From this play we learn that most of the young people were New Gospellers, or friends to the Reformation, and that the old were tenacious of the doctrines imbibed in their youth: for thus the devil is introduced lamenting the downfall of superstition: "The olde people would believe stil in my lawes, But the yonger sort leade them a contrary way, They wyl not beleve, they playnly say, And in another place Hypocrisy urges, "The worlde was never meri Since chyldren were so boulde; Of the plays above mentioned, to the first is subjoined the following, Printer's Colophon, ¶ "Thus endeth this moral playe of Every Man. Imprinted at London in Powles chyrche yarde by me John Skot." In Mr. Garrick's collection is an imperfect copy of the same play, printed by Richarde Pynson. The other is intitled, "An interlude called Lufty Juventus:" and is thus distinguished at the end: "Finis. quod R. Wever. Imprynted at London in Paules churche yeard by Abraham Dele at the signe of the Lambe." Of this, too, Mr. Garrick has an imperfect copy of a different edition. Of these two plays the reader may find some further particulars in Series the First, Book II., see "The Essay on the Origin of the English Stage;" and the curious reader will find the plays themselves printed at large in Hawkins's "Origin of the English Drama," 3 vols., Oxford, 1773, 12mo. WHILE in England verse was made the vehicle of controversy, and Popery was attacked in it by logical argument, or stinging satire; we may be sure the zeal of the Scottish Reformers would not suffer their pens to be idle, but many a pasquil was discharged at the Romish priests, and their enormous encroachments on property. Of this kind perhaps is the following (preserved in Maitland's MS. Collection of Scottish poems in the Pepysian library): "Tak a Wobster, that is leill, And a Miller, that will not steill, i. e. his rule. With ane Priest, that is not gredy, Thus far all was fair: but the furious hatred was another: John Anderson my jo was a' printer in Edinburgh, printed "a psalme third. The original music of all these bur- buik, in the end whereof was found printit lesque sonnets was very fine. To give a spe-, ane baudy sang, called Welcome Fortunes." cimen of their manner, we have inserted one of the least offensive. The reader will pardon the meanness of the composition for the sake of the anecdote, which strongly marks the spirit of the times. In the present edition this song is much improved by some new readings communicated by a friend; who thinks by the "Seven Bairns,” in st. 2d, are meant the Seven Sacraments; five of which were the spurious offspring of Mother Church: as the first stanza contains a satirical allusion to the luxury of the popish clergy. WOMAN. JOHN Anderson my jo, cum in as ze gae by, And ze sall get a sheips heid weel baken in a pye: Weel baken in a pye, and the haggis in a And how doe ze, Cummer? and how hae ze threven? And how mony bairns hae ze? Woм. Cummer, I hae seven. The adaptation of solemn church music to these ludicrous pieces, and the jumble of ideas, thereby occasioned, will account for the following fact.-From the Records of the General Assembly in Scotland, called “The Book of the Universal Kirk,” p. 90, 7th July, For five of tham were gotten, quhan he was 1568, it appears; that Thomas Bassendyne, MAN. Are they to zour awin gude man?. awa'. III. Little John Nobody. ledged, that our libeller had at that time sufficient room for just satire. For under the banners of the reformed had enlisted themselves, many concealed papists, who had private ends to gratify; many that were of no religion; many greedy courtiers, who thirsted after the possessions of the church; and many dissolute persons, who wanted to be exempt from all ecclesiastical censures: and as these men were loudest of all others in their cries for Reformation, so in effect none obstructed the regular progress of it so much, or by their vicious lives brought vexation and shame more on the truly venerable and pious Reformers. We have here a witty libel on the Reforma-, religious tracts. It must however be acknowtion under King Edward VI., written about the year 1550, and preserved in the Pepys collection, British Museum, and Stry pe's Memoirs of Cranmer. The author artfully declines entering into the merits of the cause, and wholly reflects on the lives and actions of many of the reformed. It is so easy to find flaws and imperfections in the conduct of men, even the best of them, and still easier to make general exclamations about the profligacy of the present times, that no great point is gained by arguments of that sort, unless the author could have proved that the principles of the reformed religion had a natural tendency to produce a corruption of manners; whereas he indirectly owns, that their Reverend Father [Archbishop Cranmer] had used the most proper means to stem the torrent, by giving the people access to the Scriptures, by teaching them to pray with understanding, and by publishing homilies and other The reader will remark the fondness of our satirist for alliteration: in this he was guilty of no affectation or singularity; his versification is that of Pierce Plowman's Visions, in See also Biograph. Briant. 1st ed. vol. i. p. 177. tongue; which a recurrence of similar letters is essen- For our reverend father hath set forth an order, tial: to this he has only superadded rhyme, Our service to be said in our seignours which in his time began to be the general practice. See an Essay on this very peculiar kind of metre, prefixed to Book III. in this Series. As Solomon the sage set forth the scripture; Our suffrages, and services, with many a sweet song, With homilies, and godly books us among, IN december, when the dayes draw to be That no stiff, stubborn stomacks we should freyke: short, After november, when the nights wax noy- But wretches nere worse to do poor men some and long; As I past by a place privily at a port, I saw one sit by himself making a song: That few were fast i' th' faith. I'freyned't Whether he wanted wit, or some had done him wrong. He said, he was little John Nobody, that durst not speake. wrong; But that I little John Nobody dare not speake. For bribery was never so great, since born And whoredom was never les hated, sith And poor men are so sore punished common- That it would grieve any one, that good is, to hear tel. John Nobody, quoth I, what news? thou soon For al the homilies and good books, yet their note and tell What maner men thou meane, thou are so mad. hearts be so quel, That if a man do amisse, with mischiefe they wil him wreake; He said, These gay gallants, that wil con- The fashion of these new fellows it is so vile strue the gospel, As Solomon the sage, with semblance full sad; To discusse divinity they nought adread; More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke. and fell: But that I little John Nobody dare not speake. Thus to live after their lust, that life would they have, Thou lyest, quoth I, thou losel, like a leud And in lechery to leyke al their long life; lad. He said he was little John Nobody, that durst not speake. For al the preaching of Paul, yet many a proud knave Wil move mischiefe in their mind both to maid and wife Its meet for every man on this matter to talk, To bring them in advoutry or else they wil And the glorious gospel ghostly to have in Therefore pray we to that prince, that with Through the sound of a synagogue for sorhis bloud us bought, row I swett, That he wil mend that is amiss: for many a That 'Aeolus'* though the eccho did cause manful freyke me to hear. Is sorry for these sects, though they say little Then I drew me down into a dale, whereas or nought; And that I little John Nobody dare not Did shiver for a shower; but I shunted from once speake. Thus in No place, this NOBODY, in No time I met, Where No man, 'ne'* NOUGHT was, nor NO THING did appear; the dumb deer a freyke: For I would no wight in this world wist who But little John Nobody, that dare not once IV. Queen Elizabeth's Verses, while Prisoner at Woodstock, WRIT WITH CHARCOAL ON A SHUTTER, -are preserved by Hentzner, in that part of his Travels, which has been reprinted in so elegant a manner at Strawberry-Hill. In Hentzner's book they were wretchedly corrupted, but are here given as amended by his ingenious Editor. The old orthography, and one or two ancient readings of Hentzner's copy, are here restored. Witnes this present prisonn, whither fate 5 Could beare me, and the joys I quit. Causing the guiltles to be straite reserved, But by her envie can be nothing wroughte, OH, Fortune! how thy restlesse wavering So God send to my foes all they have thoughte. ELIZABETHE, PRISONNER. |