"Having found that in Chappell's 'Popular Music of the Olden Time'
there was mention made of a tune called 'Captain Ward,' I wrote to Mr
Chappell himself. He says about the ballad: 'For "A famous sea-fight
between Captain Ward and the Rainbow" see Roxburghe Collection, v. 3,
fol. 56, printed for F. Coles, and another with printer's name cut off
in the same volume, fol. 654; an edition in the Pepys Collection, v.
4, fol. 202, by Clarke Thackeray and Passinger; two in the Bayford,
[643, m. 9 / 65] and [643, m. 10 / 78]. These are by W. Onbey, and
the second in white letter. Further, two Aldermary Church Yard
editions in Rox. v. 3, folios 652 and 861. The ballad has an
Elizabethan cut about it, beginning, "Strike up, you lusty Gallants."
If I remember rightly, Ward was a famous pirate of Elizabeth's reign,
about the same time as Dansekar the Dutchman.'
"I went down myself to Magdalene, and saw the copy in the Pepysian
Library there. It is entirely different from that in the 'Suffolk N.
and Q.,' though at the same time there are slight resemblances in
expression. As ballads they are quite distinct. I suppose the other
copies to which Mr Chappell refers are like the Pepysian, which begins
as he says, 'Strike up, ye lusty Gallants.'
"W. ALDIS WRIGHT.
"CAMBRIDGE."
V.
A SOVEREIGN REMEDY.
Not many years since, not far from Ipswich, some practical agriculturists
met--as, for all I know, they may meet now--at a Farmers' Club to discuss
such questions as bear practically upon their business and interests. One
evening the subject for discussion was, "How to cure hot yards," _i.e._,
yards where the manure has become so heated as to be hurtful to the
cattle's feet. Many remedies were suggested, some no doubt well worth
trying, others dealing too much maybe in small-talk of acids and alkalis.
None of the party was satisfied that a cure had been found which stood
the test of general experience. Then they asked an elderly farmer, who
had preserved a profound silence through all the discussion, what he
would recommend. His answer was very true and to the point. "Gentlemen,"
he said, "yeou shu'nt have let it got so."