[1] Mr. Ellis has preserved it entire, with notes which make it
intelligible to any modern reader.
[2] Percy's "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry," ii. 1.--"The
liberty of abasing their kings and princes at pleasure, assumed by
the good people of this realm, is a privilege of very long standing."
[3] The Political Songs of England have been recently given by Mr.
Thomas Wright, to whom our literature owes many deep obligations. [In
the series of volumes published by the Camden Society.]
[4] _Lewed_ Mr. Campbell interprets _low_, which is not quite
correct. Hearne explains the term as signifying "the laity, laymen,
and the illiterate."--The _layman_ was always considered to be
_illiterate_, by the devices of the monks.
[5] It is to be regretted that Mr. JAMIESON, in his "Popular
Ballads," was unavoidably prevented enlarging this class of his
songs. He has given the carols of the _Boatmen_, the _Corn-grinders_,
and the _Dairy-women_.--Jamieson's "Popular Ballads," ii. 352. [See
also "Curiosities of Literature," vol. ii., p. 142, for an article on
Songs of Trades, or Songs of the People. A volume of "Songs of the
English Peasantry" was published by the Percy Society; and several
others are given with the tunes in Chappell's "Popular Music of the
Olden Time."]
[6] Hearne's "Preface to Peter Langtoft's Chronicle," xxxvii.
[7] The curious researches of a French antiquary in this class of
literature are given in the two octavo volumes entitled "Histoire des
Livres Populaires, ou de la Litterature du Colportage," (Paris,
1854,) by M. Chas. Nisard, who was appointed to the task by a Royal
Commission.--ED.
[8] "Foreign Quarterly Review," vol. 18. [It is reprinted in the
first Volume of Thoms' "Early English Prose Romances."]
[9] It has been frequently reprinted, and recently in Germany, as a
_livre de luxe_, illustrated with admirable designs by Kaulbach.--ED.
[10] Weber. "Brit. Bib.," vol. iv.--The German song of the Ladybird
is beautifully versified in the preface to "German Popular Stories,"
by the late Edgar Taylor.
[11] A calamity to which wits are incident is that of having their
names prefixed to collections to give them currency. I do not know
whether this has not happened to our author. "The Merry Tales of the
Madmen of Gotham" are no doubt of great antiquity; they are
characterised by a peculiar simplicity of silliness. "Scogin's
Jests," of the sixty which we have, a very few tradition may have
preserved, but they must have received in the course of time the
addition of pointless jests, tales marred in the telling, and some
things neither jest nor tale; and it is remarkable that these are
always accompanied by an inane moralisation, while the more tolerable
appear to be preserved in their original condition. Some future
researcher may be so fortunate as to compare them with the first
editions if they exist.
John Scogin was a gentleman of good descent, who was invited to court
by Edward the Fourth for the pleasantry of his wit; he was a caustic
Democritus, and gave rise to a proverbial phrase, "What says Scogin?"
If he usually said two-thirds of what is ascribed to him in this
volume, he had never given rise to a proverb. "The Merry Tales of the
Madmen of Gotham" have been recently reprinted by Mr. Halliwell.
[12] Several of these pieces are preserved in Mr. Utterson's "Select
Pieces of Early Popular Poetry." This attack on women proved not a
theme less fertile among our neighbours; how briskly the skirmish was
carried on the notice of a single writer will show:--"Alphabet de
l'Imperfection et Malice des Femmes, par J. Olivier, licencier aux
loix, et en droit-canon," 1617; three editions of which appeared in
the course of two years. This blow was repelled by "Defense des
Femmes contre l'Alphabet de leur pretendue Malice," by Vigoureux,
1617; the first author rejoined with a "Reponse aux Impertinences de
l'Aposte Capitaine Vigoureux," by Olivier, 1617. The fire was kept up
by an ally of Olivier, in "Replique a l'Anti-Malice du Sieur
Vigoureux," by De la Bruyere, 1617. At a period earlier than this
conflict, the French had, as well as ourselves, many works on the
subject.