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—were three noted outlaws, whose skill in archery rendered them formerly as famous in the North of England, as Robin Hobin and his fellows were in the midland counties. Their place of residence was in the forest of Englewood, not far from Carlisle, (called corruptly in the ballad English-wood, whereas Engle, or Ingle-wood signifies Wood for firing.) At what time they lived does not appear. The author of the common ballad on “The pedigree, education, and marriage, of Robin Hood,” makes them contemporary with Robin Hood's father, in order to give him the honour of beating them: viz.

Collect. of Old Ballads. 1727. 1 vol. p. 67.

This seems to prove that they were commonly thought to have lived before the popular Hero of Sherwood.

Our northern archers were not unknown to their southern countrymen, their excellence at the long-bow is often alluded to by our ancient poets. Shakespeare, in his comedy of “Much adoe about nothing,” Act 1. makes Benedicke confirm his resolves of not yielding to love, by this protestation, “If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat , and shoot at me, and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder and called Adam:” meaning Adam Bell, as Theobald rightly observes, who refers to one or two other passages in our old poets wherein he is mentioned. The Oxford editor has also well conjectured that “Abraham Cupid” in Romeo and Juliet, A. 2. s. 1. should be “Adam Cupid,” in allusion to our archer. Ben Johnson has mentioned Clym o' the Clough in his Alchemist, Act 1. sc. 2. And Sir William Davenant, in a mock poem of his, called “The long vacation in London,” describes the Attorneys and Proctors, as making matches to meet in Finsbury fields.

Works, p. 291. fol. 1673.

I have only to add further concerning the principal Hero of this Ballad, that the Bells were noted rogues in the North so late as the time of Q. Elizabeth. See in Rymer's Fædera, a letter from lord William Howard to some of the officers of state, wherein he mentions them.

As for the following stanzas, they will be judged from the style, orthography, and numbers, to be very ancient: they are given from an old black-letter quarto, Imprinted at London in Lothburye by Wyllyam Copland (no date):

corrected in some places by another copy in the editor's folio MS. In that volume this ballad is followed by another, intitled Younge Cloudeslee, being a continuation of the present story, and reciting the adventures of William of Cloudesly's son: but greatly inferior to this both in merit and antiquity.

The Grave-digger's song in Hamlet, A. 5. is taken from three stanzas of the following poem, though greatly altered and disguised, as the same were corrupted by the ballad-singers of Shakespeare's time; or perhaps so designed by the poet himself, the better to paint the character of an illiterate clown. The original is preserved among Surrey's Poems, and is attributed to Lord Vaux, by George Gascoigne, who tells us, it “was thought by some to be made upon his death-bed;” a popular error which he laughs at. (See his Epist. to Yong Gent. prefixed to his Posies 1575. 4to.) It is also ascribed to Lord Vaux in a manuscript copy preserved in the British Musuem . This Lord was remarkable for his skill in drawing feigned manners, &c. for so I understand an ancient writer. “The Lord Vaux his commendation lyeth chiefly in the facilitie of his meetre, and the aptnesse of his descriptions such as he taketh upon him to make, namely in sundry of his Songs, wherein he showeth the counterfait action very lively and pleasantly.” Arte of Eng. Poesie, 1589. p. 51. See another Song by this Poet in vol. 2. p. 45.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, A. II. sc. 7. the Hero of the Play takes occasion to banter Polonius with some scraps of an old Ballad, which has never appeared yet in any collection: for which reason, as it is but short, it will not perhaps be unacceptable to the Reader; who will also be diverted with the pleasant absurdities of the composition. It was retrieved from utter oblivion by a lady, who wrote it down from memory as she had formerly heard it sung by her father. I am indebted for it to the friendship of Mr. Steevens.

The Banter of Hamlet is as follows:“

First fol. Edit. p. 263.

Shakespear has made this sonnet the subject of some pleasant ridicule in his Romeo and Juliet, A. IV. Sc. 5. where he introduces Peter putting this Question to the Musicians.

“

First folio Ed. p. 73.

This ridicule is not so much levelled at the song itself (which for the time it was written is not inelegant) as at those forced and unnatural explanations often given by us painful editors and expositors of ancient authors.

This copy is printed from an old quarto MS in the Cotton Library, [Vesp. A. 25.] entitled “Divers things of Hen. viij's time;” with some corrections from The Paradise of Dainty Devises, 1596.

—is a story often alluded to by our old Dramatic Writers. Shakespear in his Romeo and Juliet, A. II. Sc. 1. makes Mercutio say,

—“Her [Venus's] purblind son and heir,
“Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so true,
“When King Cophetua loved the beggar-maid.”

As the 13th Line of the following ballad seems here particularly alluded to, it is not improbable but Shakespeare wrote it shot so trim, which the players or printers, not perceiving the allusion, might alter to true. The former, as being the more humorous expression, seems most likely to have come from the mouth of Mercutio.

In the 2d Part of Hen. IV. A. 5. Sc. 3. Falstaff is introduced affectedly saying to Pistoll,

“O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news?
“Let king Cophetua know the truth thereof.”

These lines Dr. Warburton thinks were taken from an old bombast play of King Cophetua. No such play is, I believe, now to be found; but it does not therefore follow

that it never existed. Many dramatic pieces are referred to by old writers , which are not now extant, or even mentioned in any List. In the infancy of the stage, plays were often exhibited that were never printed.

It is probably in allusion to the same play that Ben Jonson says in his Comedy of Every man in his humour, A. 3. sc. 4.

“I have not the heart to devour thee, an' I might be made as rich as King Cophetua.” At least there is no mention of King Cophetua's riches in the present ballad, which is the oldest I have met with on the subject.

It is printed from Rich. Johnson's “Crown Garland of Goulden Roses.” 1612. 12mo. (where it is intitled simply, A Song of a Beggar and a King:) corrected by another copy.

—is supposed to have been originally a Scottish Ballad. The reader here has an ancient copy in the English idiom, with an additional Stanza (the 2d.) never before printed. This curiosity is preserved in the Editor's folio MS. but not without corruptions, which are here removed by the assistance of the Scottish Edit. Shakespear in his Othello, A. 2. has quoted one stanza, with some variations, which are here adopted: The old MS. readings are however given in the margin.

It is from the following stanzas that Shakespeare has taken his song of the Willow, in his Othello, A. 4. s. 3. though somewhat varied and applied by him to a female character. He makes Desdemona introduce it in this pathetic and affecting manner,

This is given from a black-letter copy in the Pepys Collection, thus intitled, “A lovers complaint, being forsaken of his “love. To a pleasant tune.”

This ballad is quoted in Shakespeare's second Part of Henry IV. A. 2. s. 4. The subject of it is taken from the ancient romance of K. Arthur (commonly called Morte Arthur) being a poetical translation of Chap. cviii, cix, cx, in Pt. 1st, as they stand in Ed. 1634. 4to. In the older Editions the Chapters are differently numbered.—This song is given from a printed copy, corrected in part by the folio MS.

In the same play of 2 Hen. IV. Silence hums a scrap of one of the old ballads of Robin Hood. It is taken from the following stanza of Robin Hood and the Pindar of Wakefield.

That ballad may be found on every stall, and therefore is not here reprinted.

—is an attempt to paint a lover's irresolution, but so poorly executed, that it would not have been admitted into this collection, if it had not been quoted in Shakespeare's Twelfth-night, A. 2. sc. 3.—It is found in a little ancient miscellany intitled, “The golden Garland of princely “delights.” 12mo. bl. let.

In the same scene of the Twelfth Night, Sir Toby sings a scrap of an old ballad, which is preserved in the Pepys Collection. [Vol. 1. p. 33. 496.] but as it is not only a poor dull performance, but also very long, it will be sufficient here to give the first stanza:

If this song of Corydon, &c. has not more merit, it is at least an evil of less magnitude.

In the “Life of Pope Sixtus V. translated from the Ialian of Greg. Leti, by the Rev. Mr. Farneworth, folio,” is a remarkable passage to the following effect:

“It was reported in Rome, that Drake had taken and plundered St. Domingo in Hispaniola, and carried off an immense booty. This account came in a private letter to Paul Secchi, a very considerable merchant in the city, who had large concerns in those parts, which he had insured. Upon receiving this news, he sent for the insurer Sampson Ceneda, a Jew, and acquainted him with it. The Jew, whose interest it was to have such a report thought false, gave many reasons why it could not possibly be true, and at last worked himself into such a passion, that he said, I'll lay you a pound of my flesh it is a lye. Secchi, who was of a fiery hot temper, replied, I'll lay you a thousand crowns against a pound of your flesh that it is true. The Jew accepted the wager, and articles were immediately executed betwixt them, That if Secchi won, he should himself cut the flesh with a sharp knife

from whatever part of the Jew's body he pleased. The truth of the account was soon confirmed; and the Jew was almost distracted, when he was informed, that Secchi had solemnly sworn he would compel him to an exact performance of his contract. A report of this transaction was brought to the Pope, who sent for the parties, and being informed of the whole affair, said, When contracts are made, it is but just they should be fulfilled, as this shall: Take a knife therefore, Secchi, and cut a pound of flesh from any part you please of the Jew's body. We advise you, however, to be very careful; for if you cut but a scruple more or less than your due, you shall certainly be hanged.”

The Editor of that book is of opinion, that the scene between Shylock and Antonio in the Merchant of Venice is taken from this incident. But Mr. Warton, in his ingenious “Observations on the Faerie Queen, vol. 1. page 128.” has referred it to the following ballad. Mr. Warton thinks this ballad was written before Shakespeare's play, as being not so circumstantial, and having more of the nakedness of an original. Besides, it differs from the play in many circumstances, which a meer copyist, such as we may suppose the ballad-maker to be, would hardly have given himself the trouble to alter. Indeed he expressly informs us, that he had his story from the Italian writers.

See the Connoisseur, Vol. 1. No. 16.

After all, one would be glad to know what authority Leti had for the foregoing fact, or at least for connecting it with the taking of St. Domingo by Drake; for this expedition did not happen till 1585, and it is very certain that a play of the Jewe, “representing the greedinesse of worldly chusers, and bloody minds of usurers,” had been exhibited at the play-house called the Bull, before the year 1579, being mentioned in Steph. Gosson's Schoole of abuse , which was printed in that year.

As for Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, the earliest edition known of it is in quarto 1600; though it had been exhibited before the year 1598, being mentioned together with eleven other of his plays in Meres's Wits Treasury, &c. 1598. 12mo. fol. 282.

The following is printed from an ancient black-letter copy in the Pepys Collection , intitled, “A new Song, shewing the crueltie of Gernutus, a Jewe, who lending to a merchant an hundred crowns, would have a pound of his fleshe, because he could not pay him at the time appointed. To the tune of Black and yellow.”

“Of the Jews crueltie; setting foorth the mercifulnesse of the Judge towards the Marchant. To the tune of Blacke and yellow.”

Since the first Edition of this book was printed, the Editor hath had reason to believe that both Shakespeare and the Author of this Ballad, are indebted for their Story of the Jew (however they came by it) to an Italian Novel, which was first printed at Milan in the year 1554, in a book intitled, Il Pecorone, nel quale si

contengono Cinquanta Novelle antiche, &c. republished at Florence about the year 1748, or 9.—The Author was Ser. Giovanni Fiorentino, who wrote in 1378; thirty years after the time, in which the scene of Boccace's Decameron is laid. (Vid. Manni Istoria del decamerone di Giov. Boccac. 4 to Fior. 1744.)

That Shakespeare had his Plot from the Novel itself, is evident from his having some incidents from it, which are not found in the Ballad: And I think it will also be found that he borrowed from the Ballad some hints, that were not suggested by the Novel. (See above, Pt. 2d. ver. 25, &c. where instead of that spirited description of the whetted blade, &c. the Prose Narrative coldly says, “The Jew had prepared a razor, &c.” See also some other passages in the same piece.) This however is spoken with diffidence, as I have at present before me only the Abridgment of the Novel which Mr. Johnson has given us at the End of his Commentary on Shakespeare's Play. The Translation of the Italian Story at large, is not easy to be met with, having I believe never been published, though it was printed some years ago with this title,—“The Novel, from which the Merchant of Venice written by Shakespear is taken, translated from the Italian. To which is added a Translation of a Novel from the Decamerone of Boccaccio. London, Printed for M. Cooper. 1755. 8vo.”

The attribution of this poem is questionable.

This beautiful sonnet is quoted in the Merry Wives of Windsor, A. 3. sc. 1. and is ascribed (together with the Reply) to Shakespeare himself by all the modern

editors of his smaller poems. In Lintot's Collection of them, 12mo. (no date) is a copy of this sonnet containing only four stanzas (the 4th and 6th being wanting), accompanied with the first stanza of the Answer. This edition has some appearance of exactness, and is affirmed to be reprinted from an ancient copy, containing “The passionate pilgrime, and Sonnets to sundry notes of Musicke, by Mr. William Shakespeare. Lond. printed for W. Jaggard. 1599.” —If this may be relied on, then was this sonnet, &c. published, as Shakespeare's, in his Life-time.

And yet there is good reason to believe that (not Shakespeare, but) Christopher Marlow, wrote the song, and Sir Walter Raleigh the “Nymph's reply:” For so we are positively assured by Isaac Walton, a writer of some credit, who has inserted them both in his Compleat Angler , under the character of “that smooth song, which was made by Kit. Marlow, now at least fifty years ago; and . . . an Answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his younger days. . . . Old-fashioned poetry, but choicely good.”—It also passed for Marlow's in the opinion of his contemporaries; for the editor of the “Muses Library” has reprinted a poem from England's Helicon, 1600, subscribed Ignoto, and thus intitled, “In Imitation of C. Marlow,” beginning thus,

Upon the whole I am inclined to attribute them to Marlow, and Raleigh; not-withstanding the authority of Shakespeare's Book of Sonnets. For it is well known that as he took no care of his own compositions, so was he utterly regardless what spurious things were fathered upon him. Sir

John Oldcastle, Pericles, and the London prodigal, were printed with his name at full length in the title-pages, while he was living, which yet were afterwards rejected by his first editors Heminge and Condell, who were his intimate friends , and therefore no doubt had good authority for setting them aside.

The following sonnet appears to have been (as it deserved) a great favourite with our earlier poets: for besides the imitation above-mentioned, another is to be found among Donne's poems, intitled “The Bait,” beginning thus,

As for Chr. Marlow, who was in high repute for his Dramatic writings, he lost his life by a stab received in a brothel, before the year 1593.

See A. Wood, I. 138.

The reader has here an ancient ballad on the same subject as the play of Titus Andronicus, and it is probable

that the one was borrowed from the other: but which of them was the original, it is not easy to decide. And yet, if the argument offered above in p. 207 for the priority of the ballad of the Jew of Venice may be admitted, somewhat of the same kind may be urged here; for this ballad differs from the play in several particulars, which a simple Ballad-writer would be less likely to alter than an inventive Tragedian. Thus in the ballad is no mention of the contest for the empire between the two brothers, the composing of which makes the ungrateful treatment of Titus afterwards the more flagrant: neither is there any notice taken of his sacrificing one of Tamora's sons, which the tragic poet has assigned as the original cause of all her cruelties. In the play Titus loses twenty-one of his sons in war, and kills another for assisting Bassianus to carry off Lavinia: the reader will find it different in the ballad. In the latter she is betrothed to the Emperor's Son: in the play to his Brother. In the tragedy only Two of his sons fall into the pit, and the Third being banished returns to Rome with a victorious army, to avenge the wrongs of his house: in the ballad all Three are entrapped and suffer death. In the scene the Emperor kills Titus, and is in return stabbed by Titus's surviving son. Here Titus kills the Emperor, and afterwards himself.

Let the Reader weigh these circumstances and some others wherein he will find them unlike, and then pronounce for himself. —After all, there is reason to conclude that this play was rather improved by Shakespeare with a few fine touches of his pen, than originally writ by him; for not to mention that the style is less figurative than his others generally are, this tragedy is mentioned with discredit in the Induction to Ben Jonson's Bartholomew-fair, in 1614, as one that had then been exhibited “five and twenty, or thirty years:” which, if we take the lowest number, throws it back to the year 1589, at which time Shakespeare was but 25: an

earlier date, than can be found for any other of his pieces : and if it does not clear him entirely of it, shews at least it was a first attempt.

The following is given from a Copy in “The Golden Garland” intitled as above; compared with three others, two of them in black letter in the Pepys Collection, intitled “The Lamentable and Tragical History of Titus Andronicus, &c.—To the tune of Fortune.”—Unluckily none of these have any dates.

The first stanza of this little sonnet, which an eminent critic justly admires for its extreme sweetness, is found in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, A. 4. sc. 1. Both the stanzas are preserved in Beaum. and Fletcher's Bloody Brother, A. 5. sc. 2. Sewel and Gildon have printed it among Shakespeare's smaller Poems, but they have done the same by twenty other pieces that were never writ by him; their book being a wretched heap of inaccuracies and mistakes. It is not found in Jaggard's old edition of Shakespear's Sonnets reprinted by Lintot.

The Reader has here an ancient ballad on the Subject of King Lear, which (as a sensible female critic has well observed ) bears so exact an analogy to the argument of Shakespeare's play, that his having copied it could not be doubted, if it were certain, that it was written before the tragedy. Here is found the hint of Lear's madness, which the old chronicles do not mention, as also the extravagant cruelty exercised on him by his daughters: In the death of

Lear they likewise very exactly coincide.—The misfortune is, that there is nothing to assist us in ascertaining the date of the ballad but what little evidence arises from within; this the Reader must weigh and judge for himself.

It may be proper to observe, that Shakespeare was not the first of our Dramatic Poets who fitted the Story of LEIR to the Stage. His first 4to Edition is dated 1608; but three years before that had been printed a play intitled, “The true Chronicle History of Leir and his three daughters Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella, as it hath been divers and sundry times lately acted. 1605. 4to.”—This is a very poor and dull performance, but happily excited Shakespeare to undertake the subject, which he has given with very different incidents. It is remarkable, that neither the circumstances of Leir's madness; nor his retinue of a select number of knights; nor the affecting deaths of Cordelia and Leir, are found in that first dramatic piece: in all which Shakespeare concurs with this ballad.

But to form a true Judgment of Shakespeare's Merit, the curious Reader should cast his eye over that previous Sketch: which he will find printed at the end of the Twenty Plays of Shakespeare, republished from the quarto impressions by George Steevens, Esq; with such elegance and exactness, as lead us to expect a fine edition of all the works of our great Dramatic Poet.

The following Ballad is given from an ancient copy in the “Golden Garland,” bl. let. intitled, “A lamentable song of the Death of King Leir, and his three daughters. To the Tune of When flying fame.”

—is found in the little collection of Shakespeare's Sonnets, intitled the passionate Pilgrime , the greatest part of which seem to relate to the amours of Venus and Adonis, being little effusions of fancy, probably written, while he was composing his larger Poem on that subject. The following seems intended for the mouth of Venus, weighing the comparative merits of youthful Adonis and aged Vulcan. In the “Garland of good will” it is reprinted, with the addition of IV. more such stanzas, but evidently written by a meaner pen.

The following ballad is upon the same subject, as the Induction to Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew: whether it may be thought to have suggested the hint to the Dramatic poet, or is not rather of later date, the reader must determine.

The story is told of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy; and is thus related by an old English writer. “The said Duke, at the marriage of Eleonora, sister to the king of Portugall, at Bruges in Flanders, which was solemnised in the deepe of winter; when as by reason of unseasonable weather he could neither hawke nor hunt, and

was now tired with cards, dice, &c. and such other domestick sports, or to see ladies dance; with some of his courtiers, he would in the evening walke disguised all about the towne. It so fortuned, as he was walking late one night, he found a countrey fellow dead drunke, snorting on a bulke; he caused his followers to bring him to his palace, and there stripping him of his old clothes, and attyring him after the court fashion, when he wakened, he and they were all ready to attend upon his excellency, and persuade him that he was some great Duke. The poor fellow admiring how he came there, was served in state all day long: after supper he saw them dance, heard musicke, and all the rest of those court-like pleasures: but late at night, when he was well tipled, and again fast asleepe, they put on his old robes, and so conveyed him to the place, where they first found him. Now the fellow had not made them so good sport the day before, as he did now, when he returned to himself: all the jest was to see how he looked upon it. In conclusion, after some little admiration, the poore man told his friends he had seen a vision; constantly believed it; would not otherwise be persuaded, and so the jest ended.”

Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. Pt. 2. sect. 2. Memb. 4. 2d. Ed. 1624. fol.

This ballad is given from a black letter Copy in the Pepys Collection, which is intitled as above, “To the tune of, Fond boy.”

Dispersed thro' Shakespeare's plays are innumerable little fragments of ancient ballads, the entire copies of which could not be recovered. Many of these being of the most beautiful and pathetic simplicity, the Editor was tempted to select some of them, and with a few supplemental stanzas to connect them together, and form them into a little tale, which is here submitted to the Reader's candour.

One small fragment was taken from Beaumont and Fletcher.