Merrie England In The Olden Time, Vol. 1 (of 2)

tion with Chaucer and his Pilgrims. The localities that were once hallowed by the presence of genius we ardently seek after, and fondly trace through all their obscuriti

e spot where the muse inspired our favourite bard; we treasure up his hand-writing in our cabinets; we study his works as emanations from the poet; we cherish his associations as reminiscences o

tion, and racy in humour,-a bright earnest of that transcendent genius who, in an after age, shed his mighty lustre ove

of a hand stretched out to us from the next box, where sat solus the middle-aged gentleman. "To have passed t

at in that se

at the Taba

nden on my

ry, with de

eome into tha

d-twenty in

lk, by a ven

and pilgrimes

Canterbury

and the stabl

wreren csed

; the heart is touched with some sublime emotion; and we ask which is the' most praiseworthy-the superstition that raised these holy temples, or the piety (?) that suffers them to fall to decay? This corner is one of my periodical resting-places af

e-yard of St. Savi

singer. All that t

, "March 20, 1639

er." John Fletcher,

he Plague, August 1

ch

t for Uncle Timothy

hard upon the citiz

ers of antiquity. Th

demolition. Who de

ops of Ely, (where

ster," breathed his

l and magnificent G

t garden in Holborn

equested a dish of s

g he sent Lord Hasti

ean hovels. And th

Collegiate Church,-

n another of those

d holiness, founded

cient Church of St.

shes of Miles Cove

on spared, is now

an Newman, who had

six hundred thousa

ng the last three y

the shop, and, pr

old-fashioned hour

s successors. The

e Bank of England,

vice of fifty years

t's holiday. He le

ramble through bea

melancholy, and pre

s of Threadneedle S

e

n taught more rightly to estimate the works of man and his Creator,-the one, like himself, stately in pride and beauty, b

nodded assent. "Surely, Uncle Timothy, the restoration of the Ladye Cha

argued,

ntry, and his one idea immediately reverted to the well-known refectory of that venerable name, where he stuffs himself to repletion and scarletifies his nasal promontory, without a thought

ople's gain by the

of discord, once p

ry, till, with the

bravest and best in

ubjection wondering

all these excesses

sed? Were their gr

ted? Did their yoke

ainment of their (p

ty and prelates c

, and the learning

n rugged natures p

n? If aught was wo

not the winners. Th

thrown their small

ave had their vanity

ammed; but the mass

for their more cu

erers and dupes. Ha

their reward; and w

btless some equally

is not an obvious w

ore clear, to give

much as possible fr

e bot

me your tongue. Ay, as white as a curd. Open your mouth, wider, Mr. Deputy-you caw open it wide enough sometimes!-wider still. Good heavens! what do. I see here?'-'Oh! my stars!

ig

penance, malgré moi-même! of playing showman to them among the Lions of London. Now I have no antipathy to poor relations-your shabby genteel-provided that,

ow invited Falstaff

rs:-"Some pigeons,

a joint of mutton;

William Cook." This

ssinger of City fe

i

k of Country

butter'd eggs, th

asants drench'd w

fat wethers bruise

peacock; yet thei

with th

son's borrowed a th

convenient to repay

o contradict him. O

ely palpable, that

, "For heaven's sak

my thousan

hat know everything and nothing-listening to and retailing everybody's gossip, meddling with everybody

f sack prepared, as mine host assured us, from a recipe that had belonged to the h

thy,-was not he one of th

hurch) Street, came in for a share of his drolleries. Marvellous must have been the humour of this 'allowed fool, when it could 'undumpish' his royal mistress in her frequent paroxysms of concupiscence and ferocity! He was no poll-parrot retailer of

to speak a prolog

sing, suddenly addre

tetra

t in the g

on won t

am on Goth

s do hiss

e was soliciting, and who had provided a bed of nettles for his solace,) "who when he came found him fast asleep under the bed starke naked, bathing in nettles, whose skinne when hee wakened him, was all blistered grievously. The King's Chamberlaine bid him arise and come to the King. 'I will not,' quoth he, 'I will go make my grave.' See how things chanced, he spake truer than he was awar. For the Chamberlaine going home without him, tolde the King his answere. Jemy rose, made him ready, takes his horse, and rides to the church-yard in the high towne, where he found the sexton (as the custom is there) making nine graves-three for men, three for women, and three for children; and who so dyes next, f

rd all men

mber he l

s Sale, for

igges beneat

cal picture of him

e was a Scot b

enty miles fro

ung, was for the

s father all his

a nayle, no mo

yre spoken, yet

compassé and

yeeres, since

e or death, an

ad, I looke not,

that time Je

, lie write, an

all, his hayre

bigger than t

ll, his eyes shi

d his beard small

ittle, and his

th, few teeth I

icke, as I ha

ghes and knees,

are, a foot lon

ence made the K

oone he still w

ate he lov'd,

tle foote, b

er wore rings

made as any

and he did eome

dome, ye shall

oole was made

y, he breakes open the dairy-house, eates and spoiles new cheeseeurds, cheesecakes, overthrowes creame bowles, and having filled his belly, and knew he had done evill, gets him gone to Mansfield in Sherwood, as one fearefull to be at home: the maydes came home that morning from milking, and finding such a masaker of their dairie, almost mad, thought a yeares wages cou

acke,' says he.-'In what country?' quoth they.-'In the country,' quoth he, 'where God is a good man.' At last one of the three journeymen imagined he wras not very wise, and flouted him very merrily, asking him if he would have a stitch whe

together. The fellow cryed, the foole exclaimed, and could not sodanely part. In the end the people (after much laughing at the jest) let them part faire; the one went to picke his beard, the other his head. The constable came, and asked the cause of their falling out, and knowing one to be Leonard the leane foole, whom hee had a warrant for from the gentleman to search for, demaunds of the fellow how it hapned? The fellow hee could answere nothing but 4 um-um,' for his mouth was sealed up with wax, 'Dost thou scorne to speake V says hee. 41 am the King's officer, knave!' 6 Um-um,' quoth hee againe. Meaning hee would tell him all when his m

icence that his coat of motley allowed him. His portrait, contained in "A Nest of Ninnies,"

was tall, hi

was big

s short, inc

our dap

urst, yet n

e, given

ever, hi

ight in

reat, of

full of

kinde, an

he wise ma

many, lo

s trust

oy es, apt

with trick

th' knees,

that hi

t, in who

h game

h' small,

broad a

otes, goes

I sing t

cks on idi

as the

ughts, as gir

masse the

earing, yet

neck and

e and thick

in hi

sted, lon

aight and

hipt mot

t leane

g'd, foo

in his

ght, but a

ear'd mo

nd him a

rks you ca

t. Alas! for the self-complacent Pharisees of this world; they cannot forgive the poor player:' little reflecting of how many, no

ber the Globe, * with its flag floating i

says W. Parkes, in

1612, "advaneeth

t the waving thereo

n, and children." A

y, 1609," whilst e

assembled at a tave

onsieur L'Argent,"

falne plaiers, poo

w neither lords nor

clothes (if they

sful attempt was ma

iour's to put down

ormities" practised

to the throne, kno

ting his patent to

as well within thei

," as elsewhere. It

," with, according

hed hide." Its sign

identally burnt dow

d a marvaile and f

h Win wood in his M

e harm, having but

ou

s relation of this

to let matters of

e present with what

ide. The King's pla

representing some

ry 8 which was s

stances of pomp and

e, the knights of t

s, the guards with

: sufficient, in tr

familiar, if not r

ue at the Cardinal

ng shot off at his

ff wherewith one of

atch, where, being

heir eyes more atten

and ran round like

hour the whole house

al period of that

d perish but wood

ly one man had his

have broyled him if

ent wit, put it out

meet."-Reliqu

re struck. "Listen!" said Uncle T

y that spoke in exquisite tones a variety of p

HARPER

trike the lyre!-A

l

s harping are

weet Shakspere! th

ring lips-Sound t

y

ine when his har

he earliest son

rembling his han

note!-Sound the

y

here riches and

he sordid, thy

joy, in each b

air I-Sound the har

y triumphs are p

in beauty, sweet

estic that heav

tomb!-Sound the

re

orough, on being as

hat history of Eng

ly one I have eve

plentiful scrip. But first to bespeak him the best bed that this hostelrie affords, and compound a loving cup to warm his heart as he hath war

e minstrel; but paused as the harp and voice

EDLAR'

pins! Needl

sses, the f

ns an

t smilin

for qu

and sc

s, my

fingers

ng for

ks and t

nds s

lentin

or the

for th

for th

yards

y pedlar, and

, my fortune th

ugh

cut, and I de

the knave, 'ti

gh

ult of

pocket

n, lest it di

ream I ha

iquor I'

een, like my s

back is as br

cience, and so

rien, and the knavery of Autolicus. But we must have him in,

uire Minstrel, who entered, crying, "Largess! gentles, l

ss, through which shone dirtiness visible; his upper-lip was fortified with a huge pair of sable mustachios, and his nether curled fiercely with a bushy imperial. His eyes, peering under his broad-brimmed slouched beaver,

viewing attentively this singular character, "what

ant Ballad of patient Grissell; a merry new Song how a Brewer meant to make a Cooper cuckold, and how deere the Brewer paid for the bargaine; a merie newe Ballad intituled the p

sits upon

e, and pl

erend and rich citizens, to bibo with a poor ballad-monger, I woul

arlton is meat, ay, and drink too, for the best

t. "Tarlton's Toys"

t," 4to. 1594,) had

he extemporal play

ohn Allde had a l

pon this unlooked-f

Allde "at the long

rch in the Pultrye,

ll Discours of the

edford Shire, in L

with the Great Loss

October, 1570." We

tter ballad, writt

dressed in the full

her right hand

newe Ballad

sits upo

ne and p

, 'Please one

n for Henry Kyrkha

of Paules, at. the

fe, Kate, was a shr

th, a quean in

rjton, that ever

thee a cuckold, and

o

e hath? Am I a

a gentleman, with

o enduring and comp

m, he proposed, to

his lady

y friends, to a loving cup with the harper, to Dick Tarlton, and Merrie England? The cup went

id not notice t

my noble masters," said th

or to-night," replied Uncle

enty-nine, and their patron, H

his hands over his breast, and rising to his harp,

thy voice a harmony that bet

a downward curve, fell to the ground; its companion, (some conjuror's heir-loom,)

de his confusion,

his wondering eyes full in the strange man's

me from the Holy

ill believe them. Why, that mysterious budget of thine contains every black-letter rarity tha

ccount of the Queen

, 1575, represents

s "marching on val

above the knee, al

with his ton swor

Coventry men in

uces "Fyrst, Capta

ession a mason, and

s, and hardy az Gav

eend; great oversig

or King Arthur z bo

mon, Bevys of Hampt

f Courtesy, the Wido

hood, Adam Bel, Cl

y, the Wife lapt in

lynor Rumming, and

earz heer, what a

; and Broom broom o

er a Whinny Meg, He

My hony on gave me

more he hath fair w

ip cord. To stay ye

fair a library for

ments both in prose

k az much without b

nd Bagshot, what de

leman in disguise,-or odd fish of an amateur coll

s!" cried the impatient and

ck wiry wig thrown off, the bushy imperial sent to look after the stray mustachios, the thread-bare camlet cloak and rusty bea

arlet!" shouted the middle-aged gen

pon your skirts, an

d me,

t the harp, which belongs to an itinerant musician, who charms his parlour compan

with a suppressed voice, he added, "When sick and sorrowful, sing me that old harper's song.

e pass the cup

est, nor know t

-off duds, Mr. Moses!" continued the satirical-nosed gentleman, labouring hard to

sion and cutlets.. "Where do

not half so dainty a dish of smoking-hot Scotch collops as I have the hon

Laur

triml

groom," and his

usual urbanity did the ho

bations to one single bowl. "And mind, Benjamin, only one!" This was delivered with peculiar emphasis.

comedy to watch the features of Uncle Timothy. He first gazed at the bowl, the

inquired, "call you thi

ing a real bowl; the identical bowl in whi

to christen us too? Let it be tippl

Timothy, that would be nothing

poet says, I'l

ant, but of l

ns of the bowl were not in the record; and as I thought

ou have been. Sit down, Mr. Jollyboy, and help us o

uld rather do that than break his arm; an

person? of the harper's interlude. We are minus his groom of

ery high stock, with broad pink stripes, and a ve

ustered. The harp!" And instantly the lauré

's tell us there is just time." He then struck the instrument to a liv

TAB

se time-honour'd

ride forth to St.

good wi

ght on th

old his tale of

h' alarum shrill

y host and hi

t rein'd

entles, G

he miller righ

that morning

d thee, that shal

fam'd T

glorifi

went forth to re

roll'd since that

the shrine holy p

ary an

l'd to th

l time shall in

d Tabard! thy

shrine has the Ba

ruin's

alls, mas

adorn'd ever hal