The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-11-05
ENGLISH BALLAD-sINGERs.

The Ministries NeTe oiiee
HING body in England. But thelr dlgn'-
Ils' hn,ag interwovenw with the lllnsnfy splen-
1T ihe fendal Institutions, declined IN
e.',r,;on TO the advance OF moral eulufa-
pfVP'th av beea,le in time vulgar mounte-
,op nd ;5erlrrs. and in the reign at Eli
's p",h--the reign Of robust lnieiieet--they
Zap. absolutely suppressed as rognes aud
"'', 'tonds Ranished from the streets
hiyhways. they fed To ale houses, and
s e", m the trades of fddlrrs aud PiPers ;
',o,as,relsy was no longer knownin Oakland
mhc Instruments so long IN use by thus Or
iirof musicians would now astonlsh by
- number and the rudeness OF .theTnlan
u e,bric. There has not been Tor Al aye
.,, trace of this peculiar order, II we ex-
80, the instance ola man well known IN
narbyshire, who appeared al the close OF
-. Lst century in the streets ot the metro
VI 9Th the canister and string, ~ sing
tho aid ballad of Lord Thomas and Far
a,i,,nor From the earliest times songs
were chanted in our streets but before Tie
ra;gn of Elizabeth, they were invariably ac-
.omnanied By the sound of some musical
;as,rprnent. The suppression of the min
,s.ol order was followed by the rise of the
'nad-sincers-a race that relied for Sue
oass exclusively on the merits ofthcir vol
This revolution, though a curious
r,rt acknowledge, is scarcely distinguished,
or pr not alleged with sufficient stress, in most
~ onr histories of literature. ~ The sub
is of many of the songs handed down by
IL. mnstrels, were still held in hanor by
q, lf IL of
,be Clongh, 'feandle of Chester, and sir
Tnnaz. grown faded under the keeping of
tho MINISTRIES, were now refreshed and Lot
,anre boldly before the sense in the new
.arsion. Robin Hood had his honor5 n
,srged under the new dynasty more mai
den,--more heroes than ever, wept at aud
were inspired by the history ofhls lorunts 5.
Drayton's aIlusion to the propagation Of
Robins fame may give an idea of the dlfiu-
sion of the ballad singers.
In this our spacious isle think there is not
one
pgt he hath heard some talt of him and Little
ADJ,o he end of time tb. tales shah meier be
done
ofsearIork, Georye-a-Green, and Muck the
Mers son
The new racc-ihc ballad singers-star-
fed with full tide of popularity they bad
tbp Glory ofbeing opposed by, aud triumph
;ng over, the unanimous hostility Of tie
tsres OF the MUSES. from the highest 10 the
last worthy. The poets of TIN fist rank
confessed their uneasmes5 u Ia" success II
the innovators. Oh this iact we nave album
dant evidence in Spencer's Tears Of the Nlu-
ses-and even the supreme Shakespeare HIM
self would bring their calling INTO caa'emft.
I3 If Is worth while to attend to the
grounds Of difference betMeca he minstrels
and their more simple successors. The
former were the creatures of feudal van ~
and followed the fate of some very wicked
notion, of government both domestic and
poftic-the bailad-singcf5 addressed them !
selves to the people. they eourted no OBJ
legation from the rich-1hey wore no Ilse-
~ of the great---they moved In lndtEea-
dence-the members OF pure democratic !
institution. The times had passed anay
when the wonted phrase Of sdbseryicncy At
the beginning Of each song, " Fair lordgn- |
ges and ladies' all, y sc. was to be heard. al
But the ba!ldd-sinsero did not enjoy alone |
empty popularity, as may be understood |
from the perscs crence of the old singers, |
AID the number OF candidates that yearly |
sought refuge IN the profession from The |
risks of most uncertain state OF life. One
of the most popular singers Of this early |
tlmc was boy, who, from the character of ,
his voice and manner, Is distinguished by {
tap name of Outroarius Dick IA epiihet i
as honestly bestowed as amy descriptive /,
on any hero in Greek or Latin /
story. lie was bred to a mechanical EN- /
poyment but he had a voice, the possess z
son ofwhich would teach a less en'erpri- /
sng spirit to aspire above all the gross tolls :
Of hand,craft. His suCcess was as pcIma-
nent IN tae end as was steady in IL growth.
He first renowned the mechanical bic in |
tune his prosperity enabled ann 10 c7niia-
his lournics of business to the ad accent !
counties, the home circuit, aud the decline /
Of his life was spent in the digo!icd repoae
0fan amateur. Ills earnings, according to
Dir. Wharton. amounted to about To-. a
day he was well known througleut Is
tex aud was not missing for many years |
from the great fair Of Btaintree. hn'
Cheeke, for such Was his real U.nle, "A !
haunted in the midst Of his g.ary by riva'.
VIII WINNERS mad voice quit of as much .
Compass and lexibiIty, but not of as much .
pathos, as Dick. Dick WAS the more po-
puIar man OF the two he consulted times /
and taste, aud had greater variety o.
songs Wlmbers had sci ct list, from
which be never departed Cheeke was
free aud easy, and had turn for the hufao-
rons; his rival was Eli for doieful tragedies.
Tile tormcrw sought as corpa.don .. at !,
iafter pleased best in the put,ic exercise of
fIs talents. % But d.. MIST UNIVERSAL,
sN9'etmed balla1sinser Of his age gas Mat
;, ,'asn, man from the "Narth Cpnai.:e,"
t : It Ge.'aa of hallad-singers, as it had b Ell
'"inedy OF the i'..stftls. Nah had a
vehem..n style all tae 3ordcr