Ancient Songs: From the Time of King Henry the Third, to the Revolution ...

Charles the first (10). Being printed only on fingle fheets, which would fall chiefly into the hands of the vulgar, who had no better method of preferving their favourite compofitions, than by pafting them upon the wall (i), their deftruction is eafily accounted for. The practice of collecting them into books, did not take place till after queen Elizabeths time, and is probably owing to Johnfon and Deloney, who, when they were advanced in years, and incapable perhaps of producing any thing of merit, feem to have contented themfelves with collecting their more juvenile or happier compofitions into little penny books, entitled Garlands: of thefe, being popular and often reprinted, many are still extant, particularly in the Pepyfian library (2).

Those pieces which we now call old ballads, fuch as Fair Rofamond, The Children in the Wood, and the Ladys Fall, which an ingenious writer seems to confider" as the native fpecies of poetry of this country (3)," are comparatively

(10) The oldeft printed ballad known to be extant, is that on the downfal of Thomas Lord Cromwell, in 1540, reprinted by Dr. Percy.

(1) This measure, which may in fome parts be ftill observed, is alluded to by Cotton:

We in the country do not scorn,

Our walls with ballads to adorn,

Of patient Griffel and the Lord of Lorn.

And by Swift;

The ballads pafted on the wall

Of Joan of France, and English Mall *.

(2) See Percy, i. lxxvii. and the preceding page.

(3) Aickin, Effays on Song Writing, p. 27. "Many of the ancient ballads," he fays, "have been transmitted to the

* Thefe ladies are only mentioned as probable subjects; there is no feng about either,

prefent

ratively modern, that is of the earlier part of the laft century, not one of them being found in print, or noticed in any book before its commencement (4). Queen Dido, to be fure, from its popularity at that time, would seem to be fomewhat older, and is probably one of the oldeft, as it is certainly one of the best we have. "O you aleknights," exclaims an old writer, you that deuoure the marrow of the mault, and drinke whole aletubs into confumptions; that fing QUEENE DIDO ouer a cupp, and tell ftrange news ouer an alepot, &c (5)."

If indeed, by "native fpecies of poetry," is meant a fpecies peculiar to this country, it is very certain that we have as little pretenfion to originality in this refpect as in any other; of which a very flight acquaintance with the ballad poetry of other countries will be fufficient to prove. Our most ancient popular ballads, if we may judge from the few fpecimens preferved, were fingularly rude, and not above two or three of these are known to

prefent times, and in them the character of the nation displays itfelf in ftriking colours. The boastful hiftory of her victories, the prowess of her favourite kings and captains, and the wonderful adventures of the legendary faint and knight-errant, are the topics of the rough rhyme and unadorned narration, which was ever the delight of the vulgar, and is now an object of curiofity to the antiquarian and man of tafte." The illuftration of this paffage by appofite examples, would have been a favour to readers lefs happy in their researches after these rough rhymes and unadorned narrations than the author.

(4) The earliest notice of any of thefe old ballads, is that which Shakespeare has put into the mouth of Falstaff, in the fecond part of K. Hen. IV. A&t ii. Scene 4.

When Arthur firft in court began,

Which was at that time in all probability a new and popular ballad; and likely enough by Richard Johnfon, who had a great turn for fubjects of chivalry and romance.

(5) Jacke of Douer, his Quelt of Inquirie, &c. 1604, 4to. (fig. 2.)

have been printed for the people (6). It is barely poffible that fomething of the kind may be ftill preserved in the country by tradition. The Editor has frequently heard of traditional fongs, but has had very little fuccefs in his endeavours to hear the fongs themselves (7).

An ingenious Frenchman has projected the hiftory of his country by a chronological féries of fongs and ballads (8).. And the multitude of MS. and printed collections pre ferved in the royal library, or otherwife attainable, would leave a diligent compiler at no lofs for materials. A hiftory of England of this fort would be no lefs interesting or delightful; but the task is impossible (9).

(6) Ante, p. xvii. xxii.

This

(7) In a copy of verfes addreffed to Mr. (now Dr.) Blacklock, by Richard Hewit, (a boy whom, during his refidence in Cumberland, he had taken to lead him); on quitting his fervice, are the following lines:

How oft thefe plains I've thoughtless preft;
Whistled, or fung fome fair diftreft,

Whofe fate would fteal a tear.

"Alluding," as it is faid in a note, " to a fort of narrative fongs, which make no inconfiderable part of the innocent amufements with which the country people pafs the winter nights, and of which the author of the present piece was a faithful rehearfer." Blacklocks Poems, 1756, 8vo. p. v. It is a great pity, if these pieces have any merit, that fome attempt is not made to preferve them.

(8) M. Meufnier de Querlon, Memoire Hiftorique fur la Chanfon (Anthologie Françoife, tome 1.) p. 44, 45.

(9) Dr. Percy having mentioned the "fabulous and romantic fongs which for a long time prevailed in France and England, before they had books of chivalry in profe," [Q. where they are to be found?] obferves, that in both thefe countries, the Minfrels fill retained fo much of their original inftitution, as frequently to make true events the fubject of their fongs;" and indeed, that the memory of events was preferved and propagated among the ignorant laity, by fcarce any other means than the popular fongs of the Minfrels;" adding in a note, that "the

Editors

This flight and imperfect effay ought not to be concluded without a wish that they who are in poffeffion of curiofities of this nature, for almost every fong prior to the commencement of the last century is a curiofity, would contrive fome method or other of making them public, or at least of acquainting us with their existence, and thereby preferving them from that deftruction to which they are otherwise fo exceedingly liable. With respect to the collection now produced, there is fcarce 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.

Editors MS. contains a multitude of poems of this latter kind.” With refpect to the contents of this famous and extraordinary MS. enough has been already faid. It is obfervable, however, that not one of this multitude has made its appearance in pub lic.