NOTES INSIDE THE COVER OF THE MS. BY PERCY. This very curious Old Manuscript in its present mutilated state, but unbound and sadly torn &c., I rescued from destruction, and begged at the hands of my worthy friend Humphrey Pitt Esq., then living at Shiffnal in Shropshire, afterwards of Priorslee, near that town; who died very lately at Bath (viz. in Summer 1769). I saw it lying dirty on the floor under a Bureau in y• Parlour: being used by the Maids to light the fire. It was afterwards sent, most unfortunately, to an ignorant Bookbinder, who pared the margin, when I put it Also in Chambers's Scottish Ballads, 1829, p. 143; and another version in Sheldon's Min into Boards in order to lend it to Dr. Johnson. Mr. Pitt has since told me, that he believes the Transcripts into this Volume, &c. were made by that Blount who was Author of Jocular Tenures, &c. who, he thought, was of Lancashire or Cheshire, and had a remarkable Fondness for these old things. He believed him to be the same Person with that Mr. Thomas Blount who published the curious account of King Charles the 2d escape, intitled Boscobel, &c. Lond. 1660, 12me which has been so often reprinted. As also The Law Dictionary, 1671, folio. & many other Books, which may be seen in Wood's Athenæ, II. 73, &c. A Descendant or Relation of that Mr. Blount, was an Apothecary at Shiffnal, whom I remember myself (named also Blount). He (if I mistake not) sold the Library of his said predecessor Tho! Blount, to the abovementioned Mr. Humph! Pitt: who bought it for the use of his Nephew, my ever-valued friend the Revd Rob! Binnel. Mr. Binnel accordingly had all the printed Books; but this MS., which was among them, was neglected and left behind at Mr. Pitt's House, where it lay for many years. T. Percy. N.B. Upon looking into Wood's Athenæ, I find that Tho Blount, the Author of y: Joc Tenures, was a Hereforshire Man; He may however have spent much of his time in Cheshire or Lancashire: or after all this Collection may have been made by a relation of his of the same Name. strelsy of the English Border, p. 329; Child's Engl. and Scot. Bal., iv. 283.-F. Bishop Percy's Folio MS. Ballads and Romances. INTRODUCTION TO THE ROBIN HOOD BALLADS. THERE are already in print ballads dealing with the several subjects of the following Robin Hood ballad fragments. But they all differ, in a greater or less degree, from these. On the death of Robin Hood the piece here printed is certainly the most interesting known. Percy well calls it "a curious old song." A few words may be said on the general question of the outlaw's personality. Adhuc sub judice lis est. There are who represent him to have been simply a famous robber chieftain, a great prince of outlaws-" latronum omnium humanissimus et princeps," to quote Mair's words-" prædonum mitissimus" in Camden's version of these words. Others insist that he was a great political leader, carrying on a perpetual guerilla warfare against his enemies, and finding refuge on occasion in the tangled labyrinths of the forests. A third theory denies him existence. According to it he is a mere creation of the Teutonic mind-a flesh-and-blood-less fancy. These are the three leading views entertained about him. The facts of the matter are, that he is first mentioned in literature in the "Vision of William concerning Piers the Ploughman," written probably about 1362, and is there mentioned as the well-known hero of well-known popular songs. Says Sloth: "I kan noght parfitly my pater-noster As the priest it syngeth, But I kan rymes of Robyn Hood And Randolph Erl of Chestre." (Wright's P. P. 3275–8.) His next mention is in Wyntoun's "Scottish Chronicle," written about the year 1420. Wyntoun, writing of the year 1284, says: Lytil John & Robyn Hude Waithmen ware commendyd gude; In Yngilwode & Barnysdale Thai oysyd all this time thare trawale. Some thirty years afterwards one of the additions to Fordun's "Scotichronicon" (such, and not of the original work, Mr. Wright has shown the passage to be), speaking of the De Montfort period, informs us: "Hoc in tempore de exheredatis et bannitis surrexit et caput erexit ille famosissimus sicarius Robertus Hode et Littill Johanne cum eorum complicibus, de quibus stolidum vulgus hianter in comœdiis et tragœdiis prurienter festum faciunt et super ceteras romancias mimos et bardanos cantitare delectantur." (Goodall's "Forduni Scotichronicon, &c." Edinb. 1769. ii. 104.) Sir John Paston, in Edward IV.'s time, lets us know that games in honour of Robin Hood were then zealously celebrated. "I have kepyd hym," he writes of one of his servants, "thys iii yer to pleye Seynt Jorge, and Robyn Hood and the Shryf of Notyngham; and now," he adds complainingly, "when I wolde have good horse, he is goon into Bernysdale, and I without a keeper." Towards the end of the fifteenth century the Robin Hood ballads were collected and woven together into one long poem known as the "Lytel Geste," printed by Wynken de Worde somewhere about 1490, reprinted in Scotland in 1508. At least two ballads relating directly to Robin Hood-to say nothing of several that allude to him--are found in MSS. of a certainly not later date than the oldest edition of the "Lytel Geste," viz.: "Robyn Hode and the Potter," first printed by Ritson from a MS. among Bishop More's collections in the Cambridge University Library, and "Robin Hood and the Monk," first printed in Jamieson's "Popular Ballads " from a MS. in the same library, and, according to Mr. Wright, possibly as old as Edward II.'s time, but certainly not so old as the ballad which is, or is the basis of, the Fourth Fit of the "Lytel Geste," as the spoiling of the monk there narrated is referred to in it. (See v. 93.) In 1521 appeared Mair's "Historia Majoris Britanniæ tam Angliæ quam Scotia," which may be said to contain the locus classicus on Robin Hood, inasmuch as the passage in it concerning him-whatever its sources-furnishes the earliest full description of him, and is adopted with scarcely any variation by Grafton and Stow and Camden, and along with the "Lytel Geste" forms the basis of that life in the Sloane MSS. No. 715 of which Ritson made so much use. Mair's therefore memorable words are: "Circa hæc tempora [Ricardi Primi], ut auguror, Robertus Hudus Anglus, et Parvus Joannes latrones famatissimi [not famosissimi, as sometimes quoted] in nemoribus latuerunt, solum opulentorum virorum bona deripientes. Nullum nisi eos invadentem vel resistentem pro suarum rerum tuitione occiderunt. Centum sagittarios ad pugnam aptissimos Robertus latrociniis aluit, quos 400 viri fortissimi invadere non audebant. Rebus hujus Roberti gestis tota Britannia in cantibus utitur. Fœminam nullam opprimi permisit nec pauperum bona surripuit, verum eos ex abbatum bonis sublatis opissare pavit. Viri rapinam improbo, sed latronum omnium humanissimus et princeps erat." About the middle and through the latter part of the sixteenth century and thenceforward allusions to Robin Hood abound. Especially worthy of note are Latimer's complaint, in his sixth sermon before Edward VI., how, when he proposed preaching in some country church, " one of the parish comes to me, and says 'Sir, this is a busy day with us. We cannot hear you. It is Robin Hood's day. The parish are gone abroad to gather for Robin Hood. I pray you let them not,"" and the full description of the merry outlaws in Drayton's "Polyolbion," Song 26, and the notice given of Robin by Fuller in his "Worthies" in connection with Nottinghamshire. His story, we may add, was revised, and augmented again and again. The yeoman of the older ballads is transformed into an earl in the newer ones. A sentimental colour is given him. Maid Marian appears, and becomes a leading, absorbing part of the company. The fresh breezes of the greenwood are tainted with artificial odours. By Charles I.'s time the ballad-writers have all, like sheep, gone astray. They have improved away the genuine old picture. In 1670 was published the first known edition of the "Garland." In 1678 appeared a prose version of it, with the title "The Noble Birth and gallant atchievements of that remarkable outlaw Robin Hood, together with a true account of the many merry and extravagant exploits he play'd, in twelve severall stories... Newly collected into one volume by an Ingenious Antiquary." (Reprinted in Mr. Thoms' "Early English Prose Romances.") Poor Robin's character sank sadly in the following century. He fell amongst mere thieves. About the middle of it came out " The lives and heroick atchievements of the renowned Robin Hood and James Hind, two noted robbers and highwaymen." Nor did he recover his proper status till the year 1795, when Ritson put forth his hand and lifted him out of the mire. Ritson's "Robin Hood" is still the great treasure-house on the subject of the great outlaw. Not much of importance has been added to what his vigorous researches compiled some seventy years ago. |