Chapter II: Introduction: ix (1)

KING HENRY V., His Conquest of France, in Revenge for the
Affront offered by the French King, in sending him (instead
of a Tribute) a Ton of Tennis-balls 1

A BALLAD OF DERBYSHIRE. By Sir Aston Cokain 6

THE MOST PLEASANT SONG OF LADY BESSY, the Eldest
Daughter of King Edward the Fourth, and how she married
King Henry the Seventh, of the House of Lancaster 12

DEVONSHIRE'S NOBLE DUEL WITH LORD DANBY IN THE YEAR 1687 55

THE UNCONSIONABLE BATCHELORS OF DARBY: or the Young Lasses Pawn'd
by their Sweet-hearts, for a large Reckning, at Nottingham
Goose Fair, when poor Susan was forc'd to pay the Shot. 58

THE HUMOURS OF HAYFIELD FAIR 61

ON THE STRANGE AND WONDERFUL SIGHT THAT WAS SEEN
IN THE AIR ON THE 6TH OF MARCH, 1716 64

THE DRUNKEN BUTCHER OF TIDESWELL 66

A NEW BALLAD OF ROBIN HOOD: showing his Birth, Breeding, Valour,
and Marriage, at Titbury Bull-running: Calculated for the
Meridian of Staffordshire, but may serve for Derbyshire or Kent 73

ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN 85

LITTLE JOHN'S END 91

THE LAY OF THE BUCKSTONE 96

SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON'S ADVANCEMENT: Being an Historical
Account of his Education, Unexpected Fortune, Charity, &c. 104

THE DERBYSHIRE MILLER 110

TIDESWELL IN AN UPROAR, OR THE PRINCE IN THE TOWN,
AND THE DEVIL IN THE CHURCH 111

THE PRINCE AT TIDESWELL 114

THE DERBY RAM 115

THE BLINK-EY'D COBLER 119

A STRANGE BANQUET; or the Devil's Entertainment by Cook
Laurel, at the Peak in Darby-shire; with an Account of
the several Dishes served to Table 125

THE TAYLOR'S RAMBLE, OR THE BLUES' VALOUR DISPLAYED 129

SQUIRE VERNON'S FOX-CHACE 131

THE TRUSLEY HUNTING SONG 136

SQUIRE FRITH'S HUNTING SONG 142

DERBYSHIRE MEN 145

AN ELEGY UPON THE DEATH OF THE GREATEST GENTRY IN DARLEY DALE,
WHO LOVED HUNTING AND HAWKING, AND SEVERAL OTHER GAMES 146

COCKTAIL REEL 153

LINES OCCASIONED BY A YORKSHIRE PYE SENT AS A PRESENT
FROM SIR WILLIAM ST. QUINTIN TO HIS GRACE THE
DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE, AT BATH, ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1762 157

THE AGRICULTURAL MEETING 160

THE COMPLAINTE OF ANTHONIE BABINGTON 164

A NEW SONG IN PRAISE OF THE DERBYSHIRE MILITIA 182

THE FLORISTS' SONG 184

THE SORROWFUL LAMENTATION, LAST DYING SPEECH AND
CONFESSION OF OLD NUN'S GREEN 187

A TRAVELLER'S DREAM 188

A POEM FOUND BY MR. * * * AND DEDICATED TO MAJOR TROWEL 190

THE QUADRUPEDS, &C., OR FOUR-FOOTED PETITIONERS
AGAINST THE SALE OF NUN'S GREEN 193

PAVING AND LIGHTING 196

THE NUN'S GREEN RANGERS; or the Triple Alliance, Consisting
of an old Sergeant, a Tinker, and a Bear 199

A BIRCH ROD FOR THE PRESBYTARIANS 201

LOST AND DEAD 204

SONG (satirical, on the Choir of All Saints' Church, Derby) 206

SIR FRANCIS LEKE; OR THE POWER OF LOVE 210

THE TRUE LOVER'S KNOT UNTIED: Being the right path whereby to
advise princely Virgins how to behave themselves, by the
example of the renowned Princess, the Lady Arabella and
the second son of the Lord Seymour, late Earl of Hertford 222

AN ADDRESS TO "DICKIE" 226

THE DRIVING OF THE DEER 230

THE ASHUPTON GARLAND; OR A DAY IN THE WOODLANDS 237

DERBYSHIRE HILLS 243

DERBYSHIRE DALES 246

A RHAPSODY ON THE PEAK OF DERBYSHIRE 248

THE DERBY HERO 249

A NEW SONG ON THE GREAT FOOT RACE THAT WAS CONTESTED ON THE
LONDON ROAD, NEAR DERBY, BETWIXT JAS. WANTLING, OF DERBY,
AND SHAW, THE STAFFORDSHIRE HERO, FOR 2 HUNDRED GUINEAS 252

ON THE DEATH OF THE LATE REV. BACHE THORNHILL, M.A. 255

A JOURNEY INTO THE PEAK. To Sir Aston Cokaine 257

EPISTLE TO JOHN BRADSHAW, ESQ. 259

HUGH STENSON AND MOLLY GREEN 263

THE BEGGAR'S RAMBLE 266

" " 271

HENRY AND CLARA 274

THE GIPSIES SONG 280

THE FLAX-DRESSER'S WIFE OF SPONDON, AND THE POUND OF TEA 281

THE ASHBORNE FOOT-BALL SONG 284

THE PARSON'S TORR 286

INDEX OF TITLES, FIRST LINES, NAMES, &C. 294

DERBYSHIRE BALLADS.

_King Henry V._,

_His Conquest of France, in Revenge for the Affront offered by the French King, in sending him (instead of the Tribute) a Ton of Tennis-balls._

This is one of the most curious and popular of the series of Derbyshire ballads, and one which, in its early broad-sheet form, is of great rarity. The broad-sheet from which it is here reprinted, is "Printed and Sold in Aldermary Church Yard, Bow Lane, London." It is printed broad-way of the sheet, with two short columns of three verses each beneath the engraving, and one whole column of eight verses at the side. The engraving represents a fortification, with central tower, with the Union Jack flying; the sea in front, with a ship and some small boats; and two tall soldiers in mid-ground, evidently "on guard." Versions of this ballad have been printed by Mr. Dixon, in the volume on _Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England_, edited by him for the Percy Society, and in other collections. Printed copies are to be found in the Roxburghe Collection in the British Museum, and in the Halliwell Collection in the Chetham Library, Manchester. The one here given is from the original broad-sheet in my own collection.

The ballad will be at once seen to refer to the battle of Agincourt, which was a prolific source of inspiration to the ballad and song writers of the time, and of later years. Tradition bears out the noble feature of the ballad--that of no married man or widow's son being either recruited or pressed into the service of the Sovereign over this expedition. A tradition still obtains in the Peak, among the "hills that are so free," that when Henry V. was recruiting Derbyshire and the adjoining counties, he declared that he would take no married man, and that no widow's son should be of his company, for no woman's curse should go with him in his righteous expedition.

The ballad is still not unfrequently sung in snatches by the miners and other hardy sons of the Peak, the verse being usually rendered:--

"No married man, nor no widow's son,
Will I ever ask to go with me;
For I will take no widow's curse
From the Derby hills that are so free."

It is said that on one occasion, when George III. was reviewing a brigade of Guards in Hyde Park, he was particularly struck with the fine stalwart and manly bearing of one of the regiments,[1] and calling out to the nearest man in the ranks, asked, "Well, my fine fellow, where are you from, eh?" "Derbyshire, please your Majesty," was the reply. "Eh, Derbyshire eh! From Derby hills so free," rejoined the King, showing that he must have been acquainted with the ballad we now print.

The tune to which this Ballad was sung I here give. I am not aware that it has ever before been printed. I remember hearing it frequently sung when I was a boy, and the spirit with which it was sung is still fresh in my memory. It is as follows:--

[Music:

As our king lay musing on his bed,
He bethought himself upon a time,
Of a tribute that was due from France,
Had not been paid for so long a time.
_Chorus._
Fal de ral de ray, Fal de ral de ray.]

Another traditional version of the tune to which the ballad was sung, and which, like the one just given, is common to it and to "Robin Hood and the Pedlar," which begins--

"I'll tell you of a pedlar bold,
A pedlar bold he chanced to be,
On he roll'd his pack upon his back,
As he came tripping o'er the lea."

has been kindly supplied to me by my friend Mr. William Chappell, F.S.A., the gifted author of that admirable work, "Popular Music of the Olden Time." It is as follows:--

[Music:

As our king lay musing on his bed,
He bethought himself upon a time,
Of a tribute that was due from France,
Had not been paid for so long a time.
Down, down, a down. Down, down, a down.]

As our king lay musing on his bed,
He bethought himself upon a time,
Of a tribute that was due from France,
Had not been paid for so long a time.
Fal, lal, &c.

He called for his lovely page,
His lovely page then called he;
Saying, "You must go to the King of France,
To the King of France, sir, ride speedily."
Fal, lal, &c.

O then away went this lovely page,
This lovely page then away went he;
Lo he came to the King of France,
And then he fell down on his bended knee.
Fal, lal, &c.

"My master greets you, worthy Sir,
Ten ton of gold that is due to he,
That you will send him his tribute home,
Or in French land you soon will him see."
Fal, lal, &c.

"Your master's young, and of tender years,
Not fit to come into my degree;
And I will send him three Tennis-Balls,
That with them he may learn to play."
Fal, lal, &c.

O then returned this lovely page,
This lovely page then returned he,
And when he came to our gracious King,
Low he fell down on his bended knee.
Fal, lal, &c.

"What news? What news? my trusty page,
What is the news you have brought to me?"
"I have brought such news from the King of France,
That he and you will ne'er agree.
Fal, lal, &c.

"He says, you're young, and of tender years,
Not fit to come into his degree;
And he will send you three Tennis-Balls,
That with them you may learn to play."
Fal, lal, &c.

"Recruit me Cheshire and Lancashire,
And Derby Hills that are so free;
No marry'd man, or widow's son,
For no widow's curse shall go with me."
Fal, lal, &c.

They recruited Cheshire and Lancashire,
And Derby Hills that are so free;
No marry'd man, nor no widow's son,
Yet there was a jovial bold company.
Fal, lal, &c.

O then we march'd into the French land,
With drums and trumpets so merrily;
And then bespoke the King of France,
"Lo! yonder comes proud King Henry."
Fal, lal, &c.

The first shot that the Frenchmen gave,
They kill'd our Englishmen so free;
We kill'd ten thousand of the French,
And the rest of them they run away.
Fal, lal, &c.

And then we marched to Paris gates,
With drums and trumpets so merrily,
O then bespoke the King of France,
"The Lord have mercy on my men and me!
Fal, lal, &c.

"O I will send him his tribute home,
Ten ton of gold that is due to he,
And the finest flower that is in all France,
To the Rose of England I will give free."
Fal, lal, &c.

FOOTNOTE:

[1] It is worthy of note, that of late years the Derbyshire Volunteers have received the marked compliment of being specially noted for their manly bearing and their distinguished appearance by her present Majesty, and by the Commander-in-Chief, H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, on each of the occasions of general review of the Volunteer force in Hyde Park.

_A Ballad of Darbyshire._

BY SIR ASTON COKAIN.

Sir Aston Cokain, the most illustrious member of the famous family of Cokain, of Ashborne, was the son of Thomas Cokain, of Ashborne and of Pooley, by his wife Ann, daughter of Sir John Stanhope,[2] of Elvaston, by Derby. He was born at Elvaston, in 1608, was educated at Cambridge, and received the honour of knighthood in 1641. He was one of the most eminent poets of the day, and was the intimate friend of Donne, Suckling, Randolph, Drayton, Massinger, Habbington, Sandys, May, Jonson, and other wits of the age. He was cousin to Charles Cotton, to whom he addressed many of his writings. Sir Aston married Mary, daughter of Sir Gilbert Kniveton, of Mercaston, near Derby. In 1671 he, with his son, Thomas Cokain, sold his estates in the neighbourhood of Ashborne to Sir William Boothby; and he also sold his estate of Pooley. In 1683 Sir Aston Cokain died at Derby, and was buried at Polesworth. His son Thomas, who married Mary, co-heiress of Carey Sherry, was the last male heir of the family, and died without issue.

In 1658 Sir Aston Cokain published his volume, _Small Poems of Divers Sorts_, a volume of 508 pages, which is now of great rarity. Some few copies have a portrait--a laureated bust--of Cokain, with the verse--

"Come, Reader, draw thy purse, and be a guest
To our Parnassus; 'Tis the Muses feast.
The entertainment needs must be divine--
Appollo's th' Host where Cockains heads ye Sign."

This portrait is of excessive rarity. Curiously enough, the copper-plate was used as the portrait of Ovid in North's translation of Plutarch's Lives, and it has also more than once been re-engraved. The volume contains also two dramatic pieces, "The Obstinate Lady, a Comedy written by Aston Cokain," which was first published in 1657, and "Trappolin suppos'd a Prince, an Italian Trage-Comedy." Cokain also wrote the "Tragedy of Ovid," and other things, and several editions of his works, under different titles, were issued.

1.

Dear _Polyhymnie_, be
Auspicious unto me,
That I may spread abroad
Our Shire's worth in an ode,
Merrily chanting.
They that our Hills do blame,
Have no cause for the same;
Seeing the Muses lye
Upon _Parnassus_ high,
Where no joy's wanting.

2.

Upon _Olympus_ Hill
_Hebe_ Heaven's cup doth fill:
And _Iove_ of _Candy_ Isle
Doth the Gods reconcile,
When they do wrangle.
In _France_ at _Agincourt_
(Where we fought in such sort)
Behind an hill we did
Make our Archers lye hid,
Foes to entangle.

3.

The long commanding _Rome_,
And old _Byzantium_,
_Lisbon_ in _Portugal_,
Are situated all
Upon Hills strongly:
All therefore that protest
Hilly ground's not the best,
Are of their wits bereav'd,
And all of them deceiv'd,
And censure wrongly.

4.

The Peer of _England_ known
_Darby's_ Earldom to own,
Is honoured by the style
Of King of _Mona's_ Isle
Hereditary.
Why hath _Orantus_ found
A Channel under ground
Where t'lye hid, but for shame
When it hears _Darwin's_[3] name,
Which Fame doth carry?

5.

Why do the Nymphs (believe)
Of _Nile_, it down Rocks drive;
Unless it be for fear
_Trent's_ glory should go near
To overgo them?
The _Spaw Luick_ Land hath,
And _Sommerset_ the _Bath_:
_Buxtons_ (dear County) be
As famous unto thee
As they unto them.

6.

For King _Mausolus_ Tomb,
_Lango's_ known by each Groom;
And the _Campanian_ Lake
Doth very famous make
_Italies_ confines;
The walls of burned stone
Eternise _Babylon_:
And the large Devil's vault
Doth _Darbyshire_ exalt,
Wherein no sun shines.

7.

The Pike to _Tennariff_
An high repute doth give;
And the Coloss of brass,
Where under ships did pass,
Made _Rhodes_ aspire.
_Tunbridge_ makes _Kent_ renown'd
And _Epsome Surryes_ Ground:
_Pools-hole_, and St. _Anne's_ Well
Makes _Darbyshire_ excell
Many a shire.

8.

Here on an Hill's side steep
Is _Elden_ hole, so deep,
That no man living knowes
How far it hollow goes;
Worthy the knowing.
Here also is a Well
Whose Waters do excell
All waters thereabout;
Both being in and out
Ebbing and flowing.

9.

Here's Lead, whereof is made
Bullets for to invade
Them whose pride doth prevail
So far, as to assail
Our Brittish borders.
Our Lead so much may do,
That it may win _Peru_;
And (if we chance to meet
A _Spanish_ silver Fleet)
Commit great murthers.

10.

_Diana's_ Fane to us
Extolleth _Ephesus_:
The Sand-hil, and deaf stone,
Do _Darbyshire_ renown,
Worth Admiration.
_Windsor Berks_ doth commend,
And _Essex Audley-end_;
We of our _Chatsworth_ boast,
A glory to our coast,
And the whole Nation.

11.

_Spain_ doth vaunt of its sack,
And _France_ of Claret crack;
Of Rhenish _Germany_;
And of thy Ale speak free,
My gallant County.
Now I have made an end,
I wish you to commend
Either the author's wit,
Or me for singing it,
Out of your bounty.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] Ancestor of the present Earl of Harrington, of Elvaston.

[3] _Darwin_, the river Derwent.

_THE MOST PLEASANT_

_Song of Lady Bessy_,

_The Eldest Daughter of King Edward the Fourth, and how she married King Henry the Seventh, of the House of Lancaster._

This fine old ballad concerning the Princess Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII. of Lancaster, relates to the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Shrewsbury, and others connected with Derbyshire. It is supposed to have been written by Humphrey Brereton. There are two versions of this curious ballad. The version here given is from a MS. copy of the time of Charles II., belonging to the late Mr. Bateman. It was edited by Mr. Halliwell for the Percy Society.