Star. — London, England, 1822-09-06 00:00:00

. • •: e _i. ----- ZNGLISK BALLAD-SINGERS. (From the New Monthly Magazine.). The minstrels were once a great and flourishing body in England. 134 their ( digntty,being interwoven with the illusory splendours of feudal institutions , de- . clinetLin proportion to the advance of moral cultiva- ' tion : they became in time vulgar Mountebanks and jugglers, and in the reign of,Elizabeth—the reign of robust intellect—they were , absolutely suppressed as rogues and, vagabonds. • Banished from the streets and highways, they fled to alehouses, anclfollowed the• trades of fiddlers and.pipers: minstrelsy was no longer known iu England. The instruments so long in use by this order of musicians would now astonish by • their slumber and the rudeness of their plan and fa'aric. There has not been 'for an age any trace of : this peculiar order, if we except the instance of a than well known in Derbyshire, who appeared at the close of the last century in the streets of the Metropolis Is ith the, canister and string*, singing the fine old ballad of Lord Thomas aiid - fair Eleanor. From.the earliest times songs were chanted in 'our streets; but before the reign of Elizabeth, they were invariably accoinpanied by the sound of soine tousical instru ment. The suppression of the minstrel order was fol lowed, by the rise of the ballad-singers—La race that relied for success exclusively on the merits of their voices. This revolution, tlwegh a curious part 'of knowledge, is scarcely 'distinguished, or not alleged •with sufficient stress, in most of our histories of litera . ture.-t - 'llre,subjects of many of the songs banded down by the-minstrels, were still held in honour:by the ballad-singers. The feats of Clym of the Clough, Randle of Chester, and Sir Topaz, grown faded under ,the keepijig of the minstrels, were now refreshed and ,brought 'wore boldly before the sense in. the new version. Robin Hood had his honours enlarged under the new dynasty—more maidens, more heroes than ever, wept tit and were inspired by the history of his. fortunes. -I)rayton's 'allusion to the propaga tion of Robin's fame may give an idea of the diffu sion of the ballad-singers: " In this our. spacious isle I think there is not one - But he bath heard some talk of him and little John ; And to the end of time the tales shall ne'er be done Of Scarlock,'Grorge-a-Greee,*and Muck the Miller's son !" The 'new. race,-the b a llad-singers—started with a fellaisle,of•popularity : they had.the glory of being -opposed by, and-triumphing over the unanimous hos tlity of the votaries of the Muses from the highest to the least worthy. The poets of the first rata. con ' fes*d their uneasiness at the success of the innovators. Of this fact we have abundant evidence in Spencer's Tears of the Muses—and even the supremeShakspeare himself would bring their calling into contempt It is worth while to attend to the grounds of differ:. once bet wren the mitistiels and their more simple sue cesSors. :Ile forrner,.were the creatures of feudal yasiiy, and followed the fate of some very wicked notions of government both domestic and politic— the ballad-singers addressed themselves to the people. They courted : no obligation from the rich—they wore ..,,,so livery of the great—they moved in independence— the-members of . a pure democratic institution. The times had .passed away when the wonted phrase of subset viency at the beginning of each song, " Fair loidynges and ladies all," &c. was to be heard.§ But the ballad singers ,did not enjoy alone empty popu latity,, as. may, be understood from the perseverance of the old singers, and the number of candidates that yearly sought refuge in the profession from the risks of a more uncertain state of life. One of the most popular singers of this early time was a boy; who, from the character of his voice and manner, is dis tinguished by the name of Outroaring Dick ; an epi thet .as honestly bestowed as anY descriptive com pound on any hero in Greek or Latin story. He was bred to a mechanical employment; but he had a voice, the possession. of which would teach a less en terprizing spir it•to aspire above all the gross toils of handicraft. His success .was as permanent in the end as it was steady in its growth. He first renounced the mechanical life; in time his prosperity enabled him to confine his journeys of business to the adjacent counties—the home circuit—and the decline of his life was spent in the dignified repose of an amateur.— His earnings, according to Mr. Wharton, amounted to about 105. a day: he was well known thrimghout Es sex, and was not missed for many, years from the great fair of Braintree. But Cheeke, for such was his real name, was haunted in the midst of his glory by a rival. Will Wimbsrs had a voice quite of as much com pass and .flexibility, but nut of as much pathos as Dick. Dick was the more popular man of the two ; he consulted times and tastes, and had a greater oar viety of songs; Wimbats had a select list, from which Ise never departed. Cheeke was free and easy, and had a tuna for the humorous; his rival was all for dole ful tragedies. The former was sought as a compas nion, the latter pleased best in the public exercise q t his talents.o But the-most universally esteemed balk lad-singer of his age was Mat Nash, a man from the " North Countrie, - the "„icing of ballad-singers, as it had. been formetly of•the minstrels. Nash had a mas euline.weiserneot style:All the Border ballads he bad nearly spade his. Own; 'by the force and enthusiasm of his manner-of singing them. His . " Hunts up,"asong which obtained for the author so much favour in - a former reign,- was one of his most celebrated !Aria,' But undotibtedly his forte was the famous otd'ballad of,Clsevy Chaet•then called the Hunting of Cheriot. This wosahe song *hill ;Sir Philip Sidney declaied snowed his heort more than a trumpet. If instead of thea' blind Crowder, with no rougfiet • This was one or the in*truments in use among , the tutolenj • minstaels*Dr. Percy gives a envious' list of them. - , __ ' ' t. Pry Persy inakes.no distinctiow betimes the minstrels so the balead-apsuts.kfts.jivee 4T proper from Puttenharn, an ass. sLurtif henry VlTltit 'stole, WitJb ill TiriFw, to chicidatv *me of ballad-singing, and this very passage.Li cited b .)%11 : . iis .4i plehiii ertie•Fligl4ll minstrel of th . eAsys of ' ' (Pmstenteltn.) - . - t die et' tile'reh of the i alt wa s Ai y it iv i i i ~ 4 ': :Is* other as•eompfaining of** Rennie ma& by the , « When I was looVd upon:* ',says he • •!_there,; a U t iltstitgfii of that idle ilipitlik see'eradoa of ballititgei , - 04 ' i - - Areli)fe nicely chanec.& in' rvery,Street , and fre • on i overire4 Essen and th'e ' ?hill% s!ntntles.' ° —(Vidi ... erten a acssapt . of Monday, !id rot: , . • • • • • S Their is asi,netter Criterion of the rising linpaete44 - 0 the People in these-lisys than,this, that the great awetary Ceita made a cone : L.4oh of vulgar ballad's in order to 4stertalu.thOffit, ler ~,i tar tip t4o4 - :pcf6n uhf Oat,more so li d chi s el . ~ fit .sbeer the " Whitt of she tittles* itt ell as s liagtdi a - i i i•. and Irietchef SattntSit)iiist t isy, thAe sit 4 Fouittep; 4 .4 Ulla. er s'eferfets,* tired little *to 1 s le the reit . 1 Mr. *fling in e)thie thilie..P 4 l l . 3l . iiiiii t'W bilis- Poetry, estts inane of she peon! • • voice than rude style," to whom he alludes, he had heard Nash aseompany - the"Mkas with the live Tr--k dramatic action—had he seen him fall suddenly his knees and move about cutting and thrusting . all sides, as if to rearm thedescription of Witherr ton fighting on his stamps — it is easy to suppcse w h at would have been the result itt.fertone.bf :Nash. How-• ever, it so happened chit the date, of Islash's fortune was fixed. at a later MIMI; fert , tbe gteat Secretary Cecil was once so captivated withlitainging, that he soon enabled him to retire frowthe peofession,... The accident that led to thiaforttuurte.reneontre is not impertinent to, our subject time of a dearth which was severely felt to 'the : city, the famous bal. hid-maker Delone composed a song reflecting on het Majesty. The ballad-singer and the publisher were both committed to the Comptes; but the Poet defiedi the Government from his retreat. In a letter to the Lord Mayor he avowed the balled, justified.his satires and concluded with these lines from the Mirror of Magistrates, descriptive of the duties of a true Poet. They.siere.conaposed by one .Collingbaerne, put to death in ,the reign of Richard for " making a foolish rh y Me." " Things that import he must be snick to pen, Reproving vices sharply now and then, He must be swift when touched tyrant 3 chafe To gallop thence, to keep his carcase safe !" Nitsh, in the meantime, in an interview with de Se .cretary, fully establisholllis innocence, and laid the iounda;ion of his future prosperity. i:kimpossible to quit the reign of Elizabeth with mit for a mono delaying on the names of Elderton and Delone, age two illustrious ballad-makers of the time. Theforsner was full of enthusiasm—a hearty bard : I tate to eves", even en state occasions, a preference fat tot simple Wm, That charm red early years, Illanheeltborate • ootipoiltions of. the most 'esteemed AMMO% of the time . VOO are to ltmk Upon the bal. .lad-slagers from this time forth in the *t of it Cor poration. Custom had established yearly festivals for them in the classii regions - of St. Giles's; which were:much frequented by some of the wit* of the ,day4-Swift, Cray, Bolingbroke, Steele, &c. From these high followers of the Moses-yearly contingentsl of ballads were expected. SWift contracted to fur nish thehumorous songs. -Gay, who, as. Goldsmith observed of him, had a happy strain of ballad-think ing, was set down for the pathetic ones. Those of a miscellaneous character were divided amongst a number of amateur Bards. No importunities, even of his friends, could induce Pope to attend stay of these assemblies. He was, however, prevailed on to write:ao epitaph for a young creature whom 'he had several times seen and heard, and who was known' to her companions under the title of Clarinda. She was much favoured by some of the great, and, but! -for her attachment to the life of a ballad-singer, might with her beauty and accomplishments haves risen to fortune. The following is a fragment of the' epitaph ; and, as we have it merely from tradition, we must not be held answerable for it as a Jenuine or correct production :• She who inlaid benea . th this sod of earth :Was blest, though wanting titles, power, and birth ; Though poor, had yet the loftiest Bards inspired; Thougll fair, was yet by her own sex admired; But Wortley was the woman that did praise, And Swift and Gay the Buds that loved her lays. - Clarinda, courted by the wise and great, Would stay to charm the vulgar at their gate; Pleased if those notes which Lords and roes Wed, Were by the humble peasant-throng approved." Gay and Swift had naturally a relish for low so ciety, and were hailed by the fraternity and sister hood as the most precious sources of profit. Amongst other songs which Swift sells into the world through the medium of the ballad-singers, was a severe satire on the Duke of Marlborough,- beginning " Our Johnny is come from the wars.* fhe song drew much attention in the streets, and excited the strongest resentment against the author in the breast of the ac complished Duchess. She remained implacable until the publication of Gulliver, when she offered her friendship to Swift, through his friend Gay. The Begar's Opera was originally written (we have it on Gay s own authority), to celebrate the marriage of James Chanter and Moll Lay. There was a young creature amongst the ballad-singers, now known to the world by no other title than Clara, who' drew much attention at this time by the sweetness and pathos of her tones. She was the original singer of Black-eyed Susan, and one or two songs which were afterwards introduced into the Beggars Opera. But her recommendation to particular notice was the cir cumstance of her having for many years been the object of Lord Bolingbroke's enthusiastic *affection.— The poor girl strayed for some time, during which his Lordship had not seen her ; and it was alter that interval, that, having met her, he addressed to her the tender lines, beginning— " Dear ' thoughtless Clara, to my verse attend. Believe for asset the lover and the friend!" And concluding thus— " To virtue thus and to thyself restored, By all admired, by one alone adored; Be to thy Harry ever kind and true, And live for him who more than died for you!" " He was a care-slefying blade As ever Bacchus listed." He was highly charged with all the frailties that RC company, in many cases, the social bias ; as the sitiess Elderton of his epitaph, and the uncharitable lampoon of Bishop Hall, record. Delone had more of judgment. But they were both men of great genius : they were envied, and variously and powerfully assailed: they both shewed a courage worthy of their inspiration. The time was now come when this remarkable duum virate, having lived to a good old age in the enjoy ment-of a degree of popular favour to which they saw so many highly-gifted spirits pretend in vain,were to begin to prepare their account with posterity. They saw that their verseswoald form the traditions of every village—still it was necessary to the dignity of their fame that they should call in their scattered labours, and leave behind them an authenticated version of their songs. The collections of these two bards were published under the titles of Garlands, with various fanciful additions. During their days of singleness and liberty, the ballads were called penny men invents. The gipsies fumbled a number of female ballad singers about this time. The laws and the prejudices of society, in that age, concurred in denouncing this race. But how just is Nature! the most esteemed and the best received ballad-singers of their time belonged to the outlaw tribe. Alice Boyce, for instance,with the bronzed face, dark eyes and hair of her nation, came to London from Cumberland. She sang-her way.to the metropolis, and, when there, very quickly gained the ears of the great. She was even appointed to sing "0, the Broom" and " Lady Greenleaves" before the Queen. The reigns of King James the First and his successor were remarkable for nothing eon nected with our purpose, except that the taste of the population for nature and simplicity kept up the pro fession of ballad-singing. The poets of the day in the meantime became so learned, that they were scarcely to be understood even by the great. Hence forward ballad-singing maintained a prosperous and respectable course. The singers had no state enemies to contend with. Their employment was too lucra-. tire, and custom had too firmly sanctioned it, to per mit the persecutions of parish fiends. But, better than all, the law as yet furnished no pretext for stop ping the free circulation of the lower ranks through out the country. The Government, and still more frequently the Corporation of London, had been alarmed at the influx of humble strangers into the Metropolis. There were issued bulls of penal denunciation, street proclamations, circumstantial and minute, embracing the professors of all manner of arts and employments, whether for use or.amuse ment ; yet not a word of ballad-singers. Fiddlers put the whole Council into consternation ; minstrels (such as they were) have a price set upon their bodies; but there is no vice assumed of the members of the vocal throng. Cromwell was disturbed by the presence of low visitcrs to the metropolis: he again excommuni cates minstrels and fiddlers, but leaves ballad-singers Yesterday John Robinson.was indicted-for stealing to pursue their business unmolested. And tet the a pair of breeches,and on being called upon to plead, Protector found not in that order a friendly or even he replied "Guilty." a neutral power. They sang of bold Cavaliers and The CHAIRMAN asked the prisoner whether he in- Ladies bright, themes that did not fail to keep the tended to abide by that plea? the prisoner answered memory of past times " green in the souls of men." in the affirmative, and the plea was ordered to be But as soon as the Restoration removed all restraint recorded.—The prosecutor was desired to stand up. .from the ballad-singers, the streets re-echoed to the W. Gale, a pawnbroker in Bermondsey-street, said strains either of thanksgiving for the return of the that, on Tuesday evening, at nine o'clock, he missed Monarch, or in ridicule of the fallen power. The the pair of breeches which the prisoner acknowledged song beginning with the words " Rebellion bath himself guilty of stealing.—He was called in order broken up house" was very celebrated at the time.— that the Court might ascertain the circumstances at klowerree,.the•taste of, the Public in the course of a tending the prisoner's guilt. abort time Was divided between political and amatory The Cnaressan4hen sentenced the prisoner to be pOetryl•the circumstances of the limes recommended confined three months in the House of Correction at .the first species ;.and the spirit that produced the Brixton, and - kept to hard labour. sfoesileys, Etheridge:, and Rocbesters, brought in the IllitheifFietaing• was tried for stealing a tea-chest ; letter. Many of the celebrated Poets of the day and other ar ti c le s , the property of John Buck. wrote for the streets and villages. But there never A lad, named Harper, who was servant to the pro was an era when .the ballad-singers answered more secutor, said that his master kept a stall at. Camber faithfully to.the public feeling. •They were a fearful well Fair. Between one and two in the morning of check on the acts of the despotic Monarch. When Wednesday, the 21st of Atigust,while they were pre the Charter, was .withdrawn from the City of Lon- - paring to go off to Peckham,witness saw the prisoner don, a storm of ballads assailed the Court, and was lift up the cloth of the stall, and take away a large beard ,with dismay in the Council. The agitated box, on which he hallooed out to his master, and at period that immediately went before the Revolution the samc-time he saw the prisoner run away ; he cried pnensitted .scarcely any but political ballads to be out " stop thief," and never lost sight of the prisoner sag. There were faint strains of loyalty now and until the watchman took him. thou put forth. Sevenal gstn the death of Rus- Charles Walsh,.the watchman, swore to his run sell and M npmeath ale prisserved. But the great ning after the prisoner when the alarm was given effeative. force of the bailad4lngers .was. directed and taking him into custody. When taken to the t the.reigning family.' The decisive effects of , watch-house the prisoner pulled off a cost,' which he' ttleggael. verses called the Litlitualtdie itre anther- threw on one side, and a small knife was found in the tillaattl: by _Cabby. , Lisle •Wintekoirf tile author of pockit of it. • ithresentp boasted that-he hadAltiistif Idtig.raines , The night constable of Camberwell said the pri dalt..of his doninioaa.o.oll4kailechnotly' the ismffl er had taken off his coat to bae the boy, in order yam* waiters.: cialletibmealiradthit theit was no that he might hot 'know him ; the boy, however, etalgenttkaaia theAteebtaciThe OA' of 'tidpulat stneatap i ly pointed,him oat f ro m among, a 404,444 W wow; andikalled-tinghtreatarill Vhd sde t(' -the i 44 444iers„ observing that he knew him by his:glased - -"stahliak ed.) drtaaansathe Qbeen laird *We.' kateand.black handkerchief. • : - • `` trDs~ttllttil~ . tpBaxs~ ;'% lie iartidtheib► • Jobb .Iluck, the owt*of the ;faten:4)4 ttirt! cite. A series of calamities totally ruined her vocal powers, and she afterwards subsisted by the sale of oranges at the Court of Requests. The profession did not continue to maintain its rank. The disappointed author in Roderick Random, who set about writing for the ballad-singers, Was in troduced into one of their assemblies. His testimony establishes the deepest degeneracy in the members of the order. Indeed, the history of ballad-singing during the remainder of the last century affords but an unsatisfactory subject of reflection to the lovers of song. The modern state of the art merits an essay in itself. w. • 11'be Queen having a mind one. afternoon to be enter taineYwith music, sent to Mr. (jostling, to Henry Pureed; and "Mrs. Hunt, with a request to attend her: they obeyeti.her mends. Mr. Gostling and Mrs. Hunt sung several compositions of Purcell, who accompanied . them on the harpsichord : at length the Queen beginning to grow tired of this, asked Mrs. Hunt if she could not sing the old Scots ballad of Cold and raw ?' Mrs. Hunt answered, yei, sad sung it to her lute. Purcell was all tbs while sitting at the harpsichord unemployed, and not a little nettled at the Queen's preference of a vulgar ballad to his music."—Sir J. Hawkins. SURREY SESSIONS. 0$ cumstance of. *boy. giving =alarm, and; as he was about to-follow the prisoner, he found the bni t lying outside the stall, with the lid open. .Tdie bni t was one of 'those in which tea is paiked up.. There was in the boa at the time a coat, it shirt, add other articles--it was quite full. The prisoner denied the charge against him ;he was a'seafaring man, a stranger in London, and knew no one to call to his character. The Jury found him Guilty and he was ,tett% tenced to hard labour for twelve months in °Britton House of Correction. Thomas Shaw, alias Sharp, was tried for stealing a carpet. The prisoner was seen, about five o'clock on the morning of the 29th of July ; by a patrol, in t:or folk-street, in the Borough. He had a carpet with him, which, on seeing the patrol, be, deposited in a privy. He said that he was taking it to beat, and that it belonged to his master. He was then taken into custody. Charles Bounds, the night constable, produced the carpet, which was proved to be the ptopetty of Ito: bert. Wright, the prosecutor, a manufacturer of straw bonnets. The carpet bad been in the workshop, and was there on Sunday, the 2bth of July. • The prisoner, in his defence, said, he found. the carpet near a new building, and that he took it to find an owner for it.—He was found Guilty, and sin. tenced to. three months hard labour in Brixton Margaret Pavey was put to the Bar, charged wth ttealing eight sovereigns. The prosecutors when called on, did not appetr ; they were then called rn their recognizances, and the prisoner was acquitttd. Thomas Lewis and George Smith, two •mi,enible looking boys, were tried for stealing potatoes horn off the premises of a Mr. Perryman, a gardener, at Camberwell, on the 30:11 of August. The potatoes were dug up, and were on the tied at the time._ Both Guilty, and sentenced to hard labour for one month in the House of Correction. INSOLVENT I)1:137ORS' COURT. Yesterday, James Harris carne up on his petition to he discharged. This insolvent was examined on two former on the last of which it was adjourned that he might prodtice a witness of the name of Carter, to whom he said he had paid a sum . of money. The insblver: stated this day that he could not fiat' Ca: ter, who, law heard, had gone to Holland. Mr. HEATH, the Counsel against the resolve examined a witness, who stated that he had inquired for Carter where the insolvent said he had lived, and was answered by a person resident in the house forty years, that no such person had been known there during that time. The CHIEF COMMISSIONER, on hearing this ev:- dence, proceeded to pronounce the judgment of the Court, in which he recapitulated the principal fact; of the case. The insolvent, he said, had been'first examined on the 13th of July, when he stated that L had been a cheesemonger at Bayswater, and had sold his furniture to a person named Slteene, in April. for £55, and his stock in trade and business at the same time, to a person named Woodmaster, for C 37, of which sums he paid to a person of the name ui Carter, from whom he bad borroWed £9O, twelve months before, and who lived at No. 2, Crown-court, Broad-street.. On that occasion witnesses were pro duced, who proved that the business was carried on in the insolvent's - shop by his wife, since the time Le stated he had sold it, apparently in the same manmr as before the time oldie sale. The case was adjourned in consequence, that Wood master might be prod On the .6th of August, Woodmaster was exaniinec!, and stated in his examination in chief, that lie had purchased the insolvent's shop and stock on the '26th of April : that he had for some time been desirous of 'entering into such a business ;. and li.tviaL seen the ,insolvent's advertised for sate, he applied to Al% Pear son, to whom the advertisement directed, and was by him referred to the in , ,olvent, with whom he agreed to take the stock at a valuation, which was accordingly made by two brokers, and came to 1:37, which he paid. lie had since employed the insolvent's wife to carry on the business, paying her wages and taking the profit. No one, said the Learned Commissioner,who had heard this witness's statement in chief, and knew no more of the facts, could have doubted tile troth of his story ; but he underwent a long cross-exami nation; in which he stated that he lived on a life an nuity; and had never been concerned in trade, acs ever, before he saw the advertisement, had taken any steps for the purpose; that he had been acquainted with the insolvent's wife four years, and frequently .visited at his house; that he had been consulted about advertising the business, and had been shewn the ad vertisement by the insolvent the day before it war inserted. On being asked where he got the money with . which he purchased the insolvent's business, he refused to answer, but admitted that, about three weeks before, he had given security for a debt he was unable to pay. The Court, after hearing the whole of his evidence, were of opinion that it was impossible for any human being to give the slightest credit to anything which he had sworn. One of the brAci proved the valuation, and that he had seen money pass from Woodmaster, of whom he knew nothilz, to the insolvent. The Court gave full credit to the broker's testimony, which shewed a deep design en the part of the insolvent to give a colour to his fraud. For the same purpose he ca' led in two honest broker , , who might see the money paid and to make the vall ation, but the Court had no doubt that the insolvent's own money paid for his stock. Then, as to Car tea, the insolvent's friend, to whom he paid the money, for money he had borrowed without any security twelve months before, and for whose production the case was adjourned, he now said he could not tiA him, and the impression on the Court was that was no such man, either now or at any other time. It was reasonable to inquire what motive the insolvent -could have had for his fraudulent conduct, and On appeared by the vvi,!ence. A verdict had been given ag.iinsehim for-damages for a libel, and execution might have issued on the 29th of April; to defeat which he made away with his property on the 16th, ;by a device of more than usual contrivance, which ,required to be severely marked by the Court. The -judgment therefore was,. that the insolvent should be • remanded for eighteen months. 'III a' — l47* A A rt i titi - I16:i t itryrfis: t 31crromg , - 511' answer., Air S. AttOilidult • • - 37 minutes Arr . .5. CONYITKNaTera - ta ix; Wiacti. •