Chapter XIII: Part 2: ) runs thus

“When Arthur first in Court began,
And was approved King,
By Force of Arms great Victories won,
And conquest home did bring”.

The episode is from Malory.

Other ballads based on romances in the Collection of 1723 are: “St. George and the Dragon”, “The Seven Champions of Christendom”, “The London Prentice” and “Patient Grissel”.

The Percy Folio includes “King Arthur and the King of Cornwall”, “Sir Lancelott of Dulake”, “The Marriage of Sir Gawaine”, “Merline”, and “King Arthur’s Death”.

[Sidenote: p. 30. 1.]

(a) Legendary ballads in the Collection of 1723 include: “Fair Rosamond”, “King Henry (II) and the Miller of Mansfield”, “Sir Andrew Barton’s Death”, “King Leir and his Three Daughters”, “Coventry made free by Godiva”, “The Murther of the Two Princes in the Tower”, “King John and the Abbot of Canterbury”.

Many others deal with historical themes, such as “The Banishment of the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk”, or with famous battles. “King Henry Fifth’s Conquest of France” probably belongs to the reign of George I.

(b) “The Blind Beggar’s Daughter” was adapted from a favourite Elizabethan ballad, “Young Monford Riding to the Wars”.

There is a prose chap-book, printed by T. Norris, London, 1715.

[Sidenote: p. 31. 1.]

Other sea-ballads in Child’s collection are:—“The Sweet Trinity” (or, “The Golden Vanity”).—Pepys, 1682-5; “Captain Ward and the Rainbow”,—Roxburghe and Aldermary copies; “The Mermaid” (or, “The Seamen’s Distress”).—Garland of 1765, etc.; “Sir Patrick Spens”.—Percy’s _Reliques_, 1765, Herd’s _Scottish Songs_, 1769, and Scott’s _Minstrelsy_, 1803.

II.

[Sidenote: p. 40. 1.]

There is a list of great men given in _The Tatler_ (No. 67), Sept. 13, 1709; and in No. 78, one Lemuel Ledger writes to put Mr. Bickerstaff in mind of “Alderman Whittington, who began the World with a Cat and died with three hundred and fifty thousand Pounds sterling”.

_The Spectator_ (No. 5) March 6, 1711, says that “there was once a Design of casting into an Opera the Story of Whittington and his Cat, but that Mr. Rich abandoned the Idea for Fear of being overrun by Mice which the Cat could not kill.”

Suspicion seems to have been cast on the cat in the second half of the century, and it is interesting to find Goldsmith (“On Education”, 1759) advocating instead of romances “the old story of Whittington, _were his cat left out_” as “more serviceable to the tender mind than either Tom Jones, Joseph Andrews, or a hundred others, where frugality is the only good quality the hero is not possessed of”.

Mr. Wheatley in his _Chap-books and Folk-lore Tracts_, notes that in 1771 the Rev. Samuel Pegge brought the subject of Whittington and his Cat before the Society of Antiquaries, “but he could make nothing at all of the Cat”.

[Sidenote: p. 48. 1.]

Other early editions of the Arabian Tales: 1712 and 1724.

The translation of the _Arabian Nights_ was followed by English versions of Pétis de la Croix.

_The Persian Tales, or the Thousand and One Days_ appeared in 1714, and was followed in the same year by _The Persian and Turkish Tales Compleat_.

The pseudo-translations of Gueullette were translated into English in 1725, as _The Chinese Tales, or the Wonderful Adventures of the Mandarin Fum-Hoam_.

[Sidenote: p. 56. 1.]

Moralised ballad-stories:—

(a) Robin Hood, J. Harris, London, n.d. (_c._ 1807).

(b) _The Tragical History of the Children in the Wood_, “containing a true Account of their unhappy Fate, with the History of their Parents and their unnatural Uncle. Interspersed with Morals for the Instruction of Children. To which is added the favourite Song of the Babes in the Wood. Embellished with Cuts.” London, n.d.

(c) _The Children in the Wood_ (_Restored by Honestus_). J. G. Rusher, Banbury, ½d. (_c._ 1810).

III.

[Sidenote: p. 60. 3.]

“According to Act of Parliament (neatly bound and gilt) a little Pretty Pocket Book, intended for the Instruction and Amusement of little Master Tommy and pretty Miss Polly, with an agreeable Letter to read from Jack the Giant-Killer, and also a Ball and Pincushion, the Use of which will infallibly make Tommy a good Boy and Polly a good Girl”, etc.

[Sidenote: p. 62. 1.]

_The Philosophy of Tops and Balls_ is explained as “The Newtonian System of Philosophy adapted to the Capacities of Young Gentlemen and Ladies, and made entertaining by Objects with which they are intimately acquainted”.

[Sidenote: 3.]

_The Lilliputian Magazine; or, the Young Gentleman and Lady’s Golden Library._

From the preface:—“the Authors concerned in this little Book have planned out a Method of Education very different from what has hitherto been offered to the Public: and more agreeable and better adapted to the tender Capacities of Children”.

[Sidenote: p. 64. 1.]

In Mr. John Newbery’s list for 1762, _A Pretty Book of Pictures for little Masters and Misses_ has the alternative title of “Tommy Trip’s History of Beasts and Birds, with a familiar Description of each in Verse and Prose”.

To this was added “The History of little Tom Trip himself, his Dog Jowler, and of Woglog the Great Giant”.

This was the earliest edition known to Mr. Welsh; but an edition of 1752 was afterwards discovered and noted in _The Times Literary Supplement_, Dec. 18, 1919, under “Notes on Sales”. This seems to be the first edition of _Tommy Trip’s History_; but an earlier account of him is given in _The Lilliputian Magazine_, first advertised in 1751. Goldsmith came to London after his travels on the Continent, in 1756, so that he could not have written _Tommy Trip_, although the rhyme of “Three Children”, as Mr. Welsh observed, is remarkably like the “Elegy on a Mad Dog”.

[Sidenote: 2.]

_Note on Novels and Plays abridged or adapted for children_:—

Among these were _Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded_, with a prefatory address “To the Parents, Guardians and Governesses of Great Britain and Ireland”. (E. Newbury’s list, 1789); and _Tom Jones, the Foundling_ (the story of his childhood only), published about 1814 by Pitts of Seven Dials, with a foreword to the “little Friends” for whom it was designed.

Plays were also fashioned into children’s books. Garrick’s Masque from Dryden’s _King Arthur_ (1770) produced a “Lilliputian” romance closely modelled on Dryden: _The Eventful History of King Arthur; or, the British Worthy_. London, printed for H. Roberts & W. Nicholl. Price 6d., in Dutch paper boards. (A.S. Kensington copy is dated 1782.)

Early in the 19th century, the story of _Cymbeline_ was published as _The Entertaining History of Palidore and Fidele_, in flowered covers, for the “amusement and instruction of youth”.

[Sidenote: p. 65. 1.]

(a) _Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book_. Vol. II. “Sold by M. Cooper, according to Act of Parliament”.

The frontispiece shows a boy playing a flute and two girls seated with a book of songs. At the foot of each page is a musical direction: “Recitatio”, “Toccato”, “Vere Subito”, etc. At the end are two cuts, one a portrait of the writer “Nurse Lovechild”, the other advertising _The Child’s Plaything_, with the date 1744, and the following rhyme:—

“The Child’s Plaything
I recommend for cheating
Children into Learning
Without any Beating.”

(b) The author of _The Little Master’s Miscellany_ (1743) condemns the popular song-books, and instead of these, provides children with moral dialogues, “On Lying”, “On Fishing”, “On Death”, “On Detraction”, “On the Tulip”, etc.

(c) John Marchant in his _Puerilia; or, Amusements for the Young_ (1753) offers a better substitute for the “Ribaldry” which he complains that children are “instructed to con and get by Heart” as soon as they can read,—“to trill it with their little Voices in every Company where they are introduced”.

See above.—Chapter IX.

[Sidenote: 2.]

_Mother Goose’s Melody; or, Sonnets for the Cradle_, in Two Parts. “Part I.—The most celebrated Songs and Lullabies of the old British Nurses, calculated to amuse the Children and excite them to sleep; Part II.—Those of that sweet Songster and Muse of Art and Humours, Master William Shakespeare. Adorned with Cuts and illustrated with Notes and Maxims, historical, philosophical and critical.”

The addition, in Part II, of Shakespeare’s songs makes a fitting sequel for older children.

A facsimile of the New England edition of 1785 was printed in 1892, with the following description:—

“The original Mother Goose’s Melody, as issued by John Newbery of London, _circa_ 1760; Isaiah Thomas of Worcester, Mass., _circa_ 1785, and Munro and Francis of Boston, _circa_ 1825. Reproduced in facsimile from the first Worcester edition, with introduction and notes by William H. Whitmore. To which are added the Fairy Tales of Mother Goose, first collected by Perrault in 1696, reprinted from the original translation into English by R. Samber in 1729. Boston and London,—Griffith, Farran & Co., 1892.”

(b) Another early book of rhymes is _The Top Book of all for little Masters and Misses_, “Containing the choicest Stories, prettiest Poems and most diverting Riddles, all wrote by Nurse Lovechild, Mother Goose, Jacky Nory, Tommy Thumb and other eminent Authors ... also enriched with curious and lovely Pictures, done by the top Hands, and is sold only at R. Baldwin’s and S. Crowder’s, Booksellers in Pater Noster Row, London, and at Benjamin Collins’s in Salisbury for 2d. (Date, on woodcut of a shilling, 1760).”

(c) A later Miscellany, _Mirth without Mischief_ _c._ 1790, has similar rhymes.

[Sidenote: p. 67. 1.]

A third edition of _Goody Two-Shoes_ appeared in 1766, in Dutch flowered boards, “printed for J. Newbery at the Bible and Sun in St. Paul’s Churchyard. Price 6d.” This was reproduced in facsimile with an introduction by Charles Welsh, by Griffith and Farran, successors to Newbery and Harris, in 1881.

Later editions: 1770.—T. Carnan & F. Newbery, Jun.; 1783.—T. Carnan; 1786—Isaiah Thomas, Worcester, Mass. (First Worcester ed.); 1793.—Darton & Harvey, Gracechurch St.; 1796 (with MS. note by Mr. J. Winter Jones), 32 mo.

Penny chap-book edition (_c._ 1815).—J. Pitts, Seven Dials: “The Toy and Marble Warehouse”. Many “modernised” editions were printed during the 19th century; the last recorded, in 1884; and G.T.S. was included in Charlotte Yonge’s _Storehouse of Stories_ (1870).

[Sidenote: p. 68. 1.]

(a) From Carnan’s list, 1787.—“The Valentine’s Gift; or, the whole History of Valentine’s Day, containing the Way to preserve Truth, Honour and Integrity unshaken. Very necessary in a trading Nation. Price sixpence, bound.”

A later edition (Kendrew, Glasgow, _c._ 1814) in the S. Kensington collection, has significant additions:—

“The Valentine Gift; or, a Plan to enable children _of all Denominations_ to behave with Honour, Integrity and Humanity. To which is added some Account of old Zigzag, and of the Horn which he used to understand the Language of Birds, Beasts, Fishes and Insects. The Lord who made thee made the Creatures also; thou shalt be merciful and kind unto them, for they are thy fellow Tenants of the Globe.—Zoroaster.”

(b) _The Twelfth Day Gift_ (advertised April 18, 1767). The title-page of the 1783 edition is as follows:—

“The Twelfth Day Gift; or, the Grand Exhibition, containing a curious Collection of Pieces in Prose and Verse (many of them Originals) which were delivered to a numerous and polite Audience on the important Subjects of Religion, Morality, History, Philosophy, Polity, Prudence and Economy, at the most noble the Marquis of Setstar’s by a Society of young Gentlemen and Ladies, and registered at their request by their old Friend Mr. Newbery. With which are intermixed some occasional Reflections and a Narrative containing the Characters and Behaviour of the several Persons concerned.

Example draws where Precept fails
And Sermons are less read than Tales.

London: Printed for T. Carnan, Successor to Mr. J. Newbery in St. Paul’s Church Yard. Price one shilling.”

In an enveloping cautionary story, there is some account of a gigantic Twelfth Day Cake; but the book consists chiefly of “Pieces”, which include the story of “Inkle and Yarico”, taken by Addison from Ligon’s _Account of Barbados (Spectator_, No. 11), “versified by a Lady”, Addison’s hymns; Pope’s Universal Prayer; “The Progress of Life”, an Eastern story from the _Rambler_; Parnell’s “Hermit”; the character of Antiope from Fénélon’s _Telemachus_, translated in 1742, and the King’s speech to Westmoreland (Henry V. iv. 3), a sign of the revived interest in Shakespeare.

This is almost a perfect specimen of the Lilliputian Miscellany.

[Sidenote: p. 76. 1.]

From Nichols’s _Literary Anecdotes_ (1812-16):—“It is not perhaps generally known that to Mr. Griffith Jones, and a brother of his, Mr. Giles Jones, in conjunction with Mr. John Newbery, the public are indebted for the origin of those numerous and popular little books for the amusement and instruction of children which have been ever since received with universal approbation. The Lilliputian histories of Goody Two-Shoes, Giles Ginger-bread, Tommy Trip, etc., etc., are remarkable proofs of the benevolent minds of the projectors of this plan of instruction, and respectable instances of the accommodation of superior talents to the feeble intellects of infantine felicity.”

[Sidenote: 2.]

Examples of grammatical faults in _Goody Two-Shoes_:—

Ch. vi.—“She was in Hopes he _would have went_ to the Clerk.”

Ch. viii.—“Therefore she laid very still.”