Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England Part 47

{39} A cant term for a fiddle. In its literal sense, it means trunk, or box-belly.

{40} 'Helicon,' as observed by Sir C. Sharp, is, of course, the true reading.

{41} In the introduction of the 'prodigal son,' we have a relic derived from the old mysteries and moralities. Of late years, the 'prodigal son' has been left out, and his place supplied by a 'sailor.'

{42} Probably the disease here pointed at is the sweating sickness of old times.

{43} Robert Kearton, a working miner, and librarian and lecturer at the Gra.s.sington Mechanics' inst.i.tution, informs us that at Coniston, in Lancas.h.i.+re, and the neighbourhood, the maskers go about at the proper season, viz., Easter. Their introductory song is different to the one given above. He has favoured us with two verses of the delectable composition; he says, 'I dare say they'll be quite sufficient!'

'The next that comes on Is a gentleman's son; - A gentleman's son he was born; For mutton and beef, You may look at his teeth, He's a laddie for picking a bone!

'The next that comes on Is a tailor so bold - He can st.i.tch up a hole in the dark!

There's never a 'prentice In famed London city Can find any fault with his WARK!'

{44} For the history of the paschal egg, see a paper by Mr. J. H.

Dixon, in the Local Historian's Table Book (Traditional Division).

Newcastle. 1843.

{45} We suspect that Lord Nelson's name was introduced out of respect to the late Jack Rider, of Linton (who is himself introduced into the following verse), an old tar who, for many years, was one of the 'maskers' in the district from whence our version was obtained. Jack was 'loblolly boy' on board the 'Victory,' and one of the group that surrounded the dying Hero of Trafalgar. Amongst his many miscellaneous duties, Jack had to help the doctor; and while so employed, he once set fire to the s.h.i.+p as he was engaged investigating, by candlelight, the contents of a bottle of ether. The fire was soon extinguished, but not without considerable noise and confusion. Lord Nelson, when the accident happened, was busy writing his despatches. 'What's all that noise about?' he demanded. The answer was, 'Loblolly boy's set fire to an empty bottle, and it has set fire to the doctor's shop!' 'Oh, that's all, is it?' said Nelson, 'then I wish you and loblolly would put the fire out without making such a confusion'--and he went on writing with the greatest coolness, although the accident might have been attended by the most disastrous consequences, as an immense quant.i.ty of powder was on board, and some of it close to the scene of the disaster. The third day after the above incident Nelson was no more, and the poor 'loblolly boy' left the service minus two fingers. 'Old Jack' used often to relate his 'accident;'

and Captain Carslake, now of Sidmouth, who, at the time was one of the officers, permits us to add his corroboration of its truth.

{46} In this place, and in the first line of the following verse, the name of the horse is generally inserted by the singer; and 'Filpail' is often subst.i.tuted for 'the cow' in a subsequent verse.

{47} The 'swearing-in' is gone through by females as well as the male s.e.x. See Hone's Year-Book.

{48} A fig newly gathered from the tree; so called to distinguish it from a grocer's, or preserved fig.

{49} This line is sometimes sung -

O! I went into the stable, to see what I could see.

{50} Three cabbage-nets, according to some versions.

{51} This is a common phrase in old English songs and ballads.

See The Summer's Morning, post, p. 229.

{52} See ante, p. 82.

{53} Near.

{54} The high-road through a town or village.

{55} That is Tommy's opinion. In the Yorks.h.i.+re dialect, when the possessive case is followed by the relative substantive, it is customary to omit the S; but if the relative be understood, and not expressed, the possessive case is formed in the usual manner, as in a subsequent line of this song:-

'Hee'd a horse, too, 'twor war than ond Tommy's, ye see.'

{56} Alive, quick.

{57} Only.

{58} Famished. The line in which this word occurs exhibits one of the most striking peculiarities of the Lancas.h.i.+re dialect, which is, that in words ending in ING, the termination is changed into INK. Ex. gr., for starving, starvink, farthing, fard.i.n.k.

{59} In one version this line has been altered, probably by some printer who had a wholesome fear of the 'Bench of Justices,' into -

'Success to every gentleman That lives in Lincolnsheer.'

{60} Dr. Whitaker gives a traditional version of part of this song as follows:-

'The gardener standing by proferred to chuse for me, The pink, the primrose, and the rose, but I refused the three; The primrose I forsook because it came too soon, The violet I o'erlooked, and vowed to wait till June.

In June, the red rose sprung, bat was no flower for me, I plucked it up, lo! by the stalk, and planted the willow-tree.

The willow I must wear with sorrow twined among, That all the world may know I falshood loved too long.'

{61} The following account of Billy Bolton may, with propriety, be inserted here:- It was a lovely September day, and the scene was Arncliffe, a retired village in Littondale, one of the most secluded of the Yorks.h.i.+re dales. While sitting at the open window of the humble hostelrie, we heard what we, at first, thought was a RANTER parson, but, on inquiry, were told it was old Billy Bolton reading to a crowd of villagers. Curious to ascertain what the minstrel was reading, we joined the crowd, and found the text-book was a volume of Hume's England, which contained the reign of Elizabeth. Billy read in a clear voice, with proper emphasis, and correct p.r.o.nunciation, interlarding his reading with numerous comments, the nature of some of which may be readily inferred from the fact that the minstrel belonged to what he called 'the ancient church.' It was a scene for a painter; the village situate in one of the deepest parts of the dale, the twilight hour, the attentive listeners, and the old man, leaning on his knife-grinding machine, and conveying popular information to a simple peasantry. Bolton is in the constant habit of so doing, and is really an extraordinary man, uniting, as he does, the opposite occupations of minstrel, conjuror, knife-grinder, and schoolmaster. Such a labourer (though an humble one) in the great cause of human improvement is well deserving of this brief notice, which it would be unjust to conclude without stating that whenever the itinerant teacher takes occasion to speak of his own creed, and contrast it with others, he does so in a spirit of charity; and he never performs any of his sleight-of-hand tricks without a few introductory remarks on the evil of superst.i.tion, and the folly of supposing that in the present age any mortal is endowed with supernatural attainments.

{62} This elastic opening might be adapted to existing circ.u.mstances by a slight alteration:-

The praise of a dairy to tell you I mean, But all things in order, first G.o.d save the Queen.

The common copies print 'G.o.d save the Queen,' which of course destroys the rhyme.

{63} This is the reading of a common stall copy. Chappell reads -

'For at Tottenham-court,'

which is no doubt correct, though inapplicable to a rural a.s.sembly in our days.

{64} Brew, or broo, or broth. Chappell's version reads, 'No state you can think,' which is apparently a mistake. The reading of the common copies is to be preferred.

{65} No doubt the original word in these places was SACK, as in Chappell's copy--but what would a peasant understand by SACK?

Dryden's receipt for a sack posset is as follows:-

'From fair Barbadoes, on the western main, Fetch sugar half-a-pound: fetch sack, from Spain, A pint: then fetch, from India's fertile coast, Nutmeg, the glory of the British toast.'

Miscellany Poem, v. 138.

{66} Corrupted in modern copies into 'we'll range and we'll rove.'

The reading in the text is the old reading. The phrase occurs in several old songs.

{67} We should, probably, read 'he.'

{68} Peer--equal.

{69} The road or street.

{70} This is the only instance of this peculiar form in the present version. The miners in the Marienberg invariably said 'for to' wherever the preposition 'to' occurred before a verb.

{71} Three is a favourite number in the nursery rhymes. The following is one of numerous examples:-

There was an old woman had three sons, Jerry and James and John: Jerry was hung, James was drowned, John was lost and never was found; And there was an end of her three sons, Jerry, and James, and John!