the Holy Trinity,
in London, on condition that every convent in each of the houses
named in her will, should once a month in tlieir quire say " Placebo
and Dirige by note, for the souls of them the said Edmund and
Lucie by name," &c. Dug. Baro. ii. 77-
 : ; ; ; ;

AND BALLADS. 119

Unto this Dirige most we gon and come, '

This pascall tyme, to say veryli, 30

Thre psalmes and thre lessons, that is all and some
For Jac Nape soule Placebo and Dirige.

Executors of this office, Dirige for to synge.

Shall begyn the bisshop of Synt- Asse
Verba mea auribus, saith [[the] abbot of Redyng.
Alle your joye and hope is come to alasse
Comiterere domine, yet graunte us grace,
Saith [the] abbot of Synt- Albans, ful sorily
The abbot of the Toure-hill, with his fat face,
Quaketh and tremuleth, for Domine ne in furore. 40

Maister ' Walter' Liard shal syng Nequando ;

The abbot of Westmynstre, Domine deus mens in te

speravi;
Requiem eternam graunte them all to come to,

Therto a Pater noster, saith the bisshop of Synt-

Davy
For thes soules that wise were and mightty,
Suffolk, Moleyns, and Roos, thes thre
And in especial for Jac Napes, that ever was wylyj
For his soule Placebo and Dirige.

Rise up. Say, rede Parce me domine,

Nichil enim sunt dies mei, thou shalt synge 50
The bisshop of Carlyle, syng Credo ful sore :

Tjo suychn fals traitours come foule endyng.

 : ;

IW ANCIENT SONGS

The baron of Dudley, with grete mornyng,

Redeth, Tedet animam meam vite mee :
Who but Danyel, Qui lasarum, shal syng ?
For Jac Nape soule. Placebo and Dirige.

John Say redeth, Manus tuefecerunt me;

Libera me, sjnigeth Trevilian, warre the rere.

That thei do no more so, Requiescant in pace

Thus prayes all Englond ferre and nerre, 60
Where is Somerset ? whi aperes he not here ?
To synge Dies ire et miserie ?
God graunte Englond alle infere,
For thes traitours to syng Placebo and Dirige.

Meny mo ther be behjmde, the sothe for to telle.

That shal messes oppon thes do Qings] synge

I pray som man do ryng the belle.
That these forsaiden may come ta the sacryng.
And that in brief tyme, without more tarieng.

That this messe may be ended in suyche degre ; 70

And that all Englond joy full may synge.
The commendacion with Placebo and Dirige,
 AND BALLADS. 121

>
VI.

SATIRE AGAINST THE LOLLARDS,

particularly leveled at sir John Oldcastle, lord Cobham, the
Coryphaeus of the sect ; who, having been condemned to the flames
for his erroneous opinions, made his escape from the Tower before
the day appointed for his execution. This happened in the year 141'{,
when tlie present ballad seems to have been written. Lord Cobham
in his retreat, in order to effect a speedy and thorough reformation both
in Church and State, formed a plan of seizing the kings person,
and actually caused a large body of his enthusiastic adherents, to
the number, as is said, of 20,000, all totally ignorant of his designs,
but not the less ready to execute his orders, to assemble in St. Giles's

fields, where many of them were seized, and the rest dispersed by
the civil power. And their chieftain himself, being taken a few
years after, was hanged as a traitor, and burnt on the gibbet as a
heretic, pursuant to his sentence, ( Vide Rot. Pari, IV. 107, ^c.)
LoUardy, a word of uncertain derivation, is well known to mean with
us the doctrines propagated by John Wickliffe and his followers,
which had in the beginning of this reign gained a considerable
footing. To check the further progress of this popular heresy,
and maintain the cause of " the great goddess Diana," which
appears to have been in no small danger, the reigning clergy had
recourse to two methods; of which Ridicule or Satire was the more

innocent, butHanging and Burning the more eiBScacious *.

The following ballad is contained in the same MS. witJh the pre-
ceding.

* The latter argument is irrefragable, and indeed the only mode of con-
viction upon which the Orthodox Clergy of all ages and countries have, as
the dernier resort, chosen to rely. It was used at the Reformation with
great success, particularly by that pious prince and subtle theologist
Henry VIIJ., whose uLliina ratio it was in all his public disputations,

where, as is well known, he never failed to silence his opponent. Un-

fortunately, some of the most dexterous polemics of that period were after-

wards confuted upon their own principle. ( Vide Fox's Martyrs, Lives of
Cranmcr, Ridley, &c.)
 ;

122 ANCIENT SONGS

Lo he that can be Cristes clerc.

And knowe the knottes of his crede.
Now may se a wonder werke.
Of harde happes to take goud heede.
The dome of deth is hevy drede.
For hym that wol not mercy crie,

Than is niy rede, for mucke ne mede.

That no man melle of 'lollardye.'

I sey for meself, yut wist I never.

But now late what hit shuld be, 10
And by my trouth I have wel lever.
No more kyn than my a. b. c.

, To lolle so hie in suych degre.

Hit is no perfit ' polecie,' *

Sauf seker sample to the and me.

To bewar of lollardie.

The game is noght to lolle so hie.

That fete failen fondement.

And yut is a moche folic.

For fals beleve to ben brent 20

That the bibell is al mys went.
To jangle of Job or Jeremye,
That construen hit after her entent.

For lewde lust of lollardie.

Hit is unkyndly for a knight.

That shuld a kynges castel kepe,

* Profecie, MS.
 ;

AND BALLADS. 12S

To bable the bibel day and night.

In restyng tyme when he shuld slepe.

And carefoly awey to crepe.

For alle the chief of chivakie, 30

Wei aught hym to waile and wepe.
That suyche lust hath in lollardie.

An old castel and not repaired.

With wast walles and wowes wide.
The wages ben ful yvel wared.
With suiche a capitayn to abide.
That rereth riot for to ride

Agayns the kyng and his clergie.

With prive peyne and pore pride,
Ther is a poynt of lollardie. 40

For many a man withyn a while

Shal aby his gult ful sore.
So fele gostes to begile,

Hym aught to rue evermore

For his sorowe shal he never restore.
That he venemed with envye.
But ban the burthe that he was of bore.
Or ever had lust in lollardie.

Every shepe that shuld be fed in felde.

And kepte fro wolfes in her folde, 50
Hem nedeth nether spere ne shulde,
Ne in no castel to be withholde.
For that the pasture is ful colde.

In somer seson when hit is drie.

 : ;

124 ANCIENT SONGS

And namly when the soyle is solde.

For lewde lust of loUardie.

An old castel draw al doun.

Hit is ful hard to rere it newe.
With suych a congregacion.
That cast hem to be untrewe 60
When beggers mow nether bake ne brewe,
Ne have wherwith to borow ne bie.
Than mot [^they] not robbe or reve,
Unde[r] the colour of lollardie.

That castel is not for a kyng.

That the walles ben overthrowe.
And yut wel wors abidyng.
When the captayn away is flowe
And forsake spere and bowe.
To crepe fro knighthode into clergie, 70
That is a bitter blast yblowe.
To be bawde of lollardie.

I trowe ther be no knight alyve

That wold have don so open a shame.
For that crafte to studi or strive

Hit is no gentel mannes game

But if h3rm lust to have a name
Of peloer under ipocrasie.

And that were a foule defame

To have suych lose of lollardie. 80

And perde loUe thei never so long,

Yut wol lawe make hem lowte.
 ; !

AND BALLADS. 125

God wol not sufFre hem be so strong

To bryng her perpos so abowte ;

With saunz faile and saunz doute^

To rere riot and robberie.
By reson thei shul not long route.
While the taile is docked of loUardie.

Of the hede hit is las charge

When grace wol not be his gide, 90

Ne sufFre hym for to lepe at large,
But hevely his hede to hide.
Where shuld he other route or ride
Agayns the chief of chivalrie, ,

Not hardi in no place to abide.

For alle the sekte of lollardie.

A god, what unkyndly gost

Shuld greve that god grucched nought
Thes loUardes that lothen ymages most.
With mannes handes made and wrought, 100
And pilgrimages to be sought,
Thei seien hit is but mawmentrie
He that this lose first up brought
Had gret lust in lollardie.

He wer ful lewde that wold byleve

In figure made of stok or ston,
Yut for me shuld we none repreve
Nether of Marie ne of Jon,
 ;

126 ANCIENT SONGS

Petre, Poule, ne other none

Canonised by clergie^,

Than the seyntes every chone 110

Be litel holde to lollardie.

And namly James among hem alle

For he twyes had ternement,

Moch mischaunse mot him befalle
That beheded hym in Kent ;
last

And alle that were of that assent

To Crist of heven I clepe and crie
Sende hem the same jugement.
And alle the sekte of lollardie. 120i

For that vengans agayns kynde

Was a poynt of cowardyse.
And namly suyche on to bete or bynde
That might not stand set ne rise

What dome wold ye hym devyse

By lawe of armes or gentrie.
But serve hym in the same wise
And alle the sekte of lollardie ?

When falsnes faileth frele folie.

Pride wol perseyn sone among, 130

Than willerdorae with old envy
Can none other way but wrong.
For synne and shame with sorowe strong,

So overset with avutrie,

 ;

AND BALLADS. 127

That fals-beleve is fayn to fong

The lewde lust of lollardie.

And under colour of suiche loUyng,

.To shape sodeyn surreccion
Agaynst oure liege lord Qhe] kyng.
With fals ymaginacion. 140
And for that corsed conclusion.
By dome of knighthod and clergie,
Now turneth to confusion
The sory sekte of lollardie.

For holy writ berith witnes

He that fals is to his kyng
That shamful deth and hard distres
Shal be his dome at his endyng
Than double deth for suych lollyng
Is hevy when we shul hennes hye, 150
Now lord that madest of nought alle thing
Defende us alle fro lollardie.
 1^ ANCIENT SONGS

VII.

A ROUNDELL OF 'KYNG HENRY THE SEXT» AYExNS

HIS CORONACION,
MADE BY LYDEGATE DAUN JOHN.
From the Harleian MSS. No. 7333. Dan John Lydgate, monk of
Bury, who, we regard the bulk and number of his writings, was
if

certainly the greatest poet we ever had, dyed very old, ' about the
middle of the fifteenth century*.' Hen. VI. was crowned in 1422.

Rejoice ye reames of Englond and of ffraunce,

A braunche that sprang oute of the floure de lys,
Blode of seint Edward and saint Lowys,
God hath this day sent in governaunce.

God of nature hath yoven him sufEsaunce

Likly to atteyne to grete honure and pris.

O hevenly blossome^, o budde of all plesaunce,

God graunt the grace for to ben als wise
As was thi fader by circumspect advise.
Stable in vertue withoute variaunce.

* " The completest list of [the works of] this voluminous prosaick
and driveling monk," amounting to 251, and of which the trifle here
inserted is rather a favourable specimen, may be seen in Mr. Ritsons
Bibliographia Poetica. (8vo. 1802, p. 66. J Ed.
 AND BALLADS. 129

VIII.

A ROUNDEL ON FORTUNE.
From MSS. More. F f. L 6.

When Fortune list ye we here assent.

What is too deme that may be doo.
There schapeth nought from her entent.
For as sche will it goth ther to.

All passeth by her jugement.

The hy astate the pore allsoo.

When Fortune Q&c]

Too ly ve in joy out of turment,
Seyng the worlde goth too and fro.
Thus is my schort aviseament.
As hyt comyth so lete it go.
When Fortune [&c.]

IX.

A SONG ON AN INCONSTANT MISTRESS.

From the same MS.

Who so lyst to love god send hym right good spede.

Some tyme y loved, as ye may see,

A goodlyer ther myght none be,

VOL. I. K
 ;

130 ANCIENT SONGS

Here womanhode in all degree.

Full well she quytt my mede.

[Who so lyst &c.]

Unto the tyme, upon a day.

To sone ther fill a gret affray.
She badde me walke forth on my way.
On rae she gatt none hede. 10
Woso lyst &c.

I askid the cause why and wherfor.

She displeside was with me so sore

She wold nat tell, but kept in store,

Perdy it was no nede.

Woso lyst &c.

For if y hadde hur displeased

In worde or dede, or hir greved.
Than if she hadde before meved.
She hadde cause in dede. 20
Woso list &c.

But well y wote y hadde nat done,

Hur to displese, but in grete mone
She hath me left and ys agone.
For sorwe my hert doth blede.
Wo so lyst &c.
Some tyme she wold to me complayne,
Yff she had felt dysease or payne.
Now fele y nought but grete disdayne.
Alias, what is your rede ? 30
Wo so list &c.
 AND BALLADS. IBl

Shall y leve of, and let hur go ?

Nay y do so,
ner the rather will
Yet though unkyndnesse do me wo,
Hur will y love and drede.
Wo so list &c
Some hope that whan she knowith the case,
Y truste to god that withyne short spase
She will me take agayne to grace.
Than have y well abydde. 40
Wo so list &c.

And for trew lovers shall y pray.

That ther ladyes fro day to day.

May them' ' rewarde so that they may

With joy ther ly ves lede.
Wo so list &c.

X.

THE CONTEST OF THE IVY AND THE HOLLY.

From a MS. of Henry th'e 6ths time. (Bibl. Harl. No. 5396.) Stow,
in his " Survay of London," 1598, p. 284, speaking of a long pole
preserved in Gisors or Gerards Hall in the city, says it " might
be used of olde time (as then the custome was in every parish) to be
set up in the streete, in the summer, as a Maypole, . . . and to stand

in the Hall before the serine, decked with Holme and Ivie, all

the feast of Christmas ;" and adds, in the margin, by way of gloss,
that " Every mans house of olde time was decked with Holly
and IviE in the winter, especially at Christmas.'*

It appears from Ames and Herberts " Typographical Antiquities^''''

\ F. 44. then. MS.]

s k2
 : ; ; ;

132 ANCIENT SONGS

p. 359, that, in 1561, W. Copland paid 4d. for a licence, from the
Stationers company, to print " A ballette entitled holy and Jiyve.**

In the above library (No. 2253) is " A poem upon the contention
between the Summer and the Winter," which, if not the original of
the following song, may serve to evince the popularity of the sub-
ject. It begins thus
" Un graunt estrif oy lautrer *
Entre este e sire yver,

Ly queux avereit la seignurie" &c.

Nay, Ivy, nay,

Hyt shal not be, I wys
Let Holy hafe the maystry.
As the maner ys.

Holy stond in the halle,

Fayre to behold
Ivy stond wythout the dore.
She ys ful sore a-cold.

Nay, Ivy, [&c.]

Holy and hys mery men, 10

They dawnsyn and they syng
Ivy and hur maydenys.
They wepyn and they wryng.
Nay, [&c.]

Ivy hath a kybe.

She kaght yt wyth the colde.

So mot they all haf ae.

That wyth Ivy hold.

Nay, Ivy, ' nay, ' hyt Q&c]
• Not Vantrer as in Wan. Cat.
 '

AND BALLADS. 138>

Holy hat berys, 20

As rede as any rose.
*
The foster [[and] the hunter '

Kepe hem fro the ' doos.

Nay, Ivy, nay, hyt Q&c]

Ivy hath berys.

As blake as any slo,

Ther com the oule.

And ete hym as she goo.

Nay, Ivy, nay, hyt|[&c.]

Holy hath byrdys, .30

A ful fayre flok.

The nyghtyngale, the poppynguy.

The gayntyl lavyrok.
Nay, [&c.]

•
Gode Ivy,
What byrdys ast thu ?
Non but the howlat.
That kreye how, how !

Nay, Ivy, nay,

Hyt shal not [he, I wys, 40
Let Holy hafe the maystry.
As the maner ys.]

[V. 22. hunters. MS.] [V. 23. doo. MS]

IM ANCIENT SONGS

XI.

A SONG IN PRAISE OF SIR PENNY.

The praises of this worthy knight have been a favourite topic both
with the English and Scotish poets See *' Ancient Scottish
poems," published by Lord Hailes, Edinburgh, 1770, p. 153; or
" The Caledonian Muse," Lond. 1785*. There is an excellent
poem on this subject in a MS. of the Cotton library, Galba E.
ix. This is from the Sloane MS. (No. 2593) above described.
In a MS. of the 13th or 14th century, in the library of Berne, (Num.
354), is an ironical poem in praise of money, intitled, " Dc dans
Denier,''^ of which the following is a specimen :

" Denier fait cortois de vilain

Denier feit de malade sain
Denier sorprent le monde a plain
Tot est en son commandement."

The origin of all these pieces is, possibly, to be referred to a very

ancient French fabliau, intitled De Dom Argent, of which M.
le Grand has given an extract in modern prose. {Fabliaux ou
Contes, tom. iii. p. 243.)

Go bet, Peny, go bet [go].

For thu makyn bothe frynd and fo.

* The work here quoted was then partly printed, but never pub-
lished. JMr. Ritson subsequently increased the collection with the
" Pystyl of swete Susane," from the Vernon MS. and other poems,
and added " Essays" and a " Glossary," all now in the possession
of the editor, who is preparing the work, in its improved state, for
the press.
 :

AND BALLADS. 135

Peny is an hardy knyght,

Peny is mekyl of myght,
Peny of wrong, he makyt ryght.
In every cuntre qwer he goo.
[Go bet, &c.]

Thow I have a man islawe.

And forfetyd the kynges lawe,
I xal fyndyn a man of lawe, 10
Wyl takyn myn peny, and let me goo.
[Go bet, &c.]

And if I have to don fer or ner.

And Peny be myn massanger.
Than am I nothing in dwer,
My cause xal be wol doo.
[Go bet, &c.]

And if I have pens bothe good and fyn.

Men wyl byddyn me to the wyn.
That I have xal be ther[in] 20
Sekyrly thei wil seyn so.

[Go bet, &c.]

And quan I have non in myn purs,

Peny bet, ne peny wers.
Of me thei holdyn but lytil fors.

He was a man, let hym goo.

[Go bet, Peny, go bet, go.
For thu makyn both frynd and fo.]
 ;

136 ANCIENT SONGS

XII.

" LYTYLL THANKE."

From a MS. in the Cotton library (Titus A. xxvi.) of Henry the

6ths time. A few stanzas at the b^inning are supposed to be
lost : [soine preceding leaves of the MS. appearing to have beea
cut out.]

Go ye befFore, be twayne and twayne,

Wysly that ye be not i-sayne
And ' I '11
' go home and com agayne,
To witte what dothe owre syre,

Gode gosyp.
For yyfF hit happ he dyd me see,

A strjrpe or to god myght send me,

Yytte sche that is aferre lette her flee.
For that is nowght be this fyre,

Gode gosyp. 10

' Tho ' every che of hem browght ther dysche.

Sum browght fleshe and som browght fyshe
Quod Margery meke thann with a wjnse,
I wold that Frankelyne the harper were here,
Gode gosip.
She hade notte so sone the word i-sayd.
But in come Frankelyn at a brayd^

V. 3. I shalle. MS. F. 11. That. MS.

 AND BALLADS. 1S7

God save youe, mastres, he sayde,

I come to make youe some chere,
Gode gosyp. 20

Anon he began to drawe owght his harpe,

Tho the gossyppes began to starte.
They callyd the tawyrner to fFyll the quarte,
AndAette note for no coste,

/ Good gosyp.
Then seyd the gossyppes all infere,

Streke up, harper, and make gode chere,

And wher that I goo, fere or nere.
To owre hu[^s]bondes make thou no bosle,
God gossip. 30

Nay, mastres, as mote I thee.

Ye schall newyr be wrayed ffor me,
I had lever her dede to be
As hereof to be knowe.
Good gosyp.
They fFylled the pottes by and by.
They lett not for no coste trully.
The harpyr stroke up merrely.
That they myght onethe blowe.
Good gosyp. 40

They sette them downe, they myght no more,

Theyre legges they thought were passyng soore,

t V. 29. The word supplied in Italics has been torn ofFthe MS.]
138 ANCIENT SONGS

They prayd the harper kepe sum store.

And lette us drynke a bowght,

Gode gosyp.
Heye the tavernere I praye the.
Go fyll the potteys lyghtyly.
And latte us dry[]n]ke by and by,
And lette the cupe goo route.
Good gosyp. ^ 50

This ys the thowght that gossypes take,

Onys in the weke they wyll merey make.
And all smalle drynckys they wyll forsake.
And drynke wyne of the best.
Good gosyp.
Some be at the taverne onys in the weke.
And some be there every day eke.
And ellse ther hartes will be seke.
And gyffe her hosbondys ewyll reste.
Good gosyp. 60

When they had dronke and mad them glad.

And they schuld rekyn theyn they sad.
Call they tavernere anone they bade.
That we were lyghtly hens.
Good gosyp.
I swere be god and by seynt Jayme,
I wold notte that oure syre at home,
QShold wyt] that we had this game,
Notte for fourty pens,
Good gosyp. 70
 vVND BALLADS. 139

Gadyr the scote and lette us wend,

And lette us goo home by lurcas ende.
For dred we mete note with owre frend
Or that we come home.
Good gosyp.
When they had there countes caste,
Everyche of hem spend six pens at the last,

lias, cothe Scyscely, I am agaste,

schall be schent evrychone.
Good gosyp. 80

Fro the taverne be they all goone.

And everyche of hem schewythe her wysdom.
And there sche tellythe her husbond anone,
Shee had been at the chyrche,

Gode gosyp.
Off her werke she takythe no kepe,
Sche muste as for anowe go sclepe,
And ells for ' angeyr '
wyll sche wepe.
She may no werkes wurche.
Good gosyp. 90

Off her slepe when sche dothe wake,

Faste in hey then gan sche arake.
And cawtlie her serwantes abowte the bake,
YfF to here they outhe had sayd,
Good gosyp.

[ V. 88. aggeyr. MS.]

140 ANCIENT SONGS

Off this proses I make an end

Becawse I will have women to be my fFrend,
Of there dewosyon they wold send
A peny for to drynke at the end,

Gode gosyp. 100

XIII.

WOLCUM YOL.

A CHRISTMAS CAROly

From the Sloane MS. No. 2593.

WoLCUM yol, thu mery man.

In worchepe of this holy day.

Wolcum be thu, hevene kyng,

Wolcum, born in on morwenyng,
Wolcum for hom we xal syng,
Wolcum yol.

Wolcum be ye Stefne and Jon,

Wolcum Innocentes everychon,
Wolcum Thomas martyr on,
Wolcum yol. 10

Wolcum be ye, good newe yere,

Wolcum twelthe-day, bothe infer,
Wolcum seyntes lef and der,
Wolcum yol.
 :

AND BALLADS. 141

Wolcum be ye Candylmesse,
Wolcum be ye qwyn of blys,
Wolcum bothe to mor and lesse,
Wolcum yol.

Wolcum be ye that am her,

Wolcum alle and mak good cher, 20
Wolcum alle another yer,
--^.^^^ Wolcum yol.

XIV.

A CAROL FOR SAINT STEPHENS DAY.

From the same MS.

Seynt Stevene was a clerk

In kyng Herowdes halle.

And servyd him of bred and cloth.

As ever kyng befalle.

Steyyii out of kechon cam,

Wyth boris hed on honde.
He saw a sterr was fayr and bryght
Over Bedlem stonde.

He kyst adoun the bores hed.

And went into the halle 10
" I forsake the, kyng '
Herowde, '

And thi werkes alle.

 ;
: :

142 ANCIENT SONGS

'

I forsak the, kyng ' Herowde,

And thi werkes alle

Ther is a cliyld, in Bedlem born^

Is beter than we alle."

" Quhat eylyt the, Stevene ?

Quhat is the befalle ?

Lakkyt the eyther mete or drynk
In kyng Herowdes halle ?" 20

'' Lakit me neyther mete ne drynk

In kyng Herowdes halle
Ther is a chyld, in Bedlem born.
Is beter than we alle."

" Quhat eylyt the, Stevyn, art thu wod ?

Or thu gynnyst to brede ?

Lakkyt the eythar gold or fe.

Or ony ryche wede ?"

" Lakyt ' me '
neyther gold ne fe,

Ne non ryche wede 30

Ther is a chyld, in Bedlem born,
Xal helpyn us at our nede."

" That is al so soth, Stevyn,

Al so soth, i wys.
As this capon crowe xal
That lyth her in myn dych."

That word was not so sone seyd.

That word in that halle,

[ F F. 11 . 1 3. Herowdes. MS.^
 :

AND BALLADS. 143

The capon crew, Christus nalus est!

Among the lordes alle. 40

'* Rysyt up, myn turmentowres

Be to and al be on.
And ledyt Stevyn out of this town.
And stonyt hym wyth ston."
Tokyn ' hem '
Stevene,
And stonyd hym in the way
And therfor is his evyn
On Crystes owyn day.

XV.

A CAROL FOR SAINT EDMUNDS DAY.

;
From the same MS.

A NEWE song i wil begynne.

Of kyng Edmund that was so fre.
How he deyid withoute synne.
And bow[|n]dyn his body was to a tre.

Wyth arwys scharpe they gunne hym prykke.

For non rewthe wold they lete,
As dropys of reyn they comyn thikke.
And every arwe with other gan mete.

And his hed also thei of smette.

Among the breres thei it kest.
 ; ; ;

144 ANCIENT SONGS

A wolf it kept witoutyn lette,

A blynd man fond it at the last.

Prey we to that worthi kyng

That sufferid ded this same day.
He saf us, bothe eld and yyng.
And scheld us fro the fendes fray.

XVI.

THE RECOLLECTIONS OF CHATELAIN.

extracted from the " Faictz et dictz de feu maistre Jehan
Molinet [chanoine de Valenciennes,]" Paris, 1531, folio; under
the title of " Recollection des merveilleuses advenues en nostre
"
temps, par tres-elegant orateur messire George ' Chastellain.'

Qui veult ouyr nouvelles

Estranges a compter,
Je sqay les nompareilles^

Que homme [ne] sgauroit chanter,

Et toutes advenues
Depuis long-temps en ca
Je les ay retenues,
Et s^ay comment il va.

Les unes sont piteuses,

Et pour gens esbahir 10

Et les autres doubteuses,
De meschef advenir
 ;;

AND BALLADS. 145;

Les tierces sont estranges,

Et passent sens humain,^

Aucunes en louenges,
Autres par autre main.

En France la tres-belle,

Fleur de crestiente,
Je veiz une pucelle
Sourdre en auctorite, 20
Qui fit lever le siege
D'Orleans, en ses mains
Puis le roy par prodiege
Mena sacrer a Reims.

Saincte fut aoree

Par les oeuvres que fist

Mais puis fut rencontree

Et prise sans prouffit.
Arse a Rouen en cendre,
Au grant dur des Frangois, 30
Donnant depuis entendre
Son revivre autres fois.

J'ay veu ung petit moysne

En Romme dominer,
Et en tres grant ensoigne
Le pape gouverner ;

Dont depuis I'adventure

Fut d'estre escartelle,

A honte et a laidure
Comme traistre appelLe. 40
VOL. I. L
 ; ;

146 ANCIENT SONGS

J'ay vu ung ypocrite.

Pour lemonde prescher,
Soy-disant carmelite^
Et fol soy advancer
De dire messe sainte.
Sans de prestrise adveu
Laquelle chose atteinte
Fut condamne en feu.

Depuis veiz en Escosse

Le roy ' Jacques' meurdrir, 50
D'espee et de talloce,

Et luy convint souffrir

Et prendre en pacience
A sa noble mouUier,
La royne, qui en ce
Prist peine a se venger.

J'ay un due de Savoye

Veu pape devenir,
Ce qui fut hors de voye
Pour a salut venir 60
Si en vint dure playe
En I'esglise de dieu,
Mais il en re^eut paye
A Ripaille son lieu.

J'ay veu a la grant Romme

Meurdrir ung cardinal,

[r.60. Divid.P. C]
 ; :

AND BALLADS. 147

Par ung faulx raauvais homme.

Son barbier desloyal
Gisant en lit paisible,

Querant sa coyete, 70
Dont en tourment horrible
II flit execute.

J'ay puis jceu-sourdre en France,

Par grant derision.

La racine et la branche
De toute abusion.
Chef de I'orgueil du monde,
Et de lubricite
Femme ou tel mal habonde
Rend povre utilite. . 80 ^
Puis ay veu, par mistere
Monter ung argentier,
Le plus grant de la terre,
Marchant et financier.

Que depuis la fortune

Veiz mourir en exil,

Apres frauldes mainte line

Faicte au roy par cas vil.

J'ay veu par excellence

Ung jeune de vingtz ans, 90
Avoir toute science
Et les degres montans.
Soy vantant sgavoir dire
Ce qu'oncques fut escript,

l2
 ;

im ANCIENT SONGS

Par seuUe foiz le lire,

"
Comme ung jeune ' antecrist.

Par fortune senestre,

Veiz a I'oeil vivement

Le grand due de Glocestre
Meurdrir piteusement » 100
En vin plain une cuve
Failloit qu'estrangle fust,

Cuidant par celle estruve

Que la mort n'y parust.

Ung Gilles de Bretaigne,

Nepveu au roy Charlon,
Veiz je, par mode estrange,
Estrangler en prison
Par Tadveu de son frere,

Dont cite devant dieu, 110

Mourut de mort amere
Tout soubdain comme sieu.

D'Espaigne ung connestable

Haultainnement regnant.
Grant maistre redoubtable
De Sainct-Jacques le grant,
D'or riche oultre mesure,
Celluy veiz-je mourir
De mort confuse et dure,
Ce fist son demerir. 120

Le tresor de Venise,
Oil si grant apporta.
 ;

AND BAIXADS. 149

Veiz-je embler par remprise

D'ung Grec, qui remportd ;
Depuis ung sien compere
Fist accusation,
Dont dommaige grant ere
De pendre ung tel larron.

Depuis en ung^p^ovince
Trouvay ung accuseur, 130
Qui me disoit que ung prince
Coucha avec sa seur,
Soubz une faulse bulle,

Cuidant dispense avoir,

Dont honneur le reculle

Et non qu'a bon debvoir*

J'ay veu Millan conquerre

Par ung povre routier,

Et plus los y acquerrfi,

Qu'ung roy vray heritier 140

Se luy en est bien deue
La gloire de Tarroy,

Car sa vertu congneue

Vault couronne de roy,

J'ay veu de trois centaines

Vielle possession,
Exposer d'Acquitaine
Angloise nation,
Et Bordeaulx et Bayonne
Prise du roy Frangois 150
 ' ,

150 ANCIENT SONGS

Louenge a la couronne
Qui fist sy haiilt exploix.

J'ay veu la Normandie,

Et la noble Rouen,
Submise ^ la ' maistrie
Du jfoy et de son ban,
JMonstrant la ses banieres
Sur ' les ' vielz ennemys,
Les quelz par armes fieres

Vainqueurs il a remys. 160

J'ay veu ung hault emprendre

Pour advenir grans maulx,
De tuer et de pendre,
Beaucoup de cardinaulx,
Et du pape ainsy faire,
Se dieu n'y eust pourveu,
Estienne de Procaire
A Romme en fut pendu.
J'ay veu grand' invaincue,
Subjuguer a mes yeulx, 170
D'ung prince soubz la nue
Le plus victorieux,
Et d'espee mortoire
Vaincre ses habitans,

Dont cas de telle gloire

Ne fut passe mil ans.

[ V. 155. raaistrise. P. C] [V. 158. Ic. P. C]

 AND BALLADS. 151

J 'ay veux extreme chose.

Chevalier soubz trente ans
Combatre en lice close

Vingt-deux nobles gens, 180

Par tant de foys diverses,

Comme il y a de noms,
Sans fouUe et sans traverse,

Ce qu'oncques^e fist horns.

La cite Constantine
Depuis veiz envahir
De la gent Sarrazine,
Qui la vindrent saisir,
Et la teste copperent
Au vieillart empereur, 190
Sans ce que ailleurs monstrerent
Mainte aultre grant horreur.

J'ay veu une Lucrece

En Romme dominer,
De Naples, non de Grece,
Pour le pape honnorer,
AUer au devant d'elle
Cardinaulx et prelatz,
Et sy n'estoit que ancelle
Du roy, pour son soulas. 200

J'ay veu roy de Honguerie

Faire preparement
De haulte drurie,
Tres glorieusement.
 ; ;

15^ ANCIENT SONGS

Qui attendoit la chere

Du nuptial atour
Trouve fut mort en biere,

Ne s^ayt-on par quel tour ?

Luy mort;, prit la couronne

Le filz d'ung compaignon, 210
Vertueuse personne,
Et de tres grant renom
Ainsi royal ' racine
Prist la son dernier plong,
Et la basse origine

Monta en royal tronc.

J'ay veu I'aisne de France

Fuy tif de son sourgeon,
Venir prendre umbroiance
Soubz le due Bourguignon, 220
Et le mettre en couronne
Non gueres biens venu
Dieu congnoist en son throsne
S'il I'a bien recongneu.

J'ay veu peuple confondre,

Et royaulme troubler,
Chasteaulx et villes fondre,

Et citez abismer,

Craventer les eglises,

Fendans toutes parmy, 230

En Naploises pourprises,
Ce fist ce grant ay my.
 ;

AND BALLADS. 153

J'ay veu descendre en France

Anglois encontre Angles,
Par contrainte et puissance.

Pour contendre au posses,

Pour Cales et pour Guines,

Ce fut tout cest esmeu
Ce sont estranges signes,
Le cas bien entendu. 240

Passant par Engleterre

Je veiz en grant tourment,
Les seigneurs de la terre

S'entretuer forment,
Avec ung tel deluge.
Qui cueurs esbahissoit,
Qu' a peine y eut refuge
Ou mort n'apparoissoit.

Ung nouveau roy creerent.

Par despiteux vouloir, 250
Le vieil en debouterent,
Et son legitime hoir.
Qui fuytyf alia prendre
D'Escosse le garand,
De tous siecles le mendre,
Et le plus tollerant.

J 'ay veu en grant fortune

Una des fleurs de lis

Tenir en prison brune,

En tres povres delictz, 260
 ;

154 ANCIENT SONGS

Prive de seigneurie
Et de royal honneur,
Dont la gloire perie
Est en sa prime fleur.

De Cypre la couronne
Ay je veu emprunter
Au chef de Babilone,
Pour le roy en jecter
Bastard est et d'esglise
Celluy qui le maintient, 270
Et n'a compte a reprise,

Ny a mal qui en vient.

La royne veiz descendre

Dedans le marin cours.
Par ung ardant contendre
Vers France pour secours.
Qui depuis fut pillee,
Et mis au sacqueman.
Par pillars de Gallee
Du port Venician. 280

J'ay veu de deux royaulmes

Deux roys contemporains,
Confesser en leur ames
Haulx motz et souverains,

De tenir leur couronne,

Et leur pourpre vestii,
D'une senile personne,

Le grant due de Vertu.

 AND BALLADS. 155

J'ay ung roy de Cecille

Veu devenir berger, 290

Et la femme gentille
De ce propre mestier,
Portant la pennetiere.

La houllete et chappeau,^^
Logeant sur la bruyere,

Aupres de leur troppeau.

J'ay veu de Georgie

Et du hault orient,
De Perse et d'Armeiiie,
Diverse estrange gent, 300
Mesme d' ung infidelle

Transmettre au roy Charlon,

Pour luy donner querelle
Contra le Turc felon.

Le hault due de Bourgoigne

Fort bien le recoeillit,

Dont I'oeuvre assez tesmoigne

Quel honneur il leur fist.

L'honneur fut si profonde

Et de si haultain faict, 310
Que jusques au bout du monde
La memoire s'en fait.

J'ay veu deux ' fois ' commettes

Manifester au ciel,

Et d'estranges pianettes
Plus ameres que fiel,

\y. 313, trois, r. C]

 '
; ;

156 ANCIENT SONGS

Dont les fins non congneues

Sont d'esbahissement,
Et de non advenues
N'est nul vray jugement. 320

J'ay veu chose inhumaine

Et cruelle, en la foy,

Tuer a force pleine

Gens d'eglise a desroy ;

La cite de Mayence
En est tournee en feu
Et a si grefve oultrance.
Que oncques tel mal ne fu.

O ! hault due, plein de gloire

Et vous, son noble filz ! 330
Ceste brefve memoire,
De tant de divers dis.
Ay fait en voz louanges,
D'ung cueur non vermolut
II plaise au roy des * anges
Qu'il vous tourne a salut.

J'ay veu dure vieillesse.

Qui me vint tourmenter,

Se fault que je delaisse

L'escripre et le dieter, 340

En rime telle quelle,

Puisque je vois mourant

MoLiNET, mon sequelle,

Fera le demourant.

[ r 335. Angclz. P. C]
 ; ; ;

AND BALLADS. 157

TRANSLATION, BY SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART».

He that will hear of marvels strange

As story e'er enroll'd.
Of me shall learn such matchless change
As ne'er in song was told.
Each wondrous hap since first my eyes
The living light did view.
From memorys faithful treasuries
I know to tell it true.

And some are piteous all to know.

And draw the listeners tears 10
And some that augur future woe.
Impress with boding fears
Of some the dark mysterious maze
Exceeds our human skill

And some record the heros praise.

And some the felons ill.

* The present editor had the honour of being originally engaged

by his relation and friend to render this rude chronicle into English
rhirae"; a task which he willingly resigned to abler hands. The
version here given was not however found amongst Mr. Ritsons
manuscripts after his death, though undertaken at his request, but

has been since obligingly communicated by the author.

 ; ; ;; ; !;

158 ANCIENT SONGS

All in fair France, that lovely land.

The flower of Christentie,
I saw lead on an armed band
A maid of low degree . 20
I saw her sweep the siege away.
Which girt fair Orleans round
By her in Rheims' cathedral grey
I saw her monarch crown'd.

I saw her as a saint adored.

Who broke her countrys chain
Yet, changeful fortune of tlie sword
At length I s^w her ta'en.

Mourn, Gallia, mourn from Rouens

! walls
Her death-smoke blots the skies 30
Yet, when again her country calls.
The martyred maid shall rise.

And next I saw a petty friar

Assume the sacred sway.

And dictate to our holy sire.
And bid the church obey.
The saucy priest, his power down-borne,
Incurr'd a traitors doom
His loathsome corpse in quarters shorn

Defiled the streets of Rome. 40

1 saw a feigned Carmelite

Roam through the land to preach
And there the frantic hypocrite
Foul heresy did teach ;
 ; ;

AND BALLADS. 159

Unlicensed by the priestly name.

The holy mass he sung
For which upon a pile of flame

Convicted he was flung.

Even in fair Scotlands kingly hall

I saw her royal lord, 50

The gallant Stuart, butcher'd, fall.

By halberd and by sword.

Vainly his lovely consort strove
To ward their traiterous blows ;
Yet well, though late, her injured love
Wreaked vengeance on his foes.

I saw proud Savoy strive to seize.

With ill-considered aim.

The Roman pontiffs holy keys
And triple diadem. 60
Irregular ambitions wiles
Dealt holy church a wound
For which, long after, at Repailles,

The duke his guerdon found.

At Rome I saw an ancient, grave.

And pious cardinal
Murder'd by a domestic slave.

Within his palace hall.

Him on his peaceful couch, at noon.

The faithless ruffian slew ; 70

For which in many a torment soon
He paid the vengeatice due.
 ; ; ;
; ;

160 ANCIENT SONGS

'Midst hoots of shame I saw, in France,

With boughs in triumph borne.
The root of all abuse advance.
The nations plague and scorn
A female fiend, whose pride and lust
Exceed all earthly measure
From such a stem could spring, I trust.
Small profit and small pleasure. 80

And next I saw, by secret means,

A money-broker rise
In trade and lucres sordid scenes
Was none so wondrous wise
I saw him too in exile die.

His fortune chang'd and gone.

Because full often fraudfully

His craft had robb'd the throne.

A youth of twenty years, no more,

A wondrous sight to see, 90
I saw attain each varied lore.

And win each learn'd degree.

Whate'er his eye had once perused
His tongue could say again
But the young antichrist abused
His gifts in science vain.

Then saw I well duke Glo'ster reel.

And hurled from on high,
<;!rush'd beneath fortunes restless wheel.
By felon murder die, 100
 ; ;

AND BALLADS. 161

Immersg^ within the luscious tun

The villains choak'd his breath,
That wine quafF'd on till life was gone.
Might drown the sense of death.

I saw the nephew of king Charles,

Sir Giles of Britany, /
Spite of his birth from ancient earls,
A strangled captive die.
Such was his cruel brothers doom.
Who cited from on high, 110
By ways as wondrous, to the tomb
Was brought as suddenly.

Grand master of saint James's knights

I saw triumphant reign

Alvarez, in his haughty might,
High constable of Spain
Not all the barons hoarded wealth.
Not all his power and state.
Could shield him, when crept on by stealth

His dark and doubtful fate. 120

I saw the wealth which Venice piles

In piles, where long it lay.

By a shrewd Grecians crafty wiles

Bereft and borne away
Doom'd I saw the thief, detected
By his comrades treachery, «

On a gibbet high erected.

Far too mild a death to die.

VOL. I. M
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16^ ANCIENT SONGS

A distant province next I saw, *^

Where stern accusers said 130
How that their prince, 'gainst natures law.
Defiled his sisters bed
In vain a forged bull he pleads.
To screen a crime so foul.
For honour spurns his vicious deedsj

And conscience wrings his soul.

I saw a poor adventurers prize

Lie conquer'd Milan fair

More honour gain'd his high emprize

Than if the rightful heir. 140
To the bold knight is justly due
Such tribute of renown
His valour, known the nations through.
Might grace a kingly crown.

I saw the English race expell'd m

From fruitful Aquitaine,

Which, for three hundred years, they held

Their ancient rich domain

And Bayonne fair and Bordeaux, now.
The king of France has won 150
Praise to the monarchs laurell'd brow
. By whom such deeds are done.

Eke have I seen fair Normandy

To France's crown restored
And Rouens turrets blaze on high
The banners of her lord
 :; ; ;

AND BALLADS. 163

Againstfl^ ancient enemy

Defiance now they wave
Such are the fruits of victory
By France's conquering glaive. 160

I saw devised in Roman walls

A plot of horror dread.
To murder holy cardinals.
And seize the churches head
But god, who made his church his care.

Soon quell'd the fenemy ;

And daring Stephen de Procaire

Did on the gallows die.

Old Ghent, invincible esteem'd,

I saw it storm'd andj«^on 170
By one, the most victorious deem'd
Beneath the rolling sun.
The town was given to the flame.

The people to the sword

No deed of such deserved fame
Shall ages ten afford.

I saw within a listed field

A noble youth contend

^'Gainst twenty-two, with spear and shield.

To vanquish or defend. 180

So many nob! ^knights were there.

So many faiths they bore

A field so strange, and fought so fair.

Shall ne'er be heard of more.

 ; ;;; ;

]64 ANCIENT SONGS

I saw the seat of Constantine

Storm'd by a heathen host
Destroy'd, alas ! her ancient line.

Her ancient honours lost.

The aged emperor of Greece
The caitiif miscreants slew 190
But let the tale of horror cease.
Nor vain regrets renew.

And I have seen a fair Lucrece

Unbounded homage claim.

Of Naples she, and not of Greece,

And least of Roman fame.
Proud priests and prelates, many a one.
Came bending to her knee
Yet but a rampant courtezan.
To speak the sooth, was she. 200

I saw the king of Hungary

His marriage feast prepare.

And celebrate his nuptials high.

With princely pomp and care.
The wedding cheer was richly dight.
The bridal couch was spread
But on that couch lay stretch'd at night
The royal bridegroom dead.

And after him I saw arise

A wandering soldiers son 210

By feats of worth and bold emprise
The kingdom he has won.
 ; ; ; :

AND BALLADS. 165

Thus fail'd the ancient royal root.

Its branches shrunk and gone,
And thus a foreign lowly shoot
Was grafted on the throne.

The first of France's royal line

I saw his kindred flee.
And shelter seek beneath the vine
Of ducal Burgundy 220
A royal crown, back'd by his aid.

Unhappily he won
But god be judge how he repaid
The mighty service done.

On Naples' fair and fertile coast

I saw the firm earth rend.

Towns, castles, cities, sunk and lost

Through the dark gulph descend.

The column'd churches rock'd and reel'd.

The air with flames was red, 230

A trembling people pray'd and kneel'd.
For earthly hope was fled.

I saw even in the land of France

Full many an English lord
'Gainst English bosoms couch the lance.
And wield the civil sword
For Calais and for Guines they fought
Such discord dire and strange
Within a hostile land, methought.
Must bode some wondrous change. 240
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166 . ANCIENT SONGS

I turri'd my eyes to Englands soil,

'Twas slaughter over all ;

In mutual fight and wild turmoil

I saw her mightiest fall.

To tell how wide the whirlwind reign'd

Would chill your soul with fears
No spot in all the land remain'd
Undrench'd by blood and tears.

In high despiteous wilful mood.

Another king they chose 250
Their aged monarch, mild and good.
Took refuge with his foes.

To Scotlands kind, though hostile, coast

With his young heir he came
Scotland that can for ages boast
Her hospitable fame.

A royal fleur-de-lis of France

I saw in dungeon throvm ;
By fickle fate and fell mischance
His honours past and gone. 260
His princely state and seignorie
Were reft before the time ;

Of France the royal fleur-de-lis

Has perisii'd ere the prime.

I saw the crOwn of Cyprus' isle

To a proud soldan lent.

Of Babylon the tyrant vile.
Her king to exile sent ;
 ;

AND BALLADS. 167

Of holy church a bastard bold,

All reckless of the end, 270
I saw him the foul deed uphold.
Nor care for foe nor friend.

The queen of Cyprus next I saw

Through ocean plow her way
From France some succours meet to draw
To fence the christian fay.
But still her evil fates pursue.
From watery Venice came.
Of loose corsairs a lawless crew.
Who robb'd the royal dame. 280

Two monarchs whom two kingdoms own

I saw high worth avow.
And swear before one power alope
Their royalty should bow.
They own'd one master, and no more.
For him to wield the sword.
Of him to hold their crowns they swore.
Fair Virtues sovereign lord.

Siciliasmonarch have I seen

Assume the shepherd swain. 290
And tending, with his lovely queen.
Their sheep upon the plain.
The shepherds hat, the shepherds hook.
The shepherds cloak they wear.
And rest at eve beside the brook
Amid their fleecy care.
 ; ;;

168 ANCIENT SONGS

And stranger men of eastern lands,

From climes remote, I saw.
From Georgian hills and Persian sands,
And old Armenia 300
Both christian chiefs, and heathen too
Who Mahounds maxims hold.
Against the tyrant Turk did sue
For aid to Charles the Bold.

Of Burgundy the noble duke

Received them wondrous well.
And honour'd them, as word and look.
But best his actions, tell.
For them he did such actions high.
And honour so profound, 310
The memory shall never die.

Till the last trimipet sound.

And I have seen strange signs in heaven

Of wondrous blazing stars.

Whose fiery trains have signal given
Of bitter plagues anfl wars.
To seek what evils they portend
In vain we may explore
Enough for us to wait the end.
And trembling to adore. 320

And have I seen a savage scene

In Christendom display'd
For holy churchmen have I seen

Fall by the bloody blade.

 ; •

AND BALLADS. 169

In fair Mayence, to flames a prey,

Such outrage foul was done

As never, till that direful day.
Was witness'd by the sun.

High duke, in whom we glory all.

And thou, his son so bold, 330

Accept this brief memorial
Of deeds which I have told.

Framed for your lesson and your praise.

In heart devoid of flaw.

Heaven grant ye from my humble lays
The wholesome moral dif aw.

And now chill age, I see, is nigh.

To freeze my future time.

And check my hand and dim my eye.
For record or for rhime 340
Last, last of all, stern death I see
To shut the scene draw near—
The sequel, Molinet, from thee
The listening world shall hear.

END OF THE TIIIST VOLUME.

VOL. I.
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LONDON
PEINTEB BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIAB3,
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