ancient poems-第12章

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Ballad：　LORD　DELAWARE。　　（TRADITIONAL。）



＇THIS　interesting　traditional　ballad　was　first　published　by　Mr。　　Thomas　Lyle　in　his　ANCIENT　BALLADS　AND　SONGS；　London；　1827。　　'We　　have　not　as　yet；'　says　Mr。　Lyle；　'been　able　to　trace　out　the　　historical　incident　upon　which　this　ballad　appears　to　have　been　　founded；　yet　those　curious　in　such　matters　may　consult；　if　they　　list；　PROCEEDINGS　AND　DEBATES　IN　THE　HOUSE　OF　COMMONS；　for　1621　and　　1662；　where　they　will　find　that　some　stormy　debating　in　these　　several　years　had　been　agitated　in　parliament　regarding　the　corn　　laws；　which　bear　pretty　close　upon　the　leading　features　of　the　　ballad。'　　Does　not　the　ballad；　however；　belong　to　a　much　earlier　　period？　　The　description　of　the　combat；　the　presence　of　heralds；　　the　wearing　of　armour；　&c。；　justify　the　conjecture。　　For　De　la　　Ware；　ought　we　not　to　read　De　la　Mare？　and　is　not　Sir　Thomas　De　la　　Mare　the　hero？　the　De　la　Mare　who　in　the　reign　of　Edward　III。；　A。D。　　1377；　was　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　All　historians　are　　agreed　in　representing　him　as　a　person　using　'great　freedom　of　　speach；'　and　which；　indeed；　he　carried　to　such　an　extent　as　to　　endanger　his　personal　liberty。　　As　bearing　somewhat　upon　the　　subject　of　the　ballad；　it　may　he　observed　that　De　la　Mare　was　a　　great　advocate　of　popular　rights；　and　particularly　protested　　against　the　inhabitants　of　England　being　subject　to　'purveyance；'　　asserting　that　'if　the　royal　revenue　was　faithfully　administered；　　there　could　be　no　necessity　for　laying　burdens　on　the　people。'　　In　　the　subsequent　reign　of　Richard　II；　De　In　Mare　was　a　prominent　　character；　and　though　history　is　silent　on　the　subject；　it　is　not　　improbable　that　such　a　man　might；　even　in　the　royal　presence；　have　　defended　the　rights　of　the　poor；　and　spoken　in　extenuation　of　the　　agrarian　insurrectionary　movements　which　were　then　so　prevalent　and　　so　alarming。　　On　the　hypothesis　of　De　la　Mare　being　the　hero；　there　　are　other　incidents　in　the　tale　which　cannot　be　reconciled　with　　history；　such　as　the　title　given　to　De　la　Mare；　who　certainly　was　　never　ennobled；　nor　can　we　ascertain　that　he　was　ever　mixed　up　in　　any　duel；　nor　does　it　appear　clear　who　can　be　meant　by　the　'Welsh　　Lord；　the　brave　Duke　of　Devonshire；'　that　dukedom　not　having　been　　created　till　1694　and　no　nobleman　having　derived　any　title　whatever　　from　Devonshire　previously　to　1618；　when　Baron　Cavendish；　of　　Hardwick；　was　created　the　first　EARL　of　Devonshire。　　We　may　　therefore　presume　that　for　'Devonshire'　ought　to　be　inserted　the　　name　of　some　other　county　or　place。　　Strict　historical　accuracy　is；　　however；　hardly　to　be　expected　in　any　ballad；　particularly　in　one　　which；　like　the　present；　has　evidently　been　corrupted　in　floating　　down　the　stream　of　time。　　There　is　only　one　quarrel　recorded　at　the　　supposed　period　of　our　tale　as　having　taken　place　betwixt　two　　noblemen；　and　which　resulted　in　a　hostile　meeting；　viz。；　that　　wherein　the　belligerent　parties　were　the　Duke　of　Hereford　（who　　might　by　a　'ballad…monger'　be　deemed　a　WELSH　lord）　and　the　Duke　of　　Norfolk。　　This　was　in　the　reign　of　Richard　II。　　No　fight；　however；　　took　place；　owing　to　the　interference　of　the　king。　　Our　minstrel　　author　may　have　had　rather　confused　historical　ideas；　and　so　mixed　　up　certain　passages　in　De　la　Mare's　history　with　this　squabble；　and　　we　are　strongly　inclined　to　suspect　that　such　is　the　case；　and　that　　it　will　be　found　the　real　clue　to　the　story。　　Vide　Hume's　HISTORY　　OF　ENGLAND；　chap。　XVII。　A。D。　1398。　　Lyle　acknowledges　that　he　has　　taken　some　liberties　with　the　oral　version；　but　does　not　state　what　　they　were；　beyond　that　they　consisted　merely　in　'smoothing　down。'　　　Would　that　he　had　left　it　'in　the　ROUGH！'　　The　last　verse　has　every　　appearance　of　being　apocryphal；　it　looks　like　one　of　those　　benedictory　verses　with　which　minstrels　were；　and　still　are；　in　the　　habit　of　concluding　their　songs。　　Lyle　says　the　tune　'is　pleasing；　　and　peculiar　to　the　ballad。'　　A　homely　version；　presenting　only　　trivial　variations　from　that　of　Mr。　Lyle；　is　still　printed　and　　sung。＇


IN　the　Parliament　House；　a　great　rout　has　been　there；　Betwixt　our　good　King　and　the　Lord　Delaware：　Says　Lord　Delaware　to　his　Majesty　full　soon；　'Will　it　please　you；　my　liege；　to　grant　me　a　boon？'

'What's　your　boon；'　says　the　King；　'now　let　me　understand？'　'It's；　give　me　all　the　poor　men　we've　starving　in　this　land；　And　without　delay；　I'll　hie　me　to　Lincolnshire；　To　sow　hemp…seed　and　flax…seed；　and　hang　them　all　there。

'For　with　hempen　cord　it's　better　to　stop　each　poor　man's　breath；　Than　with　famine　you　should　see　your　subjects　starve　to　death。'　Up　starts　a　Dutch　Lord；　who　to　Delaware　did　say；　'Thou　deserves　to　be　stabbed！'　then　he　turned　himself　away；

'Thou　deserves　to　be　stabbed；　and　the　dogs　have　thine　ears；　For　insulting　our　King　in　this　Parliament　of　peers。'　Up　sprang　a　Welsh　Lord；　the　brave　Duke　of　Devonshire；　'In　young　Delaware's　defence；　I'll　fight　this　Dutch　Lord；　my　sire；

'For　he　is　in　the　right；　and　I'll　make　it　so　appear：　Him　I　dare　to　single　combat；　for　insulting　Delaware。'　A　stage　was　soon　erected；　and　to　combat　they　went；　For　to　kill；　or　to　be　killed；　it　was　either's　full　intent。

But　the　very　first　flourish；　when　the　heralds　gave　command；　The　sword　of　brave　Devonshire　bent　backward　on　his　hand；　In　suspense　he　paused　awhile；　scanned　his　foe　before　he　strake；　Then　against　the　King's　armour；　his　bent　sword　he　brake。

Then　he　sprang　from　the　stage；　to　a　soldier　in　the　ring；　Saying；　'Lend　your　sword；　that　to　an　end　this　tragedy　we　bring：　Though　he's　fighting　me　in　armour；　while　I　am　fighting　bare；　Even　more　than　this　I'd　venture　for　young　Lord　Delaware。'

Leaping　back　on　the　stage；　sword　to　buckler　now　resounds；　Till　he　left　the　Dutch　Lord　a　bleeding　in　his　wounds：　This　seeing；　cries　the　King　to　his　guards　without　delay；　'Call　Devonshire　down；　…　take　the　dead　man　away！'

'No；'　says　brave　Devonshire；　'I've　fought　him　as　a　man；　Since　he's　dead；　I　will　keep　the　trophies　I　have　won；　For　he　fought　me　in　your　armour；　while　I　fought　him　bare；　And　the　same　you　must　win　back；　my　liege；　if　ever　you　them　wear。'

God　bless　the　Church　of　England；　may　it　prosper　on　each　hand；　And　also　every　poor　man　now　starving　in　this　land；　And　while　I　pray　success　may　crown　our　King　upon　his　throne；　I'll　wish　that　every　poor　man　may　long　enjoy　his　own。



Ballad：　LORD　BATEMAN。



＇THIS　is　a　ludicrously　corrupt　abridgment　of　the　ballad　of　LORD　　BEICHAN；　a　copy　of　which　will　be　found　inserted　amongst　the　EARLY　　BALLADS；　An。　Ed。　p。　144。　　The　following　grotesque　version　was　　published　several　years　ago　by　Tilt；　London；　and　also；　according　to　　the　title…page；　by　Mustapha　Syried；　Constantinople！　under　the　title　　of　THE　LOVING　BALLAD　OF　LORD　BATEMAN。　　It　is；　however；　the　only　　ancient　form　in　which　the　ballad　has　existed　in　print；　and　is　one　　of　the　publications　mentioned　in　Thackeray's　Catalogue；　see　ANTE；　　p。　20。　　The　air　printed　in　Tilt's　edition　is　the　one　to　which　the　　ballad　is　sung　in　the　South　of　England；　but　it　is　totally　different　　to　the　Northern　tune；　which　has　never　been　published。＇


LORD　BATEMAN　he　was　a　noble　lord；　A　noble　lord　of　high　degree；　He　shipped　himself　on　board　a　ship；　Some　foreign　country　he　would　go　see。

He　sailed　east；　and　he　sailed　west；　Until　he　came　to　proud　Turkey；　Where　he　was　taken；　and　put　to　prison；　Until　his　life　was　almost　weary。

And　in　this　prison　there　grew　a　tree；　It　grew　so　stout；　and　grew　so　strong；　Where　he　was　chained　by　the　middle；　Until　his　life　was　almost　gone。

This　Turk　he　had　one　only　daughter；　The　fairest　creature　my　eyes　did　see；　She　stole　the　keys　of　her　father's　prison；　And　swore　Lord　Bateman　she　would　set　free。

'Have　you　got　houses？　have　you　got　lands？　Or　does　Northumberland　belong　to　thee？　What　would　you　give　to　the　fair　young　lady　That　out　of　prison　would　set　you　free？'

'I　have　got　houses；　I　have　got　lands；　And　half　Northumberland　belongs　to　me　I'll　give　it　all　to　the　fair　young　lady　That　out　of　prison　would　set　me　free。'

O！　then　she　took　him　to　her　father's　hall；　And　gave　to　him　the　best　of　wine；　And　every　health　she　drank　unto　him；　'I　wish；　Lord　Bateman；　that　you　were　mine！

'Now　in　seven　years　I'll　make　a　vow；　And　seven　years　I'll