ancient poems-第1章

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Ancient　Poems；　Ballads　and　Songs　of　the　Peasantry　of　England　

Edited　by　Robert　Bell





INTRODUCTION。



IN　1846；　the　Percy　Society　issued　to　its　members　a　volume　entitled　　ANCIENT　POEMS；　BALLADS；　AND　SONGS　OF　THE　PEASANTRY　OF　ENGLAND；　　edited　by　Mr。　James　Henry　Dixon。　　The　sources　drawn　upon　by　Mr。　　Dixon　are　intimated　in　the　following　extract　from　his　preface：…


He　who；　in　travelling　through　the　rural　districts　of　England；　has　　made　the　road…side　inn　his　resting…place；　who　has　visited　the　lowly　　dwellings　of　the　villagers　and　yeomanry；　and　been　present　at　their　　feasts　and　festivals；　must　have　observed　that　there　are　certain　old　　poems；　ballads；　and　songs；　which　are　favourites　with　the　masses；　　and　have　been　said　and　sung　from　generation　to　generation。


This　traditional；　and；　for　the　most　part；　unprinted　literature；　…　　cherished　in　remote　villages；　resisting　everywhere　the　invasion　of　　modern　namby…pamby　verse　and　jaunty　melody；　and　possessing；　in　an　　historical　point　of　view；　especial　value　as　a　faithful　record　of　　the　feeling；　usages；　and　modes　of　life　of　the　rural　population；　…　　had　been　almost　wholly　passed　over　amongst　the　antiquarian　revivals　　which　constitute　one　of　the　distinguishing　features　of　the　present　　age。　　While　attention　was　successfully　drawn　to　other　forms　of　our　　early　poetry；　this　peasant　minstrelsy　was　scarcely　touched；　and　　might　be　considered　unexplored　ground。　　There　was　great　difficulty　　in　collecting　materials　which　lay　scattered　so　widely；　and　which　　could　be　procured　in　their　genuine　simplicity　only　from　the　people　　amongst　whom　they　originated；　and　with　whom　they　are　as　'familiar　　as　household　words。'　　It　was　even　still　more　difficult　to　find　an　　editor　who　combined　genial　literary　taste　with　the　local　knowledge　　of　character；　customs；　and　dialect；　indispensable　to　the　collation　　of　such　reliques；　and　thus；　although　their　national　interest　was　　universally　recognised；　they　were　silently　permitted　to　fall　into　　comparative　oblivion。　　To　supply　this　manifest　DESIDERATUM；　Mr。　　Dixon　compiled　his　volume　for　the　Percy　Society；　and　its　pages；　　embracing　only　a　selection　from　the　rich　stores　he　had　gathered；　　abundantly　exemplified　that　gentleman's　remarkable　qualifications　　for　the　labour　he　had　undertaken。　　After　stating　in　his　preface　　that　contributions　from　various　quarters　had　accumulated　so　largely　　on　his　hands　as　to　compel　him　to　omit　many　pieces　he　was　desirous　　of　preserving；　he　thus　describes　generally　the　contents　of　the　　work：…


In　what　we　have　retained　will　be　found　every　variety；

'From　grave　to　gay；　from　lively　to　severe；'

from　the　moral　poem　and　the　religious　dialogue；　…

'The　scrolls　that　teach　us　to　live　and　to　die；'　…

to　the　legendary；　the　historical；　or　the　domestic　ballad；　from　the　　strains　that　enliven　the　harvest…home　and　festival；　to　the　love…　ditties　which　the　country　lass　warbles；　or　the　comic　song　with　　which　the　rustic　sets　the　village　hostel　in　a　roar。　　In　our　　collection　are　several　pieces　exceedingly　scarce；　and　hitherto　to　　be　met　with　only　in　broadsides　and　chap…books　of　the　utmost　rarity；　　in　addition　to　which　we　have　given　several　others　never　before　in　　print；　and　obtained　by　the　editor　and　his　friends；　either　from　the　　oral　recitation　of　the　peasantry；　or　from　manuscripts　in　the　　possession　of　private　individuals。


The　novelty　of　the　matter；　and　the　copious　resources　disclosed　by　　the　editor；　acquired　for　the　volume　a　popularity　extending　far　　beyond　the　limited　circle　to　which　it　was　addressed；　and　although　　the　edition　was　necessarily　restricted　to　the　members　of　the　Percy　　Society；　the　book　was　quoted　not　only　by　English　writers；　but　by　　some　of　the　most　distinguished　archaeologists　on　the　continent。

It　had　always　been　my　intention　to　form　a　collection　of　local　　songs；　illustrative　of　popular　festivals；　customs；　manners；　and　　dialects。　　As　the　merit　of　having　anticipated；　and；　in　a　great　　measure；　accomplished　this　project　belongs　exclusively　to　Mr。　　Dixon；　so　to　that　gentleman　I　have　now　the　pleasure　of　tendering　my　　acknowledgments　for　the　means　of　enriching　the　Annotated　Edition　of　　the　English　Poets　with　a　volume　which；　in　some　respects；　is　the　　most　curious　and　interesting　of　the　series。

Subsequently　to　the　publication　of　his　collection　by　the　Percy　　Society；　Mr。　Dixon　had　amassed　additional　materials　of　great　value；　　and；　conscious　that　the　work　admitted　of　considerable　improvement；　　both　in　the　way　of　omission　and　augmentation；　he　resolved　upon　the　　preparation　of　a　new　edition。　　His　reasons　for　rejecting　certain　　portions　of　the　former　volume　are　stated　in　the　following　extract　　from　a　communication　with　which　he　has　obliged　me；　and　which　may　be　　considered　as　his　own　introduction　to　the　ensuing　pages。


The　editor　had　passed　his　earliest　years　in　a　romantic　mountain…　district　in　the　North　of　England；　where　old　customs　and　manners；　　and　old　songs　and　ballads　still　linger。　　Under　the　influence　of　　these　associations；　he　imbibed　a　passionate　love　for　peasant　　rhymes；　having　little　notion　at　that　time　that　the　simple　　minstrelsy　which　afforded　him　so　much　delight　could　yield　hardly　　less　pleasure　to　those　who　cultivated　more　artificial　modes　of　　poetry；　and　who　knew　little　of　the　life　of　the　peasantry。　　His　　collection　was　not　issued　without　diffidence；　but　the　result　　dissipated　all　apprehension　as　to　the　estimate　in　which　these　　essentially　popular　productions　are　held。　　The　reception　of　the　　book；　indeed；　far　exceeded　its　merits；　for　he　is　bound　in　candour　　to　say　that　it　was　neither　so　complete　nor　so　judiciously　selected　　as　it　might　have　been。　　Like　almost　all　books　issued　by　societies；　　it　was　got　up　in　haste；　and　hurried　through　the　press。　　It　　contained　some　things　which　were　out　of　place　in　such　a　work；　but　　which　were　inserted　upon　solicitations　that　could　not　have　been　　very　easily　refused；　and　even　where　the　matter　was　unexceptionable；　　it　sometimes　happened　that　it　was　printed　from　comparatively　modern　　broadsides；　for　want　of　time　to　consult　earlier　editions。　　In　the　　interval　which　has　since　elapsed；　all　these　defects　and　short…　comings　have　been　remedied。　　Several　pieces；　which　had　no　　legitimate　claims　to　the　places　they　occupied；　have　been　removed；　　others　have　been　collated　with　more　ancient　copies　than　the　editor　　had　had　access　to　previously；　and　the　whole　work　has　been　　considerably　enlarged。　　In　its　present　form　it　is　strictly　what　its　　title…page　implies　…　a　collection　of　poems；　ballads；　and　songs　　preserved　by　tradition；　and　in　actual　circulation；　amongst　the　　peasantry。

BEX；　CANTON　DE　VAUD。　SWITZERLAND。


The　present　volume　differs　in　many　important　particulars　from　the　　former；　of　the　deficiencies　of　which　Mr。　Dixon　makes　so　frank　an　　avowal。　　It　has　not　only　undergone　a　careful　revision；　but　has　　received　additions　to　an　extent　which　renders　it　almost　a　new　work。　　　Many　of　these　accessions　are　taken　from　extremely　rare　originals；　　and　others　are　here　printed　for　the　first　time；　including　amongst　　the　latter　the　ballad　of　EARL　BRAND；　a　traditional　lyric　of　great　　antiquity；　long　familiar　to　the　dales　of　the　North　of　England；　and　　the　DEATH　OF　QUEEN　JANE；　a　relic　of　more　than　ordinary　interest。　　　Nearly　forty　songs；　noted　down　from　recitation；　or　gathered　from　　sources　not　generally　accessible；　have　been　added　to　the　former　　collection；　illustrative；　for　the　most　part；　of　historical　events；　　country　pastimes；　and　local　customs。　　Not　the　least　suggestive　　feature　in　this　department　are　the　political　songs　it　contains；　　which　have　long　outlived　the　occasions　that　gave　them　birth；　and　　which　still　retain　their　popularity；　although　their　allusions　are　　no　longer　understood。　　Amongst　this　class　of　songs　may　be　specially　　indicated　JACK　AND　TOM；　JOAN'S　ALE　WAS　NEW；　GEORGE　RIDLER'S　OVEN；　　and　THE　CARRION　CROW。　　The　songs　of　a　strictly　rural　character；　　having　reference　to　the　occupations　and　intercourse　of　the　people；　　possess　an　interest　which　cannot　be　adequately　measured　by　their　　poetical　pretensions。　　The　very　defects　of　art　with　which　they　are　　chargeable；　constitute　their　highest　claim　to　consideration　as　　authentic　specimens　of　country　lore。　　The　songs　in　praise　of　the　　dairy；　or　the　plough；　or　in　celebration　of　the　harvest…home；　or　the　　churn…supper；　or　descriptive　of　the　pleasures　of　the　milk…maid；　or　　the　courtship　in　the　farm…house；　or　those　that　give　us　glimpses　of　　the　ways　of　life　of　the　waggoner；　the　poacher；　the　horse…dealer；　　and　the　boon　companion　of　the　road…side　hostelrie；　are　no　less　　curious　for　their　idiomatic　and　primitive　forms　of　expression；　than　　for　their　pictures　of　rustic　modes　and　manners。　　Of　special　　interest；　too；　are　the　songs　which　relate　to　festival　and　customs；　　such　as　the　SWORD　DANCER'S　SONG　AND　INTERLUDE；　the　SWEARING…IN　　SONG；　OR　RHYME；　AT　HIGHGATE；　the　CORNISH　MIDSUMMER　BONFIRE　SONG；　　and　the　FAIRLOP　FAIR　SONG。

In　the　arrangement　of　so　multifarious　an　anthology；　gathered　from　　nearly　all　parts　of　the　kingdom；　the　observance　of　chronological　　order；　for　obvious　reasons；　has　not　been　attempted；　but　pieces　　which　possess　any　kind　of　affinity　to　each　other　have　been　kept　　together　as　nearly　as　other　considerations　would　permit。

The　value　of　this　volume　consists　in　the　genuineness　of　its　　contents；　and　the　healthiness　of　its　tone。　　While　fashionable　life　　was　masquerading　in　imaginary　Arcadias；　and　deluging　theatres　and　　concert　rooms　with　shams；　the　English　peasant　remained　true　to　the　　realities　of　his　own　experience；　and　produced　and　sang　songs　which　　faithfully　reflected　the　actual　life　around　him。　　Whatever　these　　songs　describe　is　true　to　that　life。　　There　are　no　fictitious　　raptures　in　them。　　Love　here　never　dresses　its　emotions　in　　artificial　images；　nor　disguises　itself　in　the　mask　of　a　Strephon　　or　a　Daphne。　　It　is　in　this　particular　aspect　that　the　poetry　of　　the　country　possesses　a　permanent　and　moral　interest。

R。　B。



ANCIENT　POEMS；　BALLADS；　AND　SONGS　OF　THE　PEASANTRY。




Contents

Poems：

The　plain…dealing　man。　The　vanities　of　life。　The　life　and　age　of　man。　The　young　man's　wish。　The　midnight　messenger；　or；　a　sudden　call　from　an　earthly　glory　to　　the　cold　grave。　A　dialogue　betwixt　an　exciseman　and　death。　The　messenger　of　mortality；　or　life　and　death　contrasted　in　a　　dialogue　betwixt　death　and　a　lady。　England's　alarm；　or　the　pious　christian's　speedy　call　to　repentance　Smoking　spiritualized。　The　masonic　hymn。　God　speed　the　plow；　and　bless　the　corn…mow。　　A　dialogue　between　the　　husbandman　and　servingman。　A　dialogue　between　the　husbandman　and　the　servingman。　The　Catholick。　The　three　knights。　The　blind　beggar　of　Bednall　Green。

Ballads：

The　bold　pedlar　and　Robin　Hood。　The　outlandish　knight。　Lord　Delaware。　Lord　Bateman。　The　golden　glove；　or；　the　squire　of　tamworth。　King　James　I。　And　the　tinkler。　The　Keach　i'　the　Creel。　The　Merry　Broomfield；　or；　the　west　country　wager。　Sir　John　Barleycorn。　Blow　the　winds；　i…ho！　The　beautiful　lady　of　Kent；　or；　the　seaman　of　Dover。　The　Berkshire　lady's　garland。　The　nobleman's　generous　kindness。　The　drunkard's　legacy。　The　Bowes　tragedy。　The　crafty　lover；　or；　the　lawyer　outwitted。　The　death　of　Queen　Jane。　The　wandering　young　gentlewoman；　or；　Catskin。　The　brave　Earl　Brand　and　the　King　of　England's