The Washington herald., 1911-06-18

lads" 1863, the explanation was consId-
erably amplified, and ran as follows:
Note-With the exception of the choral
lines
land shall TreIawny def
Here's twenty thousand Cornishmen
VIII know the reason WhyD-
4 which have been, ever since the i'm
prtsonment by James II of the seven
bishops Zone of them Sir John Tre-
lawny), popular proverb throughout
4 Cornwall, the whole of this song was
composed by me in the year 1926. 1 wrote
1t under a stag-horned oak in Sir Beyile's S
walk, In Stowe Wood. 1t was sent by
me anonymously to a Plymouth paper
and there 1t attracted the notice Of Mr.
Davies Gilbert, who reprinted il at his
private press at East Bourne, under the
avowed impression that 1t was the origi-
nal ballad.
Tt had the good fortune to win tho
euiogyof Sir Walter Scott, who also
deemed 1t to be the ancient song. 1t
was praised under the same persuasion
by Lord Macaulay and by Mr.. Dickens,
who inserted it at first, as of genuine
antiquity in his Household Words but
who afterward acknowledged its actual
paternity in the same publication"
1t VIII be seen, that Mr. Hawker's
memory failed him in one of two un-
important particulars, but the main
facts, namely, that the ballad was his
own composition, with the exception of
the refrain, was, one would have thought.
established beyond further dispute. There
We're, however, doubling Thomases"
who still called for the ancient refrain.
But the honesty and veracity of Hawker
were conclusively proved by Mr.. John
Latimer, who. In a letter to the Athe-
naeum Of November q, 1891, quoted a
contribution to the Bristol journal of
July q, 1772, entitled Extract of a Let
ter from Gentleman at Savanna la
Mar to his Friend In Kingston, Monday.
April q. describing the reception of the
governor, Sir William Trelawny, when on
tour through Jamaica. The relevant pas
sage is as follows:
About century and a half ago, upon
some particular state commotions, one
OF Sir Williams ancestors was on
wrong suspicion of the government sent
to the Tower of London, and 1t was
declared In Cornwall that he was to suffer
death. The great attachment of the peo-
pie In general Of that country was then,
as now. so affectionately strong to the
ancient family of Trelawny Castle that
the population Of the county got the fol-
lowing lines published in several places
at London. viz:
and must TseSanny diet
And shnl Trelawny dey
We've thirty thousand Cornish boys
VIII know the reason whyi
This ana some other circumstances so
intimidated at that time some of the
greatest personages then al the helm
Of English national affairs that Sir Will
lam Trelawnys ancestor was soon set at
liberty and soon after arrived at Tre- |
iawny Castle amid the joyous acciama-
tion Of thousands
Mr. Latiner gave good reasons for
thinking that the lines referred to John /
Trelawny. who was ordered by the House |
OF Commons to be imprisoned IN the
Tower. on May 13 1877. and was released |
about six weeks later. John Trelawny, |
who was crested a bsronet In 1875, was |
the grandfather Of the Bishop OF Bristol /
Sir Jonathan Treiawny. who, IN his turn.
was the great-uncle Of Sir William Tre- /
lawny. the governor Of Jamaica The lines
probably survived as a family tradition /
and Ii this manner came 70 the ears or I
the writer n the Bristol Journal. The
existence of q tzzditlonal refrain was stln /
popular n r77z