Ballads & songs of Lancashire, ancient and modern

Front matter

STORAGE-ITEM MAIN

LP9-Q26G

U.B.C. LIBRARY

Introduction

" If a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who should make the laws of a nation.''' — Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun.

"The rude poetry of Song and Eallad," says Mr. Harland in his preface to the first edition of this work, " has been in all countries the earliest record of acts and events. The Song in praise of heroes, inciting living warriors to emulate the deeds of their ancestors ; " — the Ballad to commemorate successive acts of national or family prowess. "Ballads (says Tacitus) were the only annals known among the ancient Germans. The Scandinavian scalds in their sagas celebrated the warlike achievements of their ancestors. Britain, Wales, and Ireland, had of old their bards and minstrels; and, even as late as the reign of Elizabeth, Welsh harpers on their hill-sides sang to crowds of their countrymen the deeds of their forefathers. With the refinement of manners, the ballad by degrees viii INTRODUCTION.

included a wider range of subjects, — the marvellous tale, the wild adventure, love's sentiment and passion, mad revenge, and stealthy murder, were amongst its favourite themes. Then came the satirical song ; the humorous and burlesque ballad ; which have remained in favour with the people, especially in rural districts, to this day."

Very many of these have been sung in the halls of the great by the minstrels of the " north countrie ; " and they have also formed the fireside melodies of our peasantry for many generations. Almost every ancient mansion possessed its gallery for the " musycianers," and those families who could not afford to keep their own performers paid considerable sums for the hire of some more wealthy neighbour's " cumpanie " when celebrating annual or family festivities. Ballad, interlude, song, and dance, followed each other on these occasions in quick succession ; and these were imitated at public festivals and fairs by more humble professionals, but not on that account the less acceptable to the crowds who witnessed their performances. In later times the narrative of every striking event was woven into rude verse by the ballad-monger, who either sung his own compositions when he visited the houses of the wealthy, or committed them to the charge of the itinerant pedlar, of whom Shakspeare has immortalised a specimen in his Winter's Tale, where we have, "painted for all

INTRODUCTION. ix

time a lively portrait of the English ballad singer and seller of his own day."

Of these older ballads "very few exist of an earlier date than the reign of James I., when [some remnants] were first collected in [small chap-books] termed Garlands, of which many are preserved in the Pepysian Library." In Percy's Reliques we find a few more of these compositions, and Mr. Halliwell has included some others, both in his Palatine Anthology, in his Palatine Garland, and in the thirty-two folio volumes of sheet-songs, ballads, etc., presented by him to the Chetham Library, Manchester.

Previously to the interest recently excited in this species of literature, the olden ballads and songs were fast dying out — many have been lost for ever, and some of the more modern are merely parodies or burlesques. They do not always, or even frequently, contain the best poetry; an extra syllable or two in a line proving no serious obstacle to the singer or reciter. Most of them, however, are intensely national — "racy of the soil" — and will live in our local literature for all time to come. Like much of our early poetry they are mostly monosyllabic, strong and expressive; the lines are, in general, short; the tunes simple ; the choruses jovial and boisterous, suited to the occasions and the times. There are also certain peculiar turns of expression, and even of x INTRODUCTION.

pronunciation, which are evidently intended to help the memory and produce effect. All or most of these characteristic traits have been retained in our best modern imitations — the frame-work of the ancient ballad, or song, having been re-habilitated to suit the circumstances of the case. It might seem that irregularity in metre and in melody were at an early period one of the acknowledged characteristics of ballad poetry : for Richard Sheale, a Lancashire man, the author of the earlier and irregular " Chevy Chase," is also the composer of the almost faultless " Love Song " in the present volume.

Ballads and songs written in pure grammatical English are somewhat rare in the north of England. Many of these owe their origin to turmoil and crime, and are frequently strongly tinged with the peculiar dialect of the locality in which they were written. This is not to be regretted ; for by this means the places where the events happened are thereby fixed, and lasting popularity is also secured, because they contain the every-day language of the peasantry. Such compositions are cherished and preserved in remote villages long after they have ceased to interest the middle and upper classes, since they generally contain records of party strife, local usages, customs, and superstitions, which are ever interesting to the lower orders. Hence the religious rhapsody — the

INTRODUCTION. xi

mournful moral poem — the legendary narrative — and the details of domestic tragedy, preserve their vitality for generations after more laboured and correct compositions have ceased to be remembered.

"Amidst great social mutations, and the progress of education and civilisation, there are," says Mr. Harland, "some broad features of English ballad literature, especially in the subjects which most largely hold the popular affections and regard, which, in all essentials, will ever remain alike, however their outward garb may change with the transitory tastes and fleeting fashions of the age. The [four] favourite themes, alike of the oldest ballads and the most modern songs, are war, love, murder," [and wine]. Lancashire ballads and songs are no exception to the general rule. We have prowess in war — family feuds — success or failure in love — domestic tragedies — the praise of good liquor, etc., constantly furnishing themes on which our local poets have exercised their powers; and of these not a few of their efforts are couched in the strong vernacular of the county. In the following volume the oldest ballad in the Lancashire dialect is that entitled " Warrikin Fair." This is considered to have been written about a.d. 1550; and although a glossary has been added for the sake of the general reader, there is not a word used by the writer that would be unintelligible xli INTRODUCTION.

to the Lancashire peasant of to-day. There is a quaint, ironical severity in the " Balade of Maryage," rescued from the Browsholme papers, which is much intensified by the careless ease of the extra syllable in each alternate line. This peculiarity has not found many imitators ; and hence the regret that both the name of the author and the rest of the ballad appear to have been irrecoverably lost.

Our earlier poets, in general, either did not understand, or did not care to cultivate the Lancashire dialect ; although, as in the case of Burns, it would have given them a far wider choice of rhymes. The publication of Collier's " Tummus and Meary," however, gave fixedness and increased vitality to our folk-speech, and under the hands of Bamford, Brierley, Staton, Waugh, and others, it has now acquired a copious literature of its own. The forthcoming Glossary of the Manchester Literary Club will form a permanent record of its peculiarities, origin, and power. In the following collection will be found the rugged, uncouth, measures of the older ballad-writers ; the more polished verses of later authors follow, until we reach the true modern ballad in the pathetic stanzas of Shenstone. The easy flowing verse of Byrom cannot but be admired. He was an author who knew how to inspire happy and independent thoughts in others, and his genial senti-

INTRODUCTION. xiii

ments prove that he was equally at ease both with the world and himself. The modern selections contain many specimens of the calm, philosophic thought of Swain, forcibly reminding us of Wordsworth. His language is always elegant and chaste, whether in ballad, song, or longer poem. He has recently gone to his rest, but his fine composition on the " Mind," together with his collective works, have secured him a lasting reputation. Bamford's peculiar style is forcibly shown in his legend of the " Wild Rider," and in " The Pass of Death." His lines are lengthy, his words massive, his thoughts manly in tone, and expressed in forcible, vigorous verse. His most striking ballad records an imaginary visit to " Tim Bobbin Grave ; " and his " God help the Poor," was sung and recited during the " Cotton Famine " with all the fervour peculiar to a suffering population.

Critchley Prince very nearly approaches Swain in the style of many of his poems. Several of his songs are exceedingly forcible, and very happily expressed. His " Songs of the People for me," forms a good example of one of his happiest efforts, and was written almost impromptu, at the request of the late Mr. Harland, for Mr. Gent to incorporate in the volume of modern songs and ballads.

Of those who have written in our dialect the first place is undoubtedly due to Waugh. He is a master of the art of song-writing, and many of xiv IXTRODUCTION.

them are more popular than those of any other Lancashire author. His " Come Whoam to the Chiider an Me," has found its way to every hearth, and its popularity suffers no decrease. Each of his songs causes some homely, heartfelt chord to vibrate, and his pictures of Lancashire home life are faithful and graphic. Touches of genuine poetry meet us in almost every verse ; and his prose works are not the less racy, poetical, and characteristic. Laycock, next to Waugh, is our most popular song-writer in the dialect. His " Bowton Yard " and " Welcome Bonny Brid " are known and recited throughout this and the neighbouring counties. The truly poetical is not wanting; his style is simple and unlaboured, but his unexpected witty turns of thought, his telling homethrusts, native humour, and 'quaint allusions, are peculiarly his own. Brierley has cultivated prose much more extensively than poetry, and yet he has added some choice songs to our Lancashire literature. Some of these, however, require acting as well as singing in order to bring out their proper effect. The " Weyvour o' Wellbruck " is inimitable, when given with all the gravity, the grunts, and grimaces of the grumbling old "weyvour." The chorus compels us to hear his looms rattling as he proclaims his independent spirit, and also fully illustrates the boisterousness required in a really popular Lancashire song.

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In making the modern collection Mr. Harland exhibited his usual sound judgment and good taste. The best of every writer was selected and arranged under the following heads : — " I. Romantic and Legendary Ballads. II. Songs of Love and Praises of the Fair. III. Songs of Home and its Affections. IV. Songs of Life and Brotherhood. V. Songs of the Cotton Famine. VI. Sea Songs." A miscellaneous chapter (VII.) is now added, containing several pieces worthy of preservation. The additions to the ancient ballads are also considerable.

The pleasurable duty remains of thanking all those to whom this volume owes its existence. We have merely gathered the flowers of Lancashire ballad and song into a garland. Theirs is the fragrance of these poetic blossoms ; theirs the rich and varied tints that delight the eye and cheer the heart. To thank each individually by name would be simply to repeat a portion of the table of contents, and we can therefore only tender to one and all our most grateful thanks for the courteous and ready kindness with which they have acceded to our requests. To the surviving representatives of deceased writers, and to various publishing firms holding copyrights, we must take leave, in like manner, to tender our sincere thanks and acknowledgments.

xvi INTRODUCTION.

The portrait of the late Charles Swain, from a

photograph by Mr. John Eastham of Manchester,

which has been adopted as the frontispiece to the

present edition, will no doubt be very acceptable

to the numerous friends of one of Lancashire's

most gifted poets.

T. T. W„