Ancient Songs and Ballads from the Reign of King Henry the Second to the Revolution Volume N . 1

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1829 Excerpt: ...subjects; there is no song about either. Indeed, the line itself is from Hmiibraa. A bold virago. stout and tall As Joan ofFrance, or English Mall. English Mall, by the way, is neither Mary Carleton, the German princess, as Dr. Grey observes, nor Moll Cutpurse, as the writer of this note formerly supposed. He readily coincides with Dr-Percy that Mary Ambre is the lady meant. are comparatively modern, that is of the latter end of the 16th century, not one of them being found in print, or noticed in any book before that period. Queen Dido, to be sure, from its popularity at that time, would seem to be somewhat older, and is probably one of the oldest, as it is certainly one of the best we have; " O you ale-knights," exclaims an old writer, " you that devoure the marrow of the rnault, and drinke whole aletubs into consumptions; that sing QUEENE DIDO over a cupp, and tell strange news over an alepot, &cT." ' If indeed, by " native species of poetry," is meant a species peculiar in this country, it is very certain that we have as little pretension to originality in this respect as in any other; which a very slight acquaintance with the ballad poetry of other countries will now an object of ouriodty to the antiquarian and man of taste." The illustration of this passage by apposite examples, would have been a favour to readers less happy in their researches after these rough rhymes and unadorned narrations than the author. " The earliest notice of any of these old ballads, is that which Shakspeare has put into the mouth of Falstaff, in the second part of K. Hen. IV. Act. ii. Scene 4. Which was at that time in all probability a new and popular ballad; and likely enough by Richard Johnson, who had a great turn...