[Bagford Collection, II. 2.]

Thackeray's List of Ballads.

Cokes. "What ballads hast thou? let me see, let me see, myself."-Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, iii. 1; 1614.

HERE follows, in the original second volume of the Bagford

Collection, a huge folded sheet of thick paper, large as a page of the Times. It is William Thackeray's "List of [105] Small Books, [301] Ballads, and [23] Histories;" no date, but supposed to have been printed about 1685. The book-breaking Bagford was a reckless collector of title-pages and frontispieces, to the mutilation or destruction of innumerable volumes, but he laid certain obligations upon all worthy people who, like Shakespeare's Mopsa, "love a ballad in print.' Among the many favours that he bestowed on us, one was the preserving for our use this very interesting and extensive catalogue. It often gives slight fragmentary hints of the titles (sometimes only of the burdens), or occasionally furnishes the first line instead. It holds large blank spaces; evidently awaiting fresh insertion of titles, to be made in manuscript when the stock increased. With these fragmentary titles, a very little extended, the Ballad-List has once been reprinted, in Mr. Wm. Chappell's first volume of the Roxburghe Ballads," for our Society-members: Introduction, p. xxiv. Nevertheless, because in that form insufficient for general guidance, and moreover because it belongs especially to our Bagford Collection, wherein it is preserved, we hope to give it in this volume; duly annotated, and further extended by means of bracketed additions, with reference to existing collections. It should follow our INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF STREETBALLADS AND BALLAD-SINGERS; where it will be more useful to students than if it had been printed in the present page. We have already identified more than eleven-twelfths of the ballads mentioned in the list; and hope to leave but few shyly hidden from observation, when closing our task, this year.

66

1 The date of the printed list is probably thus late (several being of R. Pocock's licensing), but many of the ballads are much older. No. 170 mentions King James II. ("Two English Travellers"); the latest we know.

W

Beautie's Warning-piece.

"Beauty and anguish, walking hand in hand

The downward slope to death."-Tennyson.

E have no other accessible copy of this ballad, by which to ascertain whether there be not an imperfection, and at least two stanzas deficient (viz. 3rd and 7th). The Bagford broadsheet is cut heedlessly into two portions at this point (see also, later, pp. 52, 59, verso, of the same collection, and volume). An accumulation of anathemas is registered somewhere against Book-binders (Bishop Ernulphus's curse cannot always serve our need); not prejudicial to the swearers themselves: who, having met with "cut-edges" where top or bottom lines, or outside-words, had been ruthlessly pared away, to dress the volume, have relieved their feelings of indignation by such "cursory remarks" as the Recording Angel felt disinclined to consider objectionable. The extenuating circumstances, indeed, made the offence seem meritorious and commendable. Readers of the Percy Folio MS. will sympathize, and "friends at a distance accept this intimation."

We know nothing of the tune indicated as belonging to Beautie's Warning-Piece-"Yo, ho, ho!" unless, as is most probable, it be the same as "Ho, ho, ho!" which accompanies The Merry Pranks of Robin Goodfellow;" a lively MasqueSong, supposed to have been written by Ben Jonson :

From Oberon in Fairy-land

The King of Ghosts and Shadows there,

Mad Robin I at his command,

Am sent to view the night-sports here.

What revel rout

Is kept about,

In every corner where I go,

I will o'er-see,

And merry be,

And make good sport, with ho, ho, ho!

(&c. Twelve verses in all.)

"Robin Goodfellow" is in Roxb. Coll. i. 230; Pepys Coll. i. 80, and, with capital woodcuts, distinct from the Roxburghe, in our own Bagford Coll., i. 51, ii. 118. It falls not to us, being in Mr. Chappell's Roxb. Ballads, ii. 80-85. See also, for the music, his invaluable Popular Mus., 143. This tune is known also as "Dulcina' ("As at noon Dulcina rested," one of the most delicious of love-ditties, attributed to Sir Walter Raleigh)..

[Bagford Collection, II. 38.]
Beauties Warning-piece;
Dr, Advice to the Fair.

You that are fairer than the rest,
And count your selves with beauty blest,
Dbserve this as a certainty,

That young and old and all must [die]:
Let me entreat you to prevent

Pour grief and care, lest you lament.

TUNE OF, Yo, ho, ho.

[The left-hand cut of the original is printed on page 151.] a Maiden fair,

IN Cambridge lives a Mathat can' compare;

I her love did seek too long,

But she requited me with wrong;

Then welcome grief, and care, and woe,
Lingring is lores overthrow.

6

As in the Town I walk'd one night

The twinkling Stars did shine most bright,
Pittying of my Love's distress,

Whom nature did with beauty bless :

Then welcome grief, and care, and woe,
Lingring is Loves overthrow.

[? Verses lost.]

Boldly I drew the Curtains by,

Where charming beauty pierc'd mine e[ye,]
I should delight, I do protest,

To entertain so sweet a guest:

Then welcome grief, and care, and [woe,]
Lingring is love's overthrow.

I folded down the Milk-white sheet

For to behold her lovely feet;

12

18

[Fol. 38. ? Second Part; or, a distinct ballad, in Answer.]
But fair one know your glass is run,
Your time is short, your Thread is spun,
Your spotted face, and rich attire
Is fuell for eternal fire;

And now begins your care and woe,
Pride is Beauty's overthrow.
Mistake me not, Death, I am young,
Come not so soon to do me wrong;
Take another and set me free,
She may serve as well as me:

Too soon begins my care and woe,
Pride is Beauties overthrow.
Take pitty on my roling eye,
And count me yet too young to dye,
Oh grant to me some longer time,
And cut me not off in my prime :
Too soon begins my care and woe,
Pride is Beauties overthrow.
The Roses and the Lillies fair
That in my cheeks now painted are,
Methinks might so much pity move,
And for to make thee kinder prove :
Too soon begins my care and woe,
Pride is Beauties overthrow.

Thus with her fainting murmuring breath,

While these entreaties he mislikes,

In vain she courts none-sparing death;

And fiercely at her beauty strikes :

Too soon began her care and woe,
Pride was beauty's overthrow.

54

Some stanzas are almost certainly lost here, between our lines 24 and 25, where the ballad-sheet is cut into two, and mounted on separate leaves of stiff paper. The 27th line refers to the odious fashion of wearing Beauty-spots of black sticking-plaster, cut in various fantastic shapes; sometimes of crescents, Greek or Maltese crosses, even a coach and horses at full gallop, as depicted in ballad woodcuts. To this subject we shall return hereafter, with illustrations. Come you Ladies that do wear

More Fashions than Sundays in the Year;

With your Locks, Ribbond-knots, and silk Roses;

With your Spots on your face and your noses;

Your bare breasts and your back, discover what you lack,

Come along, come along, I must lash you!

(A True Satire, in Pills to P. Mel., ii. 87, edit. 1700.)