One of our earliest naval ballads is derived from the Pepys Collection,
and is supposed to have been written in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
It records the events of a sea-fight in the reign of Henry the Eighth,
between Lord Howard and Sir Andrew Barton, a Scotch pirate; and it is
rendered curious by the picture it presents of naval engagements in
those days, and by a singular fact which transpires in the course of
the details; namely, that the then maritime force of England consisted
of only _two ships of war_. In Percy's "Reliques of Ancient
Poetry," there is another old marine ballad, called the "Winning of
_Cales_," a name which our sailors had given to Cadiz. This affair
took place in June, 1596; but the description of it in the old song
presents nothing peculiar, or worthy of attention as regards naval
manners. From this period, I cannot at present call to mind any sea song
of importance till Gay's "Black-eyed Susan," which, you know, has
maintained its popularity to the present hour, and which deserves to
have done so, no less on account of the beauty of the verses, than of
the pathetic air in the minor to which they are set. This was, at no
great length of time, succeeded by Stevens's "Storm," a song which, I
believe you will all allow, stands deservedly at the head of the lyrics
of the deep. The words are nautically correct, the music is of a manly
and original character, and the subject-matter is one of the most
interesting of the many striking incidents common to sea-life. These
fine ballads, if I mistake not, were succeeded by one or two popular
songs, with music by Dr. Arne; then came those of Dibdin, which were in
their turn followed by a host of compositions, distinguished more by the
strenuous, robust character of the music, than by poetical excellence,
or professional accuracy in the words. The songs in which the words
happened to be vigorous and true--(such, for example, as Cowper's noble
ballad called the "Castaway," and the "Loss of the Royal George,") were
not set to music; but the powers of Shield, Davy, and others, were
wasted on verses unworthy of their compositions. Among these, the
foremost in excellence is the "Arethusa," a composition on which the
singing of Incledon, and the bold, reckless, original John-Bull-like
character of the air by Shield, or ascribed to him, have fixed a high
reputation. Davy's "Bay of Biscay," deserves its popularity; and the
"Sailor Boy," "The Old Commodore," and one or two other melodies by
Reeve, (who, though not much of a musician, was an admirable melodist,)
abound also in the qualities which I have already alluded to, as
peculiar to the national music adapted to sea songs.--_Blackwood's
Magazine_.
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