Among these poems, it is probable that there are many which are of a much earlier date than that which may be assigned to the MS. in which they are found, and the first of two to which I desire more particularly to direct your attention, belongs, I conceive, to that class. It is entitled "A Song of the Duke of Buckingham," and is a simple ballad history of the treachery practised towards Henry Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham of the reign of Richard III. by his servant Banaster. The same incident forms the subject of one of the songs, or poems, in Richard Johnson's "CrowneGarland of Goulden Roses gathered out of England's Royall Garden," and Johnson's song was transferred into Evans's Collection of Ballads. But the ballad or romance-history which is found in the Garland and in Evans's Collection is altogether different from the following, in which the thoughts are far more simple and natural, many of the facts are not stated in the same manner, the incidents in which the two agree are treated more minutely, and the assertions of the chroniclers are followed for the most part so literally, that it is difficult to say whether the ballad-writer copied from the historian, or the historian built upon the authority of his humbler fellow-labourer. This version of the story varies so entirely from any other that I have been able to find, and the composition, humble as it is, is altogether so genuine a specimen of our old ballad, that I think it will be agreeable to many of your readers that you should print it. I will first give the story as it is simply told in Hall's Chronicle, and afterwards the ballad, in which I have taken the liberty to modernise the spelling, and to omit a superfluous word or two, indicating such alterations in foot-notes. "The Duke thus abandoned and left almost post alone was of necessity compelled to fly, and in his flight was of this sudden [turn?] of fortune marvellously dismayed; and being unpurveyed what counsel he should take, and what way he should follow, like a man in despair, not knowing what to do, of very trust and confidence conveyed himself into the house of Humphrey Banaster, his servant, beside Shrewsbury, whom he had tenderly brought up, and whom he above all men loved, favoured, and trusted, now not doubting but that in his extreme necessity, he should find him faithful, secret, and trusty, intending there covertly to lurk till either he might raise again a new army, or else shortly to sail into Brittany to the Earl of Richmond. . . . made proclamation that what person could show and reveal where the Duke of Buckingham was should be highly rewarded; if he were a bondman he should be infranchised and set at liberty; if he were of free blood he munerated with a thousand pounds. should have a general pardon and be re "While.. busy search was diligently applied and put in execution, Humphrey Banaster (were it more for fear of loss of life and goods, or attracted and provoked by the avaricious desire of the thousand pounds) he bewrayed his guest and master to John Mitton, then Sheriff of Shropshire, which suddenly with a strong power of men in harness apprehended the Duke of Humphrey Banaster, and in great haste in a little grove adjoining to the mansion and evil speed conveyed him, apparelled in a pilled black cloak, to the city of Salisbury, where King Richard then kept his household. "Whether this Banaster bewrayed the Duke more for fear than covetize many men do doubt: but sure it is, that shortly after he had betrayed the Duke his master, his son and heir waxed mad and so died in a boar's stye, his daughter of excellent beauty was suddenly stricken with foul leprosy, his second son very marvellously deformed of his limbs and made decrepid, his younger son in a small puddle was strangled and drowned, and he, being of extreme age, arraigned and found guilty of a murder, and by his clergy saved. And as for his thousand pound King Richard gave him not one farthing, saying that he which would be untrue to so good a master would be false to all other; howbeit some say that he had a small office or a farmb to stop his mouth withal... "The Duke. when he had confessed the whole fact and conspiracy upon All a The editions of this Garland between 1592 and the close of the following century are almost innumerable. It has also been reprinted by the Percy Society, vol. vi. of their publications. bi. e. a lease. Bauaster was better rewarded than was commonly supposed. The manor of Ealding or Yalding, in Kent, part of the forfeited possessions of his master, was granted to him by King Richard. Harl. MS. 433, fo. 133. There has been a dispute as to whether the Duke was beheaded at Shrewsbury or Salisbury. Reference on the point may be made to Blakeway's History of Shrewsbury, and to Hatcher's Salisbury in Hoare's Modern History of Wiltshire. We have no doubt that it was at the latter place, and that the incident took place just as it is represented in the Chronicles, and in Shakspere's Richard III. The Duke was arrested near Shrewsbury, and was led, in the first instance, into Shrewsbury for safe custody and consideration. He was then, according to the ballad, carried to London, but the King having gone off into the west to oppose Richmond, Buckingham was taken after him, as the chroniclers inform us, to Salisbury, where the King ordered his immediate execution. a The worthy Duke, in MS. Unto, in MS. b This worthie Duke, in MS. d Pity thou, in MS. e And all to, in MS. 18. He to the court did hie, 19. King Richard then he sent in haste 20. And when the Duke that he saw that, 21. "O Banister, false Banister, Woe worth thy feignéd heart! Thou hast betray'd thy master dear, And play'd a traitor's part." 22. This noble Duke was to London brought, 23. Then Banister went to the court, 24. No friend he found in his distress, But every man reviled him 25. His eldest son stark mad did run, According to his own desire God's curse did on him fall, 27. Young Banister liv'd long in shame, 28. Good Lord preserve our noble King, Another of the songs in this volume is worthy of publication on other grounds. All persons who are familiar with the collections of hymns sung at many of our churches and chapels are well acquainted with one which begins, "Jerusalem, my happy home!" It is a great favourite, and deservedly so, for, with the exception of one stanza, it is really a beautiful composition. It will surprise a good many of those whose hearts have been often lifted up in the singing of this inspiriting hymn, to learn, that it is built upon a Roman Catholic foundation, and that almost all its peculiarities are derived from a poem which appears in the volume now under consideration. When this hymn was introduced into Protestant hymn-books, I do not know. I have not traced it further back than the collection formed by that elegant poet James Montgomery, of Sheffield, but the one exceptionable stanza to which I have alluded is so determinedly prosaic that I cannot make up my mind to attribute its introduction to him. Some of your readers better versed in this department of literature than I am will perhaps be able to explain the history of its alteration and adoption into Protestant books of devotion, and also to tell us who was E. B. P. the author to whom it is here assigned, and whether the tune "Diana" is still known. A SONG MADE BY F. B. P.-To the tune of "Diana." 1. Jerusalem! my happy home! When shall I come to thee, When shall my sorrows have an end, 2. O happy harbour of the saints, a A mighty, in MS. As he was, in MS. In thee no sorrow may be found, GENT. MAG. VOL. XXXIV. And, in MS. 3. In thee no sickness may be seen, 4. No dampish mist is seen in thee, 5. There lust and lucre cannot dwell, There is no hunger, heat, nor cold, 6. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! God grant I once may see Thy endless joys, and of the same, 7. Thy walls are made of precious stones, 8. Thy turrets and thy pinnacles Thy very streets are paved with gold, 9. Thy houses are of ivory, Thy windows crystal clear, Thy tiles are made of beaten gold; 10. Within thy gates no thing doth come No spider's web, no dirt, no dust, 11. Ah, my sweet home, Jerusalem! Would God my woes were at an end, 12. Thy saints are crowned with glory great, They triumph still, they still rejoice, 13. We that are here in banishment Continually do moan; We sigh and sob, we weep and wail, 14. Our sweet is mixed with bitter gall, Our joys scarce last the looking-on, 15. But there they live in such delight, As that to them a thousand years 16. Thy vineyards and thy orchards are Full furnished with trees and fruits, 17. Thy gardens, and thy gallant walks, Continually are green; There grow such sweet and pleasant flowers As nowhere else are seen. a Devil in MS. but it must have been pronounced, Scoticè, Deil. 18. There's nectar and ambrosia made, 19. There cinnamon, there sugar grows, What tongue can tell, or heart conceive, 20. Quite through the streets, with silver sound, Upon whose banks, on every side, 21. There trees for evermore bear fruit, There evermore the angels sit, 22. There David stands with harp in hand, Ten thousand times that man were blest 23. Our Lady sings Magnificat, With tune surpassing sweet, And all the virgins bear their parts 24. Te Deum doth Saint Ambrose sing, Old Simeon and Zachary Have not their song to seek. 25. There Magdalene hath left her moan, With blessed saints whose harmony 26. Jerusalem, my happy home! Would God my woes were at an end, There are other poems in the same MS. upon the same theme, and in all of them more or less of a character which reminds one of the imagery and general idea of the glorious allegory of Bunyan. Yours, &c. BÉ. THE ABBE DE SAINT-PIERRE. AT a time when the project of a universal peace is revived in a more systematic, practical, and energetic shape than it has ever hitherto assumed, an account of him who, if not its first proposer, was, we believe, the first to give it literary celebrity, may not be unacceptable. Such an account is all the more necessary, as it is no uncommon thing for persons, otherwise well informed, to confound the Abbé de Saint-Pierre with Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, the author of "Paul and Virginia." A blunder similar to one we once heard made regarding the late Lord Melbourne, whose talents were strenuously defended by an admirer, gifted with greater zeal than knowledge, under the impression that his lordship, when Mr. Lamb, had been the author of the "Essays of Elia." Charles Irénée-Castel de SaintPierre was born at the Château of Sainte-Pierre, near Barfleur, in Lower Normandy, on the 18th of February, a Musing, in MS. |