Herbert Stockhore, poet laureate of Eton Montem, was originally a soldier, who upon receiving his discharge settled at Windsor; at what time he so settled I have not at present the means of ascertaining, my knowledge of him extending only to about sixteen years ago, at which time he was exercising the functions of his poetical office. How he gained that post I am also at a loss to determine, farther than supposing his being led, having no regular occupation, to seek a subsistence from among the scholars, affording them amusement by his eccentric habits, and his extemporaneous display as a rhymester-talents which in due course of time pointed him out as a fit person to be chosen Montem bard. Be it as it may, Herbert has taken care of the main chance, and has with increase of years increased his store of worldly goods very considerably; holding at the present time some portion of land besides several cottages. The house he resides in is the work of his own hands, and for originality of construction may vie with the rhyme of his odes. His dress usually consisted of an old military coat and trowsers, his brows were encircled-not with bays, but with a red nightcap, and he wore a beard the stubbornness of which but rarely offended the edge of a razor. Our bard must now be very far advanced in years, and as he pathetically states his "glass must be almost run." I was witness to three montems preceding the last, and each time his decline was strongly visible. At the first he was enabled to walk about aided only by a staff; at my second visit he was assisted by a little boy, an allusion to whom was made in the last lines of the ode of that time, as follows, Nature, it is said, must form the true poet; in so far as Herbert Stockhore is concerned his obligations are all on her side, being entirely free from the shackles of education, and unable either to read or write. Of the manufacture of the ode I would fain say a few words. The poet, having ascertained the names and order of the procession, proceeds after his own fashion to jumble a certain quantity of lines together, according to his own rude ideas of harmony; the person to whom they are dictated, as far as his capacity extends, making the best of them. After this mess has been concocted, it is shown to some one or another of the Eton scholars, who undertakes its revision and improvement. It is then committed to the hands of the printer, who also adds his mite towards its embellishment; this is its last stage, and on Whit-Tuesday it is ready for the "author" to vend to his montem friends at a price which secures him ample remuneration for time and labour. This explanation will I hope account for the inferiority of the production, and likewise tend to remove any stain thrown on the well-earned literary fame of the Etonians. If it be matter of doubt whether there will be another montem, it is more doubtful whether there will be found a successor to the present holder of the laureateship, when he shall be consigned to the grave; but to all montem visitors, and Etonians in particular, the remembrance of Herbert Stockhore will never fail to intermingle with recollections of joyous days "so few and far between." volume. It is from that account that the following abstract is taken. But it must be observed that the biographer has in many places evidently called in the aid of his imagination to embellish his narrative, although there is no reason to suspect its general authenticity. Jamie was born about 1719, at a gypsey camp in Rothbury forest, Northumberland. He was the youngest of six sons of William Allan, a noted piper, whose ostensible way of living, and that of his family, was by travelling the country as coopers, tinkers, muggers, spooncasters, &c. They were dreaded by the neighbouring farmers; and Jamie, who early distinguished himself by his depredatory exploits, was sent out to make heather besoms. He was naturally idle, and worked little. He is described as having been "hardy as the highland heather," and "swift as the mountain roe." When he was about fourteen years of age he became emulous to excel upon the bagpipes, to which his ambition was awakened by seeing the consideration paid to his father, in consequence of his superior performance on that instrument. It was a great favorite (the small pipe particularly) among the Northumbrians, and Jamie, by great application, became a proficient. He remained attached to the Faa-gang, or gypsey tribe, until the rebellion of 1745, when he and his brother Robert were seized under a warrant to impress vagrants into his majesty's service. By intoxicating the constables who had them in charge, the two brothers speedily effected their escape; and soon afterwards Jamie attracted the notice of the countess (afterwards duchess) of Northumberland, to whom Thomson dedicated his "Spring." Jamie was ranked among her band of musicians, but marred his good fortune by want of prudence. A young woman, one of the countess's atendants, formed an attachment of which he was the object; and, this becoming known to the countess, she generously offered to settle the young couple in life, provided the affection of the young woman was returned. This, unhappily, was not the case, and Jamie, partly to put an end to the connexion, and partly for the laudable purpose of receiving some instruction from an old schoolmaster, obtained leave of absence froin the castle, in order to visit Rothbury. From that moment his subsequent misfortunes may be dated. On Jamie's arrival at Rothbury he found the schoolmaster ill with a fever, and his hopes of instruction were frustrated. About the same time he was entrapped into marriage by a woman of ill. character. On this occasion, though he had lost much favor with his patroness, she made him a present of a pair of handsome small pipes, mounted with silver, upon which he ever afterwards set a high value. Upon the countess becoming duchess of Northumberland she appointed him her own piper, and he wore on his right arm, in silver, the Saracen's crescent, the proud trophy won by the Percy, in the crusades, and adopted by the family as a cognizance. Allan from that time, except during short intervals, was driven, by the misconduct of his wife, into reckless excesses, and having committed robbery, he was peremptorily dismissed from the castle. Still his deserved fame for excellent execution upon the bagpipes would have enabled him to live with comfort and decency, but the extravagance of his habits outran his gains. Being in distress, he enlisted with a recruiting party, and deserted immediately after he had received the bounty-money. This was the commencement of a practice which be afterwards carried on to an unparalleled extent, but not without great danger, and hair-breadth escapes. He gradually lost all principle, and, to enumerate his various villanies, the contrivances he formed to elude detection, and the hardships he endured, would far exceed reasonable limits. It is sufficient to say that, having long led a vagabond life, be at length fell into the hands of one of the recruiting parties whom he had defrauded, and in order to avoid punishment for other, and greater offences, he accepted an offer to enter into the East India Company's ser Vice. Allan had not been long in India before be deserted, as usual; and, astonishing to say, without understanding any language but his own, and without money, he travelled, on foot, through unknown countries, from Calcutta to Benares, thence to Delhi, then to Lahor, crossed the snowy mountains, and arrived at Samarcand; he then passed through Tartary, over the By Mackenzie and Dent, Newcastle-upon- deserts of Egypt, and reached St. Peters Tyne. burgh in safety, without any friend but his pipes, from which he had continued in all his perils never to part. After many vicissitudes, in almost all parts of Europe, he returned to England, and hastened to his native place, his affection for which was so strong as to form one of the most prominent traits in his character. Allan's life now became merely a repetition of what it had been before he left England, but he grew more daring, and his experience abroad had qualified him to commit depredations with greater success at home. He renewed his connexion for some time with the Faa-gung; but his favorite means of raising money was his old scheme of enlisting with some recruiting party, pocketing the bounty, and then decamping. He at length became so notorious in the north of England, that he was constantly in jeopardy, and he removed into the south, where he fell in with a gang of gypsies, the chief of whom, and a young female who passed for his daughter, seemed to have been of superior origin to that which their condition bespoke. Allan and this young woman became attached to each other, and were legally married. She appears to have made him a good wife, while she lived, and to have partly reformed him by her influence; but she shortly died. AlCan used to acknowledge that she was the only woman who could ever restrain him from his vicious propensities. He gave a strong proof of his affection for her by honestly paying the surgeon's bill, and the expenses of her funeral. Allan again went abroad, and served both in the French and English armies, and deserted from both. While in the French service he attempted to pass the lines, and go over to the English. He was detected and sentenced to be shot. He protested his innocence, and prayed as a favor that he might be marched to the fatal spot with his hands unbound. On his cruiting party, and overtaken as he was leaping over a stile, a drummer struck him with his sword upon the wrist. Jamie viewed the wound for some seconds with considerable emotion, and then looking at the drummer, exclaimed with minstrel pride, "Ye hae spoiled the best pipe-hand in England." The hurt was well healed, and he found that it did not affect his playing. We must now hasten to the close of Allan's career as he advanced in years he increased in turpitude; and for a long time he stole horses with impunity. Whenever he wanted one he was accustomed to proceed to the south of Scotland, but success in crime rendered him careless and daring. He could not resist the temptation of stealing one in Northumberland, for which he was apprehended and tried. Notwithstanding he made a very ingenious defence, in which he attributed the prosecution to a strong and unjust prejudice which had been artfully excited against a poor, harmless old man," he was convicted, and received sentence of death. Ilis old age excited commiseration, and several gentlemen, who admired his musical abilities, united in endeavours to save the aged minstrel from an ignominious death, and finally succeeded in procuring him a free pardon. 66 Allan's evil habits were now rooted. His recovered liberty was not of long duration. He stole a mare from Mr. Matthew Robinson, of Gateshead, was pursued and caught, and sent to Barham gaol, and at the following assizes again received sentence of death, which was afterwards commuted to perpetual imprisonment. After remaining in confinement nearly seven years, he became very infirm and asthmatic, and was humanely removed into the house of correction, for better air. Here he lived only about nine months. A free pardon which had been obtained for him, and had been casually delayed, arrived at Durham a few days after his criminal life had terminated. Some years before Allan's death he made a will, by which he appointed two genOn a tlemen of North Shields his executors; and bequeathed to them his pipes, with a valuable selection of music, and several curiosities; on condition that they interred his remains in Rothbury churchyard. They did not hear of his death until after his burial in Elvet churchyard, Durham, or his request would have been complied with. His snuff-box, a curious old relic way to death he seized his ever faithful pipes, which he had preserved through all his difficulties, and struck up a tune which he had composed the night before, and which is still known in Northumberland as "Jamie Allan's tune." circumstance so surprising being made known to the duke de Broglio, the French commander, and there being some doubt of his guilt, he was pardoned. He once more escaped a military life, and returned to England, where he promptly renewed his old system of profligacy; and being pursued by a re Ring in the Mire-Countess Weir. To the Editor.] Honiton, Oct. 3, 1831. I am one of those (I trust and hope a goodly number) who retaining a lively recollection of the amusement and information conveyed by the Every-Day Book and The Table Book, hailed with pleasure the announcement of the Year-Book, and having this evening received from the Bookseller Part X. of the New Work, I "wheel'd the Sofa round to the Fire," and sat down to devour its contents.-Having well enjoyed and somewhat digested the repast, I looked to the memoranda addressed" To Correspondents," and observing that you receive Contributions of narratives or anecdotes concerning persons, places, usages, &c. I bethought myself whether there was any thing connected with this place worth recording; but I could only hit on the following narrative, which I lately met with whilst furnishing some notes to a gentleman who is publishing a topographical account of our county. We have on the extreme boundary of our Parish a small spot of land called "Ring in the Mire," which is only remarkable for its name and for being one of the dirtiest spots in the vicinity. The reason of its being so called I subjoin, premising that my authority is a former rector of Honiton. The Reverend Ezra Cleaveland, B. D., some time fellow of Exeter College Oxford, who in his "History of the Family of Courtenay," to which family this manor formerly belonged, states as follows: "There is a tradition that Isabella De Fortibus, Countess of Devon, determined a controversy that was between the parishes of Honiton, Farway, Sidbury, and Gittisham about their bounds; for she being a very great ladye, and ladye of the manor of Honiton, if not of one of the other, did ride up to the plain whereabout the parishes did meet, and in a little miry place threw in a ring which she took off her finger, and said that that place should he the bounds of the four parishes, and so it is to this day, and called Ring in the Mire.' "This Isabella was the daughter of Baldwin de Reparus or Rivers, seventh earl of Devon, and the Wife of William earl of Albemarle. She appears to have been a lady who liked to maintain her own will; for it is recorded that up to the year 1284 the river Exe was navigable for boats and vessels from the port of Exmouth to Exe Bridge, in the city of Exeter, but that Isabella having some dispute with the mayor and commonalty of Exeter, with a view to annoy them erected a weir across the river about four miles below Exeter near Topsham, whereby' [as is found by an inquisition taken at Exeter the day of the decollation of Saint John the Baptist, in the year 1290, before Malcolme Harleigh, general escheator of the king on this side of the Trent] the fishing and taking of salmon and other fish is destroyed on this side the weir; and that whereas in times past boats and vessels were wont to pass to and from the said river Exe, even to the bridge of the said city, loaden with wines and merchandizes, to the great commoditye of the whole countrye, now no boat or vessell can so pass up by reason of the said weare.' "This weir, though a great nuisance was never abated by the citizens of Exeter. They contented themselves with digging a canal from Topsham to Exeter, for the passage of their boats and vessels, and this canal they have lately widened and improved to meet the increasing demands of the trade of their city; but the weir remains to this day, a monument of the tyranny of the countess and of the subserviency or timidity of the citizens of Exeter, and is still known as 'Countess Weir.'" A. Twilight ends. 6 25 |