These "auncient ditties," are supposed to have been written anterior to Chaucer,

"Whose light those clouds and mists dissolv'd

Which our dark nation long involv'd;"

the father of our poetry had in his day written many a song and goodly ballad; like his "yonge squier,"

"He coude songes make and well indite,"

if he could not "singe and plaien on a rote," like the wanton" frere." These valuable pieces of ancient minstrelsy, time, the greatest of thieves, has robbed us of. As Ritson says, "Chaucer s ballads have been sung, but they are certainly no songs."

To illustrate the history of song during the reigns of the kings immediately following Chaucer's master, Edward III., our many public libraries afford little or nothing. Gower and Occleve adorned our literature, or rather improved the ruggedness of our language; and Lydgate, a monk, wrote as many works as would satisfy the burning thirst for writing, of half a dozen of the voluminous authors of the nineteenth century. Though Henry V. ordered that no songs should be recited to celebrate the victory of Agincourt, some poet laureate of those days has wedded it to immortal rhyme, even the music of it has been preserved.* Charles Duke

* See Percy's Reliques, vol. ii. p. 26. Ed. 1811.

of Orleans, while prisoner in England during this reign, wrote a volume of Love poems, still preserved among the Harleian Papers, [682]. The Editor looked for a better specimen than the one given by Ritson, beginning,

Lend me youre praty mouth madame,

See how y kneele here at yowre feet, &c. &c.

but it was a vain search.

To the reign of his son, Henry VI. is given the old ballads of Chevy Chace and the battle of Otterbourne, ballads admired by old and young. Of this time also, is a "Song on an Inconstant Mistress," a theme prevalent in all ages.

Who so lyst to love, God send hym right good spede.
Some tyme y loved, as ye may see,

A goodlyer ther myght none be,
Here womanhode in all degree,
Full well she quytt my mede.
[Who so lyst, &c.]

Unto the tyme, upon a day,

To sone ther fill a gret affray,

She badde me walke forth on my way,

On me she gatt none hede.

Woso lyst, &c.

I asked the cause why and wherfor,
She displesede was with me so sore;
She wold nat tell, but kept in store,
Perdy it was no nede.

Woso lyst, &c.

For if y hadde hur displeased

In worde or dede, cr hir greved,

Than if she hadde before meved,*
She hadde cause in dede.

Woso lyst, &c.

* Departed.

But well y wote y hadde nat done,
Hur to displese, but in grete mone
She hath me left and ys agone,
For sowre my hert doth blede.
Wo so lyst, &c.

Some tyme she wold to me complayne,
Yff she had felt dysease or payne,
Now fele y nought but grete disdayne,
Allas, what is your rede?

Wo so lyst, &c.

Shall I leve of, and let hur go?

Nay ner the rather will y do so,

Yet though unkyndnesse do me wo,

Hur will y love and drede.

Wo so lyst, &c

Some hope that when she knowith the case,

Y truste to God that withyne short spase
She will me take agayne to grace,

Than have y well abydde.

Wo so lyst, &c.

And for trew lovers shall y pray,
That ther ladyes fro day to day,

May them' rewarde so that they may
With joy ther lyves lede.

Wo so lyst, &c. .

In the reign of Edward IV. we have a balet' by Anthony Woodvyle, Earl Rivers, written during his imprisonment in Pontefract castle, in the year 1483,

* From MSS. More, F. f. 1. 6. Ritson's Ancient Songs, p. 72. Among the Harleian MSS. [41] written in Henry VIth's time, there is an old song beginning:

Bryng us home good ale, sir, bryng us home good ale,
And, for our der ladylove bryng us home good ale.

Its value is hurt by its indelicacy, and the introduction of our Saviour's 'curse and mine.' Dr. Johnson has said of it-that the merriment is very gross, and the sentiments very worthless.

there is nothing remarkable in it, though Percy and Ritson have inserted it in their collections.

To Henry the Eighth's time belongs John Skelton, the poet laureat, an industrious plodding rhymer; many of his songs savour too strongly of indecency, and others are but scant of merit. His works paint the manners of his age, and are valuable merely for that unpoetical quality. We have other songs besides Skelton's, written at this period, the best of which is one entitled by Ritson :

:

A [LOVE] SONGE.

My joye it is from her to here,
Whom that my mynd ys euer to see,
& to my hart she ys most near
For I love hur & she lovyth me.

Of deuty nedes I must hur love,
Which hath my hart so stedfastly,
Ther ys no payne may me convert,
But styll to loue hur whyle she lovyth me.

Both loue for loue, & hart for hart,
Which hath my hart so stedfastly,
Therfore my hart shall not remove,
For I love hur & she lovyth me.

Chryst wolt the ffuger† of hur swete face

Were pyctored wher euer I 'be'

Yn euery hall, from place to place,
For I loue hur and she lovyth me.

Her copany doth me confort,
Therfor in hast J wyll resorte,
To yoye my harte wt play & sport,
For I loue hur & she lovyth me.

• Would to Christ.

† Figure.

Ritson strangely enough altered these verses himself for the new edition of his Ancient Songs, transposing lines, omitting the last

Sir John Hawkins in his History of Music has presented us with another very pretty song, written in Harry the Eighth's day, inserted by Ritson in his

Ancient Songs.

Among the Royal MSS. in the British Museum there is a small oblong music book, with words and notes, undoubtedly written during the reign of Henry VIII. The songs found in it are of no great merit, even the industrious Ritson, a lover of every

stanza, and christening it, "Mutual Affection," what sacrilege! See the edition of 1830, vol. ii. p. 22. The above is printed from the MS.

(Hari. 3362) and Ritson's first print.

• Sweetheart.