"There were seven gipsies in a gang,
They were both brisk and bonny O;
They rode till they came to the Earl of Castle's house,
And here they sang so sweetly O."
This is a very _hobbling_ version (from the recitation of a "gipsy
vagabond") of a ballad frequently reprinted. It first appeared in Ramsay's
_Tea-Table Miscellany_; afterwards in Finlay's and Chambers' Collections.
None of these versions were known to Mr. Sheldon.
I have now extracted enough from the _Minstrelsy of the English Border_ to
show the mode of "ballad editing" as pursued by Mr. Sheldon. The instances
are sufficient to strengthen my position.
One of the most popular traditional ballads still {51} floating about the
country, is "King Henrie the Fifth's Conquest:"--
"As our King lay musing on his bed,
He bethought himself upon a time,
Of a tribute that was due from France,
Had not been paid for so long a time."
It was first printed from "oral communication," by Sir Harris Nicolas, who
inserted two versions in the Appendix to his _History of the Battle of
Agincourt_, 2d edition, 8vo. 1832. It again appeared (not from either of
Sir Harris Nicolas's copies) in the Rev. J.C. Tyler's _Henry of Monmouth_,
8vo. vol. ii. p. 197. And, lastly, in Mr. Dixon's _Ancient Poems, Ballads,
and Songs of the Peasantry of England_, printed by the Percy Society in
1846. These copies vary considerably from each other, which cannot be
wondered at, when we find that they were obtained from independent sources.
Mr. Tyler does not allude to Sir Harris Nicolas's copies, nor does Mr.
Dixon seem aware that any _printed_ version of the traditional ballad had
preceded his. The ballad, however, existed in a printed "broad-side" long
before the publications alluded to, and a copy, "Printed and sold in
Aldermary Church Yard," is now before me. It is called "King Henry V., his
Conquest of France in Revenge for the Affront offered by the French King in
sending him (instead of the Tribute) a ton of Tennis Balls."
An instance of the various changes and mutations to which, in the course of
ages, a popular ballad is subject, exists in the "Frog's Wedding." The
pages of the "NOTES AND QUERIES" testify to this in a remarkable degree.
But no one has yet hit upon the _original_ ballad; unless, indeed, the
following be it, and I think it has every appearance of being the identical
ballad licensed to Edward White in 1580-1. It is taken from a rare musical
volume in my library, entitled _Melismata; Musicall Phansies, fitting the
Court, Citie, and Countrey Humours. Printed by William Stansby for Thomas
Adams_, 1611. 4to.
"THE MARRIAGE OF THE FROGGE AND THE MOUSE.
"It was the Frogge in the well,
Humble-dum, humble dum;
And the merrie Mouse in the mill,
Tweedle, tweedle twino.
"The Frogge would a-wooing ride,
Humble-dum, &c.
Sword and buckler by his side,
Tweedle, &c.
"When he was upon his high horse set,
Humble-dum, &c.
His boots they shone as blacke as jet.
Tweedle, &c.
"When he came to the merry mill pin,
Humble-dum, &c.
Lady Mouse, beene you within?
Tweedle, &c.
"Then came out the dusty Mouse,
Humble-dum, &c.
I am Lady of this house,
Tweedle, &c.
"Hast thou any minde of me?
Humble-dum, &c.
I have e'ne great minde of thee,
Tweedle, &c.
"Who shall this marriage make?
Humble-dum, &c.
Our Lord, which is the Rat,
Tweedle, &c.
"What shall we have to our supper?
Humble-dum, &c.
Three beanes in a pound of butter,
Tweedle, &c.
"When supper they were at,
Humble-dum, &c.
The frogge, the Mouse, and even the Rat,
Tweedle, &c.
"Then came in Gib our Cat,
Humble-dum, &c.
And catcht the Mouse even by the backe,
Tweedle, &c.
"Then did they separate,
Humble-dum, &c.
And the Frogge leapt on the floore so flat,
Tweedle, &c.
"Then came in Dicke our Drake,
Humble-dum, &c.
And drew the Frogge even to the lake,
Tweedle, &c.
"The Rat ran up the wall,
Humble-dum, &c
A goodly company, the Divell goe with all,
Tweedle, &c."
From what I have shown, the reader will agree with me, that a collector of
ballads from oral tradition should possess some acquaintance with the
labours of his predecessors. This knowledge is surely the smallest part of
the duties of an editor.
I remember reading, some years ago, in the writings of old Zarlino (an
Italian author of the sixteenth century), an amusing chapter on the
necessary qualifications for a "complete musician." The recollection of
this forcibly returns to me after perusing the following extract from the
preface to a _Collection of Ballads_ (2 vols. 8vo. Edinburgh, 1828), by our
"simple" but well-meaning friend, "Mr. Peter Buchan of Peterhead."
"No one has yet conceived, nor has it entered the mind of man, what
patience, perseverance, and general knowledge are necessary for an
editor of a Collection of Ancient Ballads; nor what mountains of
difficulties he has to overcome; what hosts of enemies he has to
encounter; and what myriads of little-minded quibblers he has to
silence. The writing of explanatory notes is like no other species of
literature. History throws {52} little light upon their origin [the
ballads, I suppose?], or the cause which gave rise to their
composition. He has to grope his way in the dark: like Bunyan's
pilgrim, on crossing the Valley of the Shadow of Death, he hears sounds
and noises, but cannot, to a certainty, tell from whence they come, nor
to what place they proceed. The one time, he has to treat of fabulous
ballads in the most romantic shape; the next, legendary, with all its
exploded, obsolete, and forgotten superstitions; also history, tragedy,
comedy, love, war, and so on; all, perhaps, within the narrow compass
of a few hours,--so varied must his genius and talents be."
After this we ought surely to rejoice, that any one hardy enough to become
an Editor of Old Ballads is left amongst us.