Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/97

 1

88

LITERATURE.

Easter, by seven portions." One of this long's ships was called his saloon where he kept his court at tea, which he considered part of his dominions.

1417, Dec. 14. Sir John OMcastle, Lord Cobham, burnt in St. Giles Fields for heresy. This zealous supporter of the doctrines of Wiclif exi>ended considerable sums in collecting transcribing, and dispersing the works of Wiclif; and in miuntaining a many itinerant preachers, who were employed in spreading the tenets of that reformer in different parts of the country, particularlyinthediocesesoiCanterbury,London, Rochester and Hereford. Bale says, that he caused all the works of Wiclif to be corned by desire of John Huss, and to be sent to France, Spain, Bohemia, and other foreign countries the support afforded the Lollards by this nobleman, and his zeal in the diffusion of eyangelical truth, rendered him the object of the most cruel per- secution. He was accused of heresy, condemned and imprisoned in the tower of London, from whence he found means to escape, but being retsJcen by Lord Powis,* was suspended alive in chains, upon a gallows, and burnt todeath. — Fox.

Lord Cobham, not to mention his other emi- nent qualities, was distinguished by the vigour and extent of his intellectual powers. To his natural parts he joined all the acquisitions of knowledge and learning which the times he lived in could administer. In religion he attained to a dignity of sentiment which would not be a dishonour to the present age. The man who could say, that his faith was, " that God will ask no more of a christian in this life than to obey the precepts of his jessed law ;" and that " if any prelate of the church requireth more, or any other kind of obedience, he contemneth Christ, exalteth himself above God, and becometh plainly antichrist." The man who could say this in the beginning of the fifteenth century, must have been enlightened far beyond th» generality of his cotemporaries. His conduct in avowing his opinions was equally open and manly ; and he maintained them at the stake, to which, after several years of severe harassment and persecution, he was brought by the bigotry and malice of his enemies.

1418. In this year Eric, of Pomerania, request- ed permission from pope Martin V. to found a university at Copenhagen, and only obtained it, on the express condition, tiiat the holy scriptures should neither be read nor explained in it, but that the lectures should be confined to profane literature. — HendersorCtHUt. of Danish Versions.

1420. The earliest specimen of Scottish song, after the Scots spoke the English language, is preserved in ih.elthym.ing Chronicle of Andiew Wyntown, prior of Lockleven, written, as is generally supposed, about this time, in which he relates the song which was made on Alexander

• On the 4th iKf ot March, U3l, the tenants of Sir Bdwaid Charlton, lord of .Fowls, execute on this dajr, at Shrewsbmy, letters of release and satisfaction, as tokens of Sir John Oldcastle, that was miscreant and unbiucom to the law of God, and traitor convict to the king 1 1

III. who was killed by a fall £rom his horse is 1286. The effect of the ballad in raising the passions has been knonn, and felt even in late times. Bum's song of " Scots wha hae wi' Wal- lace bled," is a sufiicient proof of this. Andrew Fletcher, of Saltown, speaks of a wise person whom, he knew, " who believed that if a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need- not care who should make the laws of a nation.

The word ballad in our language was formerly used to signify a sacred song. Thus, in the English translations of the bible, Solomon's Song is called Ihf Ballet of Ballets. In poetry, a popu- lar song or roundelay, generally sung in the streets. Bishop Percy says, the EngUsh' word ballad is evidently from the French balade, as the latter is from the Italian ballata, a song which is sung during a dance. But the word appears to have had an earlier origin : for in the decline of the Roman empire, these trivial songs were called ballistea and saltationes.

The earliest ballad now remaining in the Eng- lish language is believed to be a " Cuckow Song" of the latter part of the reign of Henry III. The song will speak for itself.

Somer Is Iciunen in

Lbudft sing cnccu ;

Qroweth sed andbloweth med

And sprigth the wdi no.

Sing cnccu.

Awe beteth after lamb^

Uiouth after calvi ca,

Bolluc sterteth,

Backi vertcth,

Murie sing cucco ;

Cnccu, cucca ;

Wei siriges tbu coceu.

Me swik thn narer no.

t. e. Summer is come in; loud sings the cuckoo ; now the seed grows, and the mead blows (t. e. is in flower) and the wood springs. The ewe bleats after the lamb ; and the calf lows after the cow ; the bullock starts, the buck verts (i. e. goes to harbour in the fem ;) merrily sings the cuckoo. Mayst thou never cease.

Ballads and rude poetry have been, in all countries, the earliest memorials of public trans- actions ; and in the savage state of each were in- variably used to rouse and perpetuate a martial spirit. SaxoGramroaticus,speaking of the North- em writers, says they drew the materials of their history from Kunic songs. The Scandinavians had their Scalds, whose business it was to com- pose ballads, in which they also celebrated the warlike achievements of their ancestors. SimOiuc panegyrists of warrior-merit existed in 6*H^ Britain, Wales, and Ireland; and it must notJtli forgotten that when Edward I. formed the plsn« reducing Wales to subjection, he thought it iw cessary to destroy the bards. Their composittaiM^ however, survived ; and a vmter as late as queali Elizabeth's time, describing North Wales, aa^ " Upon Sundays and holidays the multitude aC ' all sorts of men, women, and children of eveiy parish do use to meet in simdry places, either (« soine hill or on the side of some mountain, -where their harpers and crowthers sing thep sones «f the doings of their ancestors. Even in the New

VjOOQ IC