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

former rclse, was one al h mos. crlehra
led efforts. But undoubtedly his nrt. Wa.
uic t'mous old ballad If hety CAscr. then
called the Hunting al Cheylot. Tins Vas
the song which, Sir Philip Sidney declared
moved his heart more than trimpct If
Instead of The blind Crnn.Irr. with ma
! f7nSher voice than rude STYLE" whom he
flludes, he had heard Nash accompany the
words with the livciest dramatic action
= had seen him fail suddenly on his knees
aud move about, cutting aud thfnsGag ON
| all sides, as if To realize the dascript,on of
Ni,herington fighting on his stumps, il is
easy To suppose what must have been the
| result Ia tdtdr Of Nash. However, il 80
| happened that the date OF Nush's fortune
was fixed al a later period Tor the great
Secretary Cecil was once So captiyated
with his singing, that he soon enabled him
Ia retire from the profession. The acci-
dent, that led to this unfortunate rrnconlre
Is not impcrtlRcnt TO our subject in the
time of dcarth which was severely
lett IN the city, the famous ballad-makcr
Delone composed song rejecting on her
majesty. The ballad-singer and the pub
Usher w're both committed Ia the Comp
ter but the poet deied the ~ eminent
from his retreat In a letter to the Lord
Mayor, lie asowed the ballad, justified his
satire, and concluded with these lines from
the Mirror Of Magistrates, descriptive of
the duties Of 4 true poet. They were com
posed by one Collingbourue, put To death
foolish rhyme :"
" Things that import he NUT he quick to pen
heprovlng Vices sharply now and then;
He must he swift, when touched tyrants
chale,
To gallop thence, to keep his carcase safe
Nash, IN the meantime, in an interview with
the secretary, laly established his inno-
cence, and laid the foundation of his future
Prosperity.
II IS impossible to quit the reign of Eliza
beth without for moment delaying ON the
names Of Eldcrton and Delonr, The two H.
Iustrious ballad makers of the time. The
former was full Of cnthuaasm---a hearty
bard
lie WINS a care deIyins blade
As ever Bacchus listed
He was hishly charged with al the frailtie-
that accompany IN many cases the social
bias a, the Sims E{icrioa of his epitaph,
and the unchariiahle iampoon of Bishop
Hall, record. Deloue had more of judg-
ment But they wtre both men of great
genius they We're envicd, and ,ari6uslN
nd powerfully assoied: they both shows
cou Sc worthy tthe,r inspiration The
time was NOW comc, when this remarkable
iaumYratr, having lived to Il good old age
n the enjoyment III degree of popular ia
Yor 10 which the 50 mnny highly-gitted
spirits pretend III VAN, We're To begini 10 pre-
pare their account with postelity. They
saw that their verses would form the ira
dl.lons OF every siilage--stIlit wasnccessa-
ry to thr dignity of their fame ,hat they
should cali In their scattered Iabors, aud
leave behind them an authenticated YER
sion of their songs. The collections of
these two bard5 were published under the
tiles OF GarlanAs, with various lancii'ul adj
djtions. During their dnYs Of snglrnc3s
md liberty, the ballads were called peany
- raa..ts.
The Gipsies furnished number Of ie-
NAL, iailad-slngets about tbs time. The
laws, and the preiudice5 OF society in that
agc, eoncutred N deaouusiug this race.
But how Just is Nature! the most esteem
ed and the best received bfild-sii.ers OF
their fine belonged t. the outlaw tribe
Alice Eoyce, for instance, with the bron"rd
face, dark eyes ana hair Of her nation,
came 10 Lopdo8 from Cumberland. She
sang her way 10 the metropolis, and when
there, very quickly gained the ears ot the
great. She was even appoint. % in" y
the broom AID "Lady Grrcul-aYcsp be
fore the Queen. The reigns OF james !.
and his successor were remarkable fol 40
talng connected with on Papost', except
That the taste Of the population for nature
and simplicity kept up the Profr son ofhaI-
a l.iager. The poets of the day in the
mean time became 81 learned, that HEY
were scarcely To be understood even by
the great. llcnccforward bullad-aiG,sIug
mai ,,alned a prosperous and respectable
course. The singers had no state ru"luiys |
10 contend with. Their employment was |
too lucrative, and custom bad too firmly |
sanctioned l., to permit the prosecutions Of |
parish friends. But better THAI al, the |
law rs yet iuaii-hedn pr"text for stopping !
the free circulation Of the lower Ranks |
III olahout ,ht rouotry. The GoreIn- |
m N, and still more frequently the Cor
pera.on Of london, had been alarmed at ,
t J. iuX o. hoahlc s.ra ngers into the me /
tropolis. There were issued bulls OF peaal |
&c unciatoo, -treat PorcIamaticas. circam-
s antiaI ard minute, embracing tie profess
soro o. al! manner oiaG5 dHd employ meHts, |
for use or ,,,ausemcHt; set hot a
WOru Of balad-singers.-- iddlers put thr
Whole c,mneil into ccas.rrnatio9; MINISTRIES
(sGan as they wcrr) have price So anoh
their bodie5: but there is ne vice assume,
Of the membtia Of the roc4l t,@on7
Cromwell W., disturbed by the preseac"
OF Ion, visitors TO the metropolis ; hr asain
communicates miastrtls and folders, but
leaves baliad-5ineer5 II pursue thelr bos'-
ness nnmnle5ted. Aad yet the Protector