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popular tale of the times was recorded. As our ancestors partook of the fierce, warlike character of the northern nations, the subjects of their poetry would chiefly consist of the martial exploits of their heroes, and the military events of national history, deeply tinctured with that passion for the marvellous, and that superstitious credulity, which always attends a state of ignorance and barbarism. Many of the ancient Ballads have been transmitted to the present times, and in them the character of the nation displays itself in striking colors. The boastful history of her victories, the prowess of her favorite kings and captains, and the wonderful adventures of the legendary saint and knight-errant, are the topics of the rough rhyme and unadorned narration, which was ever the delight of the vulgar, and is now an object of curiosity to the antiquary, and man of taste. In later times, these pieces consisted of the village tale, the dialogue of rustic courtship, the description of natural objects, and the incidents of rural life. Their language is the language of nature, simple and unadorned; their story is not the wild offspring of fancy, but the probable adventure of the cottage, and their sentiments are the unstudied expressions of passions and emotions, common to all mankind. The old Song of " Chevy Chase" was long the favorite Ballad of the common people; and Ben Jonson used to say, that he had rather have been the author of it than of all his works. Sir Philip Sidney, in his " Dis"course of Poetry," speaks of it in the following words: I never heard the old Song of Piercy and Douglas, that I found not my heart more moved than with a trumpet; and yet it is sung by some blind crowder with no rougher voice than rude stile; which being so evil apparelled in the dust and cobweb of that uncivil age, what would it work trimmed in the gorgeous eloquence of Pindar? The celebrated Author of the "Task" was strongly attached to this stile of composition, and in one of his "Letters" says, that it is a species of poetry

peculiar to this country, equally adapted to the drollest or the most tragical subjects. Simplicity and ease are its peculiar characteristics. Our forefathers excelled in it, but we moderns have lost the art. It is observed, that we have few good English Odes: but to make amends we have many excellent Ballads, not inferior, perhaps, in true poetical merit to some of the very best Odes that the Greek or Latin languages have to boast of.

"These venerable, ancient SONG-ENDITER3
"Soar'd many a pitch above our modern writers;
"With rough, majestic force they moved the heart,
"And strength and nature made amends for art.”

Ballads are described by Puttenham, a Critic in the reign of Elizabeth, as small and popular Songs, sung by those Cantabanqui upon benches and barrels heads, where they have no other audience than boys or country fellows that pass by them in the streets; or else by blind harpers, or suchlike tavernminstrels, that give a fit of mirth for a groat. Such were these "Reliques of ancient English Poetry," says D'Israeli, in his "Curiosities of Literature,” which are more precious to us than they were to our ancestors; strangers as we have become to their pure pastoral feelings, and more eccentric habits of life. They form the Collections of Percy and Rit

son.

But the latter poetical antiquary tells us that few are older than the reign of James the 1st. The more ancient Songs of the People perished by having been printed in single sheets, and their humble purchasers had no other library to preserve them than the walls on which they pasted them. Those we have consist of a succeeding race of Ballads, chiefly revived or written by Richard Johnson, the author of the well-known Romance of the "Seven "Champions," and Deloney, the writer of " Jack of Newbury's Life," and the "Gentle Craft," who lived in the time of James and Charles.

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The practice of collecting them into books did not take place, says Ritson, till after the reign of Eli

zabeth, and is probably owing to this Johnson and Deloney, who, when they were advanced in years, and incapable, perhaps, of producing any thing of merit, seem to have contented themselves with collecting their more juvenile or happier compositions into little Penny Books, entitled GARLANDS ; of these, being popular and often reprinted, many are still extant. * In the Pepysian and other libraries, are preserved a great number, in Black Letter, 12mo. under the following quaint and affected titles:

A Crown Garland of Goulden Roses gathered out of England's Royall Garden, &c. by Richard Johnson, 1612. (In the Bodleian Library.)" In Bib. Ang. Poet." 10£. Os. Od. The Golden Garland of Princely Delight. The Garland of Good-will by Thomas Deloney, 1631 In Bib. Ang. Poet. '2£. 2s. Od. The Royal Garland of Love and Delight, by T. D. The Garland of Love and Mirth, by Thomas Lanfier. The Garland of Delight, &c, by Thomas Deloney. Cupid's Garland set round with Guilded Roses. The Garland of Withered Roses, by Martin Parker 1656. The Shepherd's Garland of Love, Loyalty, &c. The County Garland. The Golden Garland of Mirth and Merriment. The Lover's Garland. Neptune's fair Garland. England's fair Garland. Robin Hood's Garland. The Maiden's Garland. A Loyal Garland of Mirth and Pastime, The Loyal Garland, containing choice Songs and Sonnets of our late unhappy Revolution, by S. N. 1671. In "Bib. Ang. Poet." 4£. 4s. Od. A Royal Garland of new Songs. A small Garland of pious and godly Songs, 1684. The Jovial Garland. 8th Ed. 1691. &c. &c. &c. and lately by Joseph Ritson, The Bishopric Garland, or Durham Minstrel, 1784, The Yorkshire Garland,

* Samuel Pepys, Esq. Secretary of the Admiralty in the reigns of Charles the 2nd and James the 2nd, was the mu ificent founder of the Pepysian Library at Magdalen College, Cambridge. He made a large collection of ancient English Ballads nearly 2000 in num ber, which he has left pasted in five folio volumes, besides Garlands, and other Miscellanies. The Collection he informs us was "begun by Mr. Selden; improved by the addition of many pieces "elder thereto in time; and the whole continued down to the year "1700; when the form peculiar till then thereto, viz. of the Black "Letter with pictures, seems (for cheapness sake) wholly laid aside " for that of the White Letter without pictures."

1788. The Northumberland Garland, 1793. and the NorthCountry Garland, 1802. which, in 1810, were collected into one volume by Mr. Triphook, and published under the title of " Nor"thern Garlands." "The Goodly Garland, or Chaplet of Lau"rell, by Maister Skelton, Imp. by Fawkers, 1523," 4to. This very rare volume sold at Major Pearson's sale for 7£. 17s. 6d.

This sort of petty publications had anciently the name of " Penny Merriments," or "Drolleries :" as little religious tracts of the same size were called "Penny Godlinesses." In the Pepysian library are multitudes of both kinds. At the sale of Major Pearson's library in 1788. No. 1951. Drollery (eleven) 1661, &c. 8vo. sold for 5£. 6s. 6d. These Drolls are much coveted by knowing Bibliomaniacs. Mr. Heber and Mr. Hill have each a copious collection; and Mr. Gutch, when a Bookseller at Bristol, gratified the curious by exhibiting in his Catalogue of 1810 a number of GARLANDS, which proved a successful bait for a hungry book-fish, for I saw them, says Dibdin in his Bibliomania, a few days after in the well-furnished library of Atticus (R. Heber, Esq.) who exhibited them to me in triumph, grasping the whole of them between his finger and thumb. They are marvellous well-looking little volumes, clean, bright, and rejoicing to the eye; many of them, moreover, are first editions. The severest winter cannot tarnish the foliage of such GARLANDS. In Dr. Farmer's Catalogue, No. 6288. were upwards of seventy Garlands and Penny-Histories. At the sale of the Duke of Roxburghe's library, No. 3210, "A curious collection of some thousand "ancient Ballads and Garlands, bound in three large Vols. fol." sold for £477. 15s.!!!

These Songs and Ballads were written on various subjects and printed between the years 1560, and 1700. In a note to the Roxburghe Catalogue (Pref. pp. 7. 8) it is stated that this Collection was originally formed for the celebrated library of the Earl of Oxford, at the begining of the last century, and

was then supposed to exceed the famous Pepys collection at Cambridge. It was obtained from the Harleian library by Mr. West; at whose sale it was purchased for £.20 by Major Pearson, a gentleman who had made old English literature his particular study. In his possession, with the assistance of his friend, Mr. Isaac Reed, the collection received very great additions, and was bound up in two large volumes, with printed title pages, indexes, &c. In this state it was bought at Major Pearson's sale in 1788, for £.26 4s. by the Duke of Roxburghe, who soon added a considerable number to the two volumes, and formed a third. At the Duke's sale it was purchased by Mr. Harding.

This numerous and matchless collection is printed in the Black Letter, and decorated with many hundred wooden prints. They are pasted upon paper, with borders (printed on purpose) round each ballad: also a printed title and index to each volume. To these are added the paragraphs, which appeared in the public papers, respecting the above curious collection, at the time they were purchased at Mr. West's. At Mr. I. Reed's sale No. 5867. a Portfolio of single-sheet Ballads, sold for 15£. 10s.

Antiquarian research, and even Poetry itself, have been of late turned to the elucidation of ancient manners, and customs; and the pursuit is a decisive proof of the superior intelligence and curiosity which belong to modern times. The favorable attention, therefore, which has been shewn to such works, however trifling, has induced the Editor of the present collection to communicate a small Garland of Poetic Flowers,illustrative of these topics; in which, however, the reader must not expect to find romantic wildness, or the interesting fable, much less "thoughts "that breathe, or words that burn." But to the Antiquary and the County Collector no apology need, surely, be offered for thus opening a fresh source of gratification and amusement in their favorite pursuit; and this first attempt to collect together the scattered Poems, &c. &c. illustrative of

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