ANCIENT POEM S. 169 FITS, or intermiffions. So Puttenham in his Art of English poefic, 1589, Jays "the Epithalamie was divided by "breaches into three partes to ferve for three several FITS, or times to be fung.” p. 41.— From the fame writer we learn fome curious particulars relative to the fate of ballad-finging in that age, that will throw light on the prefent fubject: Speaking of the quick returns of one manner of tune in the short measures used by common rhymers; thefe, he says, "glut the eare, unless it be "in fmall and popular mufickes, Jung by thefe Cantabanqui, upon benches and barrels heads, where they have none "other audience then boys or countrey fellowes, that passe by them in the streete; or else by BLIND HARPERS, or fuch "like taverne Minstrels, that give a FIT of mirth for a 66 GROAT, their matter being for the most part fiories of "old time, as the tale of Sir Topas, the reportes of Bevis of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, Adam Bell and Clymme of the Clough, and fuch other old romances or hiftorical "rimes, made purposely for recreation of the common people at Chriftmaffe dinners and brideales, and in tavernes and aleboufes, and fuch other places of base reforte." p. 69. This fpecies of entertainment, which feems to have been handed down from the ancient bards, was in the time of Puttenham falling apace into neglect; but that it was not, even then, wholly excluded more genteel affemblies, he gives us room to infer from another passage, "We ourselves, Says "this courtly § writer, have written for pleasure a little brief romance, or hiftorical ditty in the English tong of "the Ifle of Great Britaine in fhort and long meetres, and by breaches or divifions [i. e. FITS,] to be more commodiously fung to the harpe in places of affembly, where "the company hal be defirous to heare of old adventures, and valiaunces of noble knights in times paft, as are 66 66 thofe He was one of Q. Elizabeth's gent. penfioners, at a time when the whole band confifted of men of diftinguished birth and fortune. Vid. Atb. Ox. 52 "thofe of king Arthur and his knights of the Round table, "Sir Bevys of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, and others "like." p. 33. In more ancient times no grand fcene of feftivity was complent without one of theje reciters to entertain the company with feats of arms, and tales of knighthood, or, as one of theje old minstrels fays, in the beginning of an ancient romance in the Editor's folio MS. "When meate and drinke is great plentyè, "Then itt is time for mee to Speake * • Perhaps "blythe." If we confider that a GROAT in the age of Elizabeth was more than equivalent to a filling now, we shall find that the old harpers were even then, when their art was on the decline, upon a far more reputable footing than the balladfingers of our time. The reciting of one juch ballad as this of the Beggar of Bednal green, in II parts, was rewarded with half a crown of our money. And that they made a very refpectable appearance, we may learn from the dress of the old beggar, in the following ftanzas, ver. 34, where he comes into company in the habit and character of one of thefe minstrels, being not known to be the bride's father, till after her speech, ver. 63. The exordium of his fong, and his claiming a GROAT for his reward, v. 76, are peculiarly characteristic of that profeffion.—Most of the old ballads begin in a pompous manner, in order to captivate the attention of the audience, and induce them to purchase a recital of the Jong and they feldom conclude the FIRST part without large promifes of fill greater entertainment in the SECOND. This was a neceffary piece of art to incline the bearers to be at the expence of a fecond groat's-worth-Many of the old romances extend to eight or nine FITS, which would afford a confiderable profit to the reciter. Го |