but composed an original poem, founded upon Celtic tradition, it will follow that the first classical English Romance was written in part of what is now called Scotland.'* BALLAD AND SONG.-The most ancient ballad it is generally allowed, of which we are in possession, whether it relates to the Maid of Norway or not, is 'Sir Patrick Spens'. It would be unfair to quote it as a specimen of the language of King Alexander III's reign; for in descending the stream of tradition, it has lost much of the hue of that period, and the old thoughts have become clothed in a modern language. In shewing the garb worn by our muses in former years, we must not quote sentiments of one period, and language of another, at a distance of centuries; for we owe the ballad of Sir Patrick Spens to the lips of spinsters and knitters in the sun who chanted it but a few years back. the old rhyming chronicler Andrew Wyntown, nevertheless, we are indebted for the preservation of Sir Tristrem, Ed. 1833, p. 48. To + "Tradition, generally speaking, is a sort of perverted alchemy which converts gold into lead. All that is abstractedly poetical, all that is above the comprehension of the merest peasant, is apt to escape in frequent recitation; and the lacune thus created, are filled up either by lines from other ditties, or from the mother-wit of the reciter or singer. The injury, in either case, is obvious and irrepara ble." Quar. Rev. vol. i. 30.-Scott. With all deference to the opinion of so great a man, is it not just as likely that these alterations are as often for the better as the worse. If through tradition we have not gained all the correctness both of thought and language of the old songs and ballads, we have certainly gained much of the sentiment and all the spirit. a stanza giving us some insight into song:-on the death of Alexander III. in 1286, this song was made' Quhen Alysander oure kynge wes dede, That Scotland led in luwe and le, Away wes sons off ale and brede, Off wyne and wax, off gamyn and gle; That stad in his perplexite! The fate of Wallace was, as we may well suppose, the subject of several songs, some of which are referred to by Fordun; and the Battle of Bannockburn was sung of in a strain, pronounced by Ritson, not inelegant for the time:' according to Fabyan, the Scottes enflamyd with pride, in derysyon of Englyshemen, made this ryme as followeth :' Maydens of Englande, sore may ye mourne For your lemmans ye have lost at Bannockysborne ! What! weneth the Kyng of England So soone to have wone Scotland? Wyth rumbylowe. 6 Thys song,' the old chronicler continues, was after many daies song in daunces, in the caroles of ye maydens and mynstrellys of Scotland, to the reproofe and dysdayne of Englyshemen, with dyuerse other whych I ouerpasse.' Mr. Motherwell supposes these lines to form all that ever existed of the song.* Minstrelsy, p. xlviii. Barbour in his Life of Bruce, refrains from tell ing a victory gained by Sir John de Soulis over the English, for whasa liks, thai may her Young wemen, whan thai will play Syng it amang thaim ilk day.—Book xvi. The two ballads of the Battle of Otterbourne, the English and Scottish copies, and the famous Chevy Chase, belong to the reign of King James, the first of that name. Godscroft speaking of the ballad on the Battle of Otterbourne, says, the Scots song made of Otterbourne, beginneth thus' It fell about the Lammas tide Hist. of Douglas, vol. i. p. 195. James the First, himself an author of fine genius, and a writer of songs (all unhappily lost), has in his Peblis to the Play,' made several allusions to song, and quoted the starting lines of two songs well-known, perhaps,' says Geo. Chalmers, in the authors time,'-a young man In a curious medley of nonsense called Colkelbie Sow, we find the names of several airs popular before the middle of the fifteenth century. With 'stok hornis,' pipes made of 'borit boutre,' and 'bagpype's,' 'Copyn Cull,' and his followers Sum Symon sonis of Quhynfell Sum Maist Pier de Conyate. Laing's Ancient Pop. Poet. of Scotland. Gawain Douglas, in the Prologue to the Twelfth Book of his Virgil (translated out of Latyne Verses into Scottish Metir,') tells us of Nymphs and Naiads Sic as we clepe wenches and damosels, that wander among flowers of white and red by spring wells plaiting 'lusty chaplets' for their heads, * 'Twysbank,' Leyden suspected to be the appropriate tune of a song, or rather ballad, preserved in the Bannatyne MS. commencing, Quhen Tayis bank wes blumyt brycht, With blosvmes blycht and bred. Laing's Ant. Pop. &c. and singing ring sangs, dances, ledes and rounds,' till all the dale re-echoes their music; one nymph sings "The schip salis ouer the salt faem Will bring their merchandis and my lemane hame My hert is lent apoun sa gudly wicht.'" In the Thirteenth Prologue, allusion is made by Douglas to a song called The joly day now dawis,' which we learn from Dunbar and others, was popular at that period. The following verses preserved in the Fairfax MS. (A. D. 1500), are supposed to be the original. This day, day dawes, In a glorious garden grene, Saw I sytting a comly quene, Among the flowris that fresh byn. She gaderd a floure and sett betwene The lyly whyct rose methought I sawe, And ever she sang This day, day dawes This gentil day dawes.* 'The Gaberlunzie Man,' and the Jolly Beggar,' are generally allowed to be the productions of King James V. (Ob. 1542), 'he was naturally given to poesie,' says Drummond of Hawthornden,' as many of his works yet extant testifie.' We owe these Hey the day dauis,' is the first line of a song in Montgomery's Poems by Laing, p. 219. + History of Scotland. |