The Press. — London, England, 1854-08-19 00:00:00

AUGUST 19, 1854. -7 - 7 -- accidents of the picture are sufficiently absurd from the locating of the attorneys on Saffron hill to the hopeless pursuit into which Mr. Aubrey is advised to enter in his poverty — that of special pleading. Much allowance must always he made for exaggeration in a work' of fiction relating to our own time, and this allowance " Ten Thousand a Year" demands very frequently, every cha racter being unquestionably possessed of the most extreme characteristics of the class he or she is made to represent. Tittlebat Titmouse constitutes a bit of drawing which we cannot equal in modern literature. Such a daguerreotype of meanness, weakness, and fraud has very seldom been elaborated. The description is, indeed, so minute, and at the same time possessed of so much vraisem blance, that at times it becomes positively painful. The idea of taking a hero from the humblest walk of society, and carrying him through a series of adventures in the midst of wealth and power, was not new, but the material of which Mr. Warren's hero was formed was certainly the property of the author. Tittlebat Titmouse has no parallel, and perhaps much of the interest of the work has been secured by that fact. Mr. Warren, with the invariable fate of authors, would seem to have taken as his favourites certain characters in the choice of whom the reader will not agree. The Aubreys are not interesting, notwithstanding the au thor's evident partiality for them. To make a personage interest the reader it is necessary that his character should be brought out by bis acts and sayings, and not that the author should tell you that he is amiable, or excellent, or the contrary. If Scott had contented him self with often telling us that Gilbert Glossin was a despicable knave, we should not preserve the notion of his villany that remains upon the mind. In the same way we remember Mr. Warren's Gammon and Tit mouse because their acts relate their character. That Mr. Aubrey and Kate Aubrey were excel lent people we have little more than Mr. War ren's assurance. Let us say here that Mr. Warren's apostrophes are a blot upon his other wise good Saxon style. They impress nothing and explain nothing; and Mr. Warren could well afford, we think, to omit every passage beginning "Oh! beautiful Kate !" or " Beware, Titmouse ! " On the whole, it is with great sincerity that we hail the reissue of Mr. Warren's works at a price within the reach of the multi tude. Rarely have there been given to the public works of fiction combining so much really dramatic interest with such purity of religious feeling. The author may well pride himself on having gained the public ear without pan dering to any vicious tastes or popular delu sions. Songs from the Dramatists. Edited by Robert Bell. Annotated Edition of the British Poets. London :J. W. Parker and Son. IT has sometimes been doubted whether pure English literature, so rich in other departments, could boast much of its lyrical productions. Burns belongs to Scotland ; and, while the " Irish Melodies " have the musical wail of Celtic melancholy, the songs of Moore are only French in sentiment. The collection, indeed, of English songs is very large, but we have not any professed lyrical poet as true to Anglo-Saxon inspiration as Beranger is to the lively spirit of the French. Nor can we forget, on this point, that we are not a musical people, and that we are confessedly inferior to Germans and Italians in perceptions of the harmonies of sound. There are few things in the ethnological features of England more singular than the comparative rarity of musical talents in our society, when a people like the Germans, with whom we are nearly allied by blood, are so distinguished for their har monical endowments. It is not a little re markable, also, that several of the most eminent vocalists in our English opera have not been of pure English blood. Braham (Abraham) is descended from a family of German Jews ; and the captivating Mrs. Billington (Miss Weichsel), though born in London, was of German parentage. Sinclair and Wilson belonged to Scotland, which also Songs from the Dramatists. Edit , Bell. Annotated Edition of Poets. London :J. W. Parker IT has sometimes been doubted English literature, so rich in other could boast much of its lyrical Burns belongs to Scotland ; a " Irish Melodies " have the m Celtic melancholy, the songs only French in sentiment. indeed, of English songs is v 4 we have not any professed lyrics to Anglo-Saxon inspiration as the lively spirit of the French, forget, on this point, that we are people, and that we are confesst Germans and Italians in perce harmonies of sound. There an the ethnological features of singular than the comparative ra talents in our society, when a Germans, with whom we are ni blood, are so distinguished f monical endowments. It is I] markable, also, that several eminent vocalists in our I have not been of pure English 1 (Abraham) is descended fron German Jews; and the ea Billington (Miss Weichsel), London, was of German paren and Wilson belonged to Scotle THE PRESS. gave Mrs. Wood to the musical world. Cathe rine Hayes is a native of Ireland ; Mrs. Bland had an Italian Jewess (Romanzini) for her mother ; and Storace and Sapio were also Italians by descent ; and we could add other names to the list. Miss Stephens, Incledon, and Henry Phillips, however, are all English by family. It was a happy thought of Mr. Bell to exa mine the English dramatists with a special reference to the merit of their songs. Yet, some may ask, why make a distinction between the dramatists and operatic writers like Gay, Dibdin, and others ? Many persons will be apt to interpret " dramatists" in its conven tional meaning, and will feel some disappoint ment at not finding in this volume songs (like those of Gay) associated with charming music and brilliant performers. To such objections it can be fairly answered that the work is essentially literary and poetical, addressed to readers, not vocalists. Commencing with Udall, the writer of the first regular English comedy, Mr. Bell con cludes with Sheridan. The very first song selected by Mr. Bell is really a most curious one. It is called "The Work-Girls' Song," and is taken from the play of Ralph Roister Doister, whose author (Udall) lived 1505-1556. It is sung by three sewing-girls, and has a singular air of mirthful clatter and royster ing THE WORK-GIRLS' BONG. Pipe, merry Annot; Trills, Trilla, Trillarie. Work, Tibet ; work, Annot; work, Margarie ; Sew, Tibet ; knit, Annot ; spin, Margerie ; Let us see who will win the victory. Pipe, merry Annot ; Trills, Trills, Trillarie. What, Tibet ! what, Annot! what, Margarie ! Ye sleep, but we do not, that shall we try ; Your fingers be numb, our work will not lie. Pipe, merry Annot ; Trills, Trills, Trillarie. Now Tibet, now Annot, now Margarie ; Now whippet apace for the maystrie : But it will not be, our month is so dry. Pipe, merry Annot ; Trilla, Trills, Trillarie. When, Tibet ? when, Annot ? when, Margarie ? I will not,—l can not—no more can I ; Then give we all over, and there let it lie ! Those verses are thoroughly hearty and po pular in their character, and have a joyous re sonance in them that seizes the ear and gives titillating pleasure. John Heywood's " Wel come is the best dish " has a fine, cheery, old English spirit about it, but, as a lyrical piece, it wants variety for its great length. - - Lyly then follows in Mr. Bell's selection, commencing with the exquisite " Cupid and Campaspe," known already by " Percy's Re liques," and well meriting original music for such airy, joyous inspiration. It is with difficulty we refrain from extracting it, but we prefer to take a less known song of Lyly's, from his Galathea. Surely " Cupid Bound" has something very pleasing :- 0 yes, 0 yes, if any maid Whom leering Cupid has betrayed To powers of spite, to eyes of scorn, And would in madness now see torn The boy in pieces, let her come Hither, and lay on him her doom. O yes, 0 yes, has any lost A heart which many a sigh hath cost? If any cozened of a tear Which as a pearl disdain does wear? Here stands the thief ; let her but come Hither, and lay on him her doom. Is any one undone by fire, And turned to ashes by desire ? Did ever any lady weep, Being cheated of her golden sleep Stolen by sick thoughts ?—the pirate's found, And in her tears he shall be drowned. Read his indictment, let him hear What he's to trust to. Boy, give ear! Samuel Daniel is then drawn on for his poem called " Opinion,' which we can hardly regard as a " song." His mind was too medi tative and not fiery enough for a song-writer. Coleridge was fond of quoting Daniel's pro found thought-- " Unless shore himself he (loth exalt himself How mean s thing is man!" A song from Han* Beer-Pot, by Dabridge• court Belchier (circa 1621), thus commences :- 785 Walking in a shady grove, Near silver streams fair gliding, Where ti ees in ranks did grace the banks, And nymphs had their abiding ; Here as I strayed I saw a maid, A beauteous lovely creature, With angel's face, and goddess grace, Of such exceeding feature. Her looks did so astonish me, And set my heart a•quaking, Like stag that gazed was I amazed, And in a stranger taking. Yet roused myself to see this elf, And to a tree did hide me ; Where I unseen beheld this queen Awile, ere she espied me. Her voice was sweet melodiously, She sung in perfect measure ; And thus she said with trickling tears, " Alas, my joy, my treasure, I'll be thy wife or lose my life, There's no man else shall have me ; If tiod so, I will say no, Although a thousand crave me." The song does not, however, end so pleasingly as it begins, and it concludes without point. We then come to Shakspeare and Ben Jonson, and we feel that in this, as in other depart- ments of poetry, Shakspeare was superior to all men. Mr. Bell well remarks : He shows an instinctive knowledge of the secret of this kind of writing as of everything else. His songs possess in perfection all the essential elements of gaiety and tenderness, facility 3nd grace, idiomatic purity, melody in the expression, variety, suddenness, and completeness. In their airiness and sweetness, their spontaneity and full throated ease, they resemble the songs of birds. The contrast with lien Janson is striking. Here we have a great command of resources, and a visible air of preparation. The lines are thoughtful, and occasionally rugged, and must be read, even in the singing, with a certain degree of emphasis and deliberation. They do not spr►ng at once to the heart and the fancy. The songs of those great poets are too well known fur us to extract them. The lyrics of Beaumont and Fletcher are not much appreciated; and we surmise that this volume of Mr. Bell will draw more attention to them. The following verses are assigned to them by the editor, though sometimes ascribed to Fletcher : THE LOVER'S LEGACY TO HIS CRUEL MISTRESS. Go, happy heart! for thou shalt lie Intomb'd in her for whom I die, Example of her cruelty. Tell her, if she chance to chide Me for slowness, in her pride, That it was for her I died. If a tear escape her eye, 'Tie not for my memory, But thy rites of obsequy. The altar was my loving breast, My heart the sacrificed beast, And I was myself the priest. Your body was the sacred shrine, Your cruel mind the power divine, Pleased with the hearts of men, not kine. As au anacreontic piece, " The Invitation," by the same writer, is an admirable burst of manly passion, and. worth fifty of Little's mawkish and prurient pumilities. After Beau mont and Fletcher there is a lamentable fall ing off with the decline of the drama. Mr. Bell recounts the change : The dramatic songs of the age of Elizabeth and James I. are distinguished as much by their delicacy and chastity of feeling as by their vigour and beauty. The change that took place under Charles 11. was sudden and complete. With the Restoration, love disappears, and sensuousness takes its place. Voluptuous, without taste or sentiment, the songs of that period may be said to dissect in broad daylight the life of the town, laying bare with revolting shamelessness the tissues of its most secret vices. But, as this species of morbid anatomy required some variation to relieve its sameness, the song sometimes transported the libertinism into the country, and, through the medium of a sort of Covent•garden pastoral, exhibited the fashionable delinquencies in a masquerade of fitrephons and Chlorises no better than the Courtalle and loveits of the comedies. The costume of innocence gave increased zest to the dis solute wit, and the audiences seem to have been delighted with the representation of their own licentiousness is the transparent disguise of verdant images, and the affectation of rural simplicity. It helped them to a spurious ideal, which rarely, however, lasted out to the end of the verse. The subsequent decline of the drama is senaiby felt in the degeneracy of its We concur in the main with the foregoing sentiments, but there are some points in them open to criticism. Mr. Bell, in our opinion, is not quite just to Sedley. It is very true that the admiration for Sedley was once extra vagant, and his faults are now very obvious, but still he often gave proofs of trae lyrical in spiration. Our earlier songwriters seldom • polished their verses, and they cared much