The Salsbury-Ballad :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Salsbury-Ballad

With the Learned Commentaries of a Friend to the Authors Memory [by Walter Pope]

Pope, Walter

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THE SALSBURY-BALLAD

The First Part .

I

O Salsbury People, give ear to my Song,
And attention unto my new Ditty:
For it is in the praise of your River Avon,
Of your Bishop, your Church and your City.

II

And you Maior and Aldermen all on a row,
Who govern that

The City of New Sarum built in the Bishops Meadow.

watered Mead,
First

To the Ballad-singers.

listen a while, upon your

In a posture of attention.

tipto,
Then carry this home and

Here the Poet is in a good humour, and supposes that all of them can read.

read.

III

Therein you may find many an excellent

An old word frequent in Spenser, and (if we may join the best English Poet with the worst Rimers in the world) in Sternhold and Hopkins, Thy law and eke thy lore, &c. I should cite the places, but that such Quotations would look strangely on the margin of a Ballad. It signifies Lesson or Doctrin. Vid. Skinner's Lexicon.

Lore,
That unto your Wives you may teach;
Though

I find now I praised the Poet too soon; for this is an impudent and unmannerly supposition, and I approve it not; though it is something mollified by those words perhaps and your Worships.

perhaps once and more our Poet may soar
Clear out of your Worships reach.

IV

This seems Heathenish to pray to Hills and Parks and Rivers; but 'tis no more than other Poets invoking Parnassus and Helicon; nevertheless I believe the Poet was a good Christian, for if you read to the end of this Part, you will find the Bishop was very much in his favour.

Clarendon Park, and O Clerbury Hill,
Join with your old Friend the River,
To inspire my Muse, and assist my Quill,
In the great things I have to deliver.

V

School-Mistresses fine, to the number of

Not but that there are a greater number of School-Mistresses in the Close, but the Poet hath need of no more of them than there were Muses.

Nine,
Ile call on no Muses but you;
Nor no other help to enter my

My young barking Muse. Ma Muse nourrie en Satire. Boi.

Whelp,
Unless it be

That word signifies sat or dancing.

bouncing

A diminutive from Prudence, and seems to be put here for any Woman at large only to complete the Ryme, it being a name suitable enough; for most Women are wise, if not cunning. I confess some who pretend to have been intimately acquainted with the Poet in his life-time, are very positive, that this name did not only point out a particular Woman, but even the Poets Mistress; but I cannot agree to this, for had it been so, he would have given her a more honourable Epithet.

Pru.

VI

Encourage you

The nine School-Mistresses and this bouncing Pru.

Ten, the most timorous Pen
That e'r such a task did begin:
When you find any wit, then in my mouth spit,
And chuck me under the chin.

VII

I will not forget those

Stonehenge the noblest piece of Antiquity in England.

Stones that are set
In a round, upon Salsbury Plains;
Though who brought 'em there, 'tis hard to declare,
The

Here the Poet briefly sums up the several opinions of Historians and Antiquarians concerning the Founders of Stonehenge.

Romans, Merlin or Danes.

VIII

Nor those pretty Sheep, whom greater

Shepherds.

Beasts keep,
Nor you Bustards that stalk thereby:
You Bustards that chuse to do like my Muse,
Who walks because she can't fly.

IX

Nor

Doctor Peter Turberville, the best Oculist of this Age or any before him.

you that know all the diseases of Eyes,
And for all a sure remedy find;
Who alone give light, after twenty years night,
To those who are born

The Daughter of George Turberville of Whitminster in Glocestershire, and one Peverel of Salsbury and divers others.

stone-blind.

X

Nor you the good

If you can have patience till you come to the nineteenth Stanza of the Second Part, you will know what this Bishops name is.

Bishop that came from the

Exeter.

West,
And spared neither pains nor cost,
To build up the

The Bishops Palace in Salsbury.

House, pull'd down by

One Vanling a London-Tailor, who bought it of the sacrilegious Rebels.

Prick-louse,
And fit it for such an Host.

XI

'Twas you that let in

This I suppose is one of those places our Poet threatens the Aldermen with in the third Stanza; but I will not let him be obscure: He means the Deanry of St. Burien near the Lands-end in Cornwal, procured to be annext to the Bishoprick of Exeter, (by this Bishop before his Translation) upon the Death of Doctor Wykes, which happened in the time of Dr. Sparrow the present Bishop, who now enjoys it.

St. Burien Streams
To increase the small

River for Sea, not without a conceit.

River

The name of the River upon which Exeter stands, put figuratively for the City. To increase the small River Ex, i.e. to augment the poor Bishoprick of Exeter.

Ex:
'Twas you brought again the

The Ensigns of the Chancellorship of the Garter, a Medal and a Gold-Chain. We are said to lose what we have been possessors of. The first Chancellor of the Garter was Bishop Beauchamp, A. D. 1450. and that honour was enjoyed by his Successors the Bishops of Salsbury, till the time of Cardinal Campegio, who having incurr'd the displeasure of K. Hen. VIII. for differing from him about the Match, retired to Rome and there died, A. D. 1539. and lies buried in Santa Maria Trastevere, that Office having continued in the Bishops of Salsbury 89 years.

lost Badge and Chain,
And did it to

Since which time it has been in lay hands, till it pleased K. Charles II. (upon the humble Petition and claim of the present Bishop of Salsbury) to restore it to him and his Successors; the Letters Patents bear date Nov. 25, 1671. so that it was out of that Sea 132 years.

Sarum annex.

XII

You first made the Salsbury men

Beat it into their heads.

understand
Their River might

For a very few thousand pounds. So Horace speaking of a River, Doctus iter melius, and in another place, Multa mole docendus aprico parcere campo.

eas'ly be taught
To bear Ships up and down, and enrich the Town,

On the 20. of October, 1675. by a good token 'twas the very day and hour Northampton was burning.

And you were the first at it wrought.

XIII

'Twas you that kept up the Citizens

At the meeting of the Commissioners for making the River navigable at Salsbury, Mar. 22. 1675.

hearts,
Or the

Divers great Gentlemen of Hampshire; the Poet alludes to Bedvais and Ascabert, whose Pictures are upon Hampton-Gate.

Giants had over-born 'em;
For them you did

To London to the King and Council.

ride, for them you

Answered the Objections of the Opposers.

replied,
'Twas you brought their Vessels to

Harnham-Bridge, where the Key is, i.e. They ow the making their River navigable to your management.

Harnham.

XIV

This is supposed to be objected by the unattentive and irreverent Reader, as if the Poet had done nothing all this while.

But when will this paltry Poet begin,
And shew us a touch of his Art?

The Poets mild answer. It should have been a Glass of Claret, if Ryme would have permited.

With a cup of old Sack, he'l wind up his

His Engin wherewith he makes verses; so Chaucer, As winding up makes a Jack go, so good wine makes good verses flow.

Jack,
And

Twang is a very emphatical word, but not easily translated; it signifies as much as éclatter in French, or rimbombar in Italian.

twang it i'th' Second Part.

The Second Part to the same Tune.

I

Old Sarum was built on a

Vide infra Stanza 17. —From their hill, Where there was neither well nor spring.

dry barren Hill,
A great many years ago.
'Twas a Roman Town of strength and renown,
As its stately Ruins show.

II

Therein was a Castle for men of Arms,
And a Cloister for men of the Gown;
There were Friers and Monks, and

Tradesmen.

Liers and

Harlots.

Punks,

This refers to Punks, none celebrated in History; as Thais, Messalina, and others since.

Though not any whose names are come down.

III

The Soldiers and Church-men did not long agree,
For the surly men with the

Hilt for Sword, by a known Figure.

Hilt on
Made

By asking of them roguish questions.

sport at the gate, with the Priests that came

After the Watch was set.

late
From

From doing their daily drudgery.

shriving the Nuns of Wilton.

IV

This Whereupon is a very comprehensive word, and yet seems more than it is; one would think the Poet here makes a leap from the Foundation of Old Sarum by the Romans to Bishop Poor's time; but 'tis only from Herman the first Bishop of Salsbury, Anno 1083. to Richard Poor the seventh, 1217. This Whereupon therefore is as much as to say, After 134 years suffering the affronts of the Garrison, their patience was worn out, flesh and bloud could endure no longer; but Bishop Poor being a stout man went to the King.

Whereupon Bishop Poor went to the

Henry III.

King,
And told him his piteous tale,
That rather than abide such a thorn in his side,
He'd build a new Church in the Vale.

V

Ile build a new Church in the Vale, said he,
If your

According to the stile of those times.

Highness will give me

Leave.

scope.
Who I? said the King,

Where note that King had no mind to incur the Popes displeasure. In those days he was a terrible Fellow in England.

Ile not do such a thing,
Without our old Father the Pope.

VI

Then Ile go to that

This is a very hard place, why Bishop Poor being a Papist should call the Pope Whore? Some think the Bishop spoke it prophetically, knowing that in the succeeding times of Calvin and the Presbyterians, he should be proved to be the Whore. Others more acutely think this might be Pope Joane: But this ingenious solution is against Chronology: For Pope Joane (if ever there was such a one) was in the year 853. 374 years before Bishop Poor. The best reason in my opinion is taken out of the Context, the last verse of this Stanza, Where every thing is to be sold. Rome is a Whore, because it does kindnesses for Money only, not for love, which is the very definition of a Whore.

Whore, replied Bishop Poor,
With a Purse full of good old Gold;
For why should I beg and make a low leg,
Where ev'ry thing is to be sold?

VII

He went, he prevail'd, he return'd in a trice,
With ample Autority seiz'd,
To remove

The Walls of the City and Cathedral.

Sarum's Stones, and

This S. Osmund was the second Bishop of Old Sarum; he was also Earl of Dorset and Lord Chancellor of England, he died 1099. and was removed with great Pomp to New Sarum, where he lies buried in the middle of our Lady Chappel under a black Marble-stone bearing only this Inscription: ANNO MXCIX. He was Sainted by Pope Calixtus III. Anno 1456. The Process and charge thereof may be seen in Salsbury Muniments.

St. Osmund's Bones,
And to build a new Church where he pleas'd.

VIII

To the Abbess of Wilton he shewed his Bull,
And how much he was in the Popes grace;
Though they two consulted their

A Proverbial Phrase used for Rymes sake; for I cannot believe what some of the wicked hint, that the Poet had any waggish meaning here.

bellies full,
Yet they could not agree of a place.

IX

One time as this Prelate lay on his Down-Bed,
Recruiting his Spirits with rest,
There appear'd, as 'tis said, a beautiful

Who that Maid and Babe were, the learned and devout understand.

Maid,
With her own dear Babe at her brest.

X

To him thus she spoke, (the day was scarce broke,
And his eyes yet to slumber did yield)
Go build me a Church without any delay,
Go build it in Merry-field.

XI

He awakes and he rings, up ran Monks and Friers
At the sound of his little Bell.
I must know, said he, where Merry-field is,
But the Devil a bit could they tell.

XII

Full early he arose on a Morning gray,
To meditate and to walk;
And by chance over-heard a Soldier on the Guard
As he thus to his fellow did talk.

XIII

I will lay on the side of my good Yewen Bow,
That I shoot clean over the Corn,
As far as that Cow in Merry-field,
Which graves under the thorn.

XIV

Then the Bishop cried out, Where is Merry-field?
For his mind was still on his Vow.
The Soldier reply'd, By the River-side,
Where you see that brindle Cow.

XV

Upon this he declared his pious intent,
And about the

Indulgences are a sort of Roman Coin the Popes use to give to pious uses, as building of Churches, maintaining Rebellion against Protestant Princes, &c. To which sometimes they add dead Bodies, Promises and Hopes; so one of their own Poets:

Le Cose de la guerra andavan zoppe:
I Bolognose richiedean danari
Al Papa, ed egli respondeva coppe,
E mandava Indulgenze per gli Altari.

c. 12.

And in another place:

Part' eran Ghibelline, e favorite
Da l' imperio Aleman per suo interesse.
Part' eran Guelfe, e son la Chiesa unite,
Che le pascea di speme, e di promesse.

c. 1.

Which last Verses may be thus translated in our Authors stile and measure:

The Ghibellines.

These held that the Emperor was in the right,

The Guelss.

Those that the Popes Cause was good.
They that were for the Popes were fed with thin hopes,
And Pardons and

Chips of the Cross.

piece of Wood.

Thus the Pope having promised twenty five thousand Crowns a Month towards carrying on the Rebellion in Ireland, paid them in this coin, and sent by the Irish Ambassadors, (the Bishop of Fern and Sir Nicolas Plunket) Anno 1647. from Rome two dead Bodies, which for ought any one knew, might have been Heathens, instead of ready money.

Indulgences ran,
And brought in bad people to build a good

Not that the Cathedral began by the Steeple, but Steeple is put here for Church, by the same Figure, as before Hilt for Sword.

Steeple,
And thus the Cathedral began.

XVI

The Principal Stones in a

In an hour found out according to the rules of Astrology by the William Lillies of those times, this they took more care, because the Church built before by Bishop Osmund was founded in an ill hour; in an ill hour, I say, for the Steeple was burnt down by Lightning the day after 'twas finished. Vide Godw.

fortunate hour,
For the Pope, King and some of the

The five first Stones were laid by Pandulfo the Popes Legat, the first for the Pope, the second for the King, the two next for the Earl and Countess of Salsbury, the fifth for the Bishop.

Peers,
Were laid by

Signifies no more than Pandulfo himself, as by such a ones Lordship or Worship we mean their persons; but this expression is more antient and Poetical, being often used in Homer, Ιερη ις Τελεμαχοιο &c.

Pandulfo's Legantine Power,
And 'twas finish'd in

And cost but forty thousand marks, Vid. The Account in Salsbury Muniments. Upon this excellent Pile, see also the Verses of Daniel Rogers, in Godwin and Camden's Britannia, which begin thus, Mira cano, &c.

thirty years.

XVII

Then the men of Old Sarum came down from their Hill,

In the first Verse of this Part, he calls it, A dry barren Hill.

Where there was neither Well nor Spring;
That they might have a Mill, and water at

At hand for all conveniences, as washing of dishes, drowning of children, &c.

will,
And hear the sweet

This is another place wherein the Poet intended to walk incognito; but I'll pull off his mask, noble Citizens, he means Frogs. Aristophanes thought so well of their voices, that he makes 'em sustain the part of the Chorus in one of his Comedies: the words of their Song are Βρεκεκεκεκεξ, κοαξ, κοαξ, the meaning thereof, and the Tune I confess my self-ignorant of.

Fishes sing.

XVIII

But if I proceed, as I once had decreed,
And

Here the Poet chides himself for his fool-hardy undertaking in the first Part, and begins to take up.

foolishly undertook,
To let my

Poetical.

vein run, I shall never have done,
And instead of a Song make a Book.

XIX

O pardon me, pardon me, Bishop

Now I am out of your debt for what I promised in my Commentary upon the 9th Stanza of the first Part.

Ward,
For putting thy name in my Song;
For I am alas but a silly

A Welsh Poet.

Bard,
And my Verses cannot live long.

XX

Though sometimes a lucky Ballad may hit,
And in spight of times Iron

Teeth.

Fangs,
Outlive greater Volumes stuft fuller of wit,
And conceiv'd with more labour and pangs.

XXI

But if I was owner of Virgil's Tromp.
Ette and Horace's well-tuned

An obsolete word signifying a Welsh Harp.

Lyre,

Here the Poet shews his good inclination towards the Bishop.

I'd wear 'em out to the very stump,
But I'd make thy great name to aspire.

XXII

Then answer'd my Muse, with a scornful smile
Leave off such fond thoughts,

How familiarly and obligingly the Muse speaks to the Poet.

Poor heart,
'Tis fansie and skill, not love and good-will,
Must fit thee for such a part.

XXIII

I'l make it the care of the ages to come,
When thou shalt be dead and rotten,
To publish his fame, and embalm his name,
That it never shall be

------ Sopra te non haura possa,
Quel duro, eterno, ineccitabil sonno,
D'havert chiusa in cosi poca fossa,
Se tanto i versi miti prometter ponno.

forgotten.

XXIV

A Poetical Description of a long time.

While Lovers shall languish betwixt hopes and fears,
With a visage pale,

This seems to be taken out of Horace, Et tinctus violâ pallor amantium. I hope the Ghost of a Ballad-maker will not be offended with me for this discovery. I am sure the best French Poet now living reputes it an honour that it was said of him.

N'est qu' un gueux, revestu des depoüilles d' Horace.

blue and forlorn:
And all the world round, any wife may be found,
Whose

The Poet does not think it strange, if Women who hate their Husbands should let them drink in Horns.

dear Husband drinks in a

The meaning of this is, This Bishops name shall not be forgotten, till all the world over all loving Wives shall be so rich as to be able to provide their Husbands Cups of more precious matter than Horn, and there shall be found no Horn in any loving Wifes House.

Horn.

XXV

While the River of Avon runs down to the Sea,
And Grass grows on Salsbury Plain,
While

While the English follow the French fashions.

This sort of Description is frequent both in Antient and Modern Poets:

So Virgil,

Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum piscis amabit,
Dumque thymo pascentur apes, dum rore cicadæ, &c.

So Ovid,

------ Tenedos dum stabit & Ida.
Dum rapidus Simois in mare volves aquas, &c.

So the Italian Theocritus:

Mentre per questi monti
Andran le fere errando
E gli alti pini hauran pungenti foglie.
Mentre li vivi fonti
Correran mormorando.
Nel alto mar, che con amor gli accoglie, &c.

And in another place:

Mentre serpente in dumi
Saranno, e pesci in fiumi,
Ne Sol vivral, ne la mia stanca lingua,
Ma per Pastor diversi,
In mille altre sampogne, e mille versi.

But in mine opinion these are too general, whereas those of our Poet are particular and Satyrical, and therefore more commendable.

Englishmen dance to the Musick of France,
And Tradesmen mind nothing but gain.

XXVI

But it is not for such weak

Alluding to that of Horace, Quid valeant humeri, quid ferre recusent: And that of Virgil, Non tali auxilio & defensoribus istis.

shoulders as thine
To undergo such a

Of eternizing the Bishops name.

care:
For that I design a Poet

As if she should say with Horace,

------ Quibus ingenium est, & mens divinior atque os,
Magna sonaturum, dabo Nominis hujus honorem.

Divine;

Mark how precise the Muse is in observing old Customs.

Wind thou up thy Song with a Prayer.

XXVII

She said, I

The Poets ready obedience is remarkable; She said, I obeyd: Dictum factum: It is a sign his Pegasus was well managed, that he stops so short, in his full career.

obey'd. The Queen and the King
God bless, and their Brother JAMES,
And

Christ-church is a very antient Town, by Ptolomy called Portus Alauni, by the Saxons Twinambourn, because it lies betwixt two Rivers, which answers to the Latin Interamnium, now Terni.

Old Christ-church Haven, and New Sarum's Avon,
And make it as good as the Thames.

FINIS.