OLD BALLADS,
HISTORICAL AND NARRATIVE;
FORMING A SUPPLEMENT TO PERCY'S RELIQUES, AND
ELLIS'S SPECIMENS OF ANTIENT POETRY.

OLD BALLADS, HISTORICAL AND NARRATIVE,
WITH SOME OF MODERN DATE;
COLLECTED FROM RARE COPIES MSS. 
BY THOMAS EVANS. 

A NEW EDITION,
REVISED AND CONSIDERABLY
ENLARGED FROM PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS BY HIS SON,
R. H. EVANS. 

IN FOUR VOLUMES.  

VOL. I.

ADVERTISEMENT. WITH considerable diffidence I submit to the reader, a new edition of my Father's Collection of Old Ballads; and would willingly dismiss it without a single prefatory observation, did it not appear incumbent on me, to state the nature of the alterations I have presumed to make, in a work which has been honoured by the public appro­bation. The repeated perusal of Percy's Reliques of Ancient Poetry, first suggested to the late editor, the idea of the present work. The genius and taste, which pervade that beautiful compilation, fascinated his at­tention, and excited his curiosity: he re­gretted, that the Doctor had confined his work to the scanty limits of three volumes, and he resolved to collect the scattered ballads, which were yet to be found dis­persed though various libraries, in hopes they might furnish the same entertain­ment to others, that he had himself de­rived from them. I will here take the liberty of saying a few words on the Re­liques of Ancient Poetry; I esteem it the most elegant compilation of the early poetry of a nation that has ever appeared in any acre or country. Every page evin­ces the refined taste, the genius and lear­n of the editor; it deserved, and has received unbounded applause from men fully capable of appreciating its merits. It must be remembered to its praise, that when it first appeared, nothing had been Published, that deserved the Dame of a history of our early poetry; the field was unexplored, and Percy threw a steady light on the subject, which first stimulated the public to the acquisition of more extensive and accurate information.  His work has been attacked with unusual acrimony by Ritson; the editor has been branded with ignorance, imposition, and every species of reproach which malignity could suggest; and every fault which learned petulance could discover, has been pointed out with a curious and offensive officiousness: even the profession of the Doctor has not escaped numerous sneers; and it is singular, that a man whose own avocation has been the constant theme of vulgar animadversion should. have conde­scended to this lowest species of ribaldry. I have dilated with pleasure on the merits of Bishop Percy's work; I will now state with the sincerest humility, what I esteem its only serious imperfection; I conceive it to be the duty of an editor, to republish every work in the state he finds it in ancient copies or manuscripts, and not to make arbitrary alterations, without previously informing his readers; and still less pardonable is it to pretend that he possesses an ancient manuscript, in which his new readings are to be found. The alterations of Percy are numerous: I am convinced that hardly a single poem, I had almost said a single page, is to be found in the work, in which material changes are not made. I will willingly concede that these (abstractedly considered), may have been improvements; but I contend that when such alterations are frequent, syste­matic, and unnoticed, the poetry of differ­ent ages is confounded; the reader is in a state of perpetual delusion, he is deprived of some pleasure, and much instruction in marking the progress of our ancient bards in the refinement of their diction, and the euphony of their numbers; it would be invidious to dwell on the minor defects, of a work of so much excellence. I cheerfully pass them over, and shall simply state, that the venerable prelate has ascribed a false importance to the English ballad singer, who never was "High placed in hall, a welcome guest," like the more fortunate foreigner, who visit­ed this island; but was compelled to earn a scanty subsistence, by chaunting his ballads, and playing his crowd for the amuse­ment of the middling, and lower classes of society. In the year 1777, the late Mr. Evans published the first edition of this Collec­tion in two volumes. Its success surpas­sed his warmest expectations; a large im­pression was soon exhausted, and the encreasing demand for copies induced him to reprint, and encouraged him to extend the work. In 1784, a second edition appeared in four volumes; this latter edition was as fortunate as its predecessor; it has long since been out of print, and had begun to be numbered among the scarcities of collectors. The attention of the public has been re­cently directed to every branch of our ancient literature. The poetical depart­ment has been explored with avidity, and every recovered fragment has been cher­ished with almost a romantic enthusiasm; such researches caused the enquiries for the present collection to be renewed, and the office of superintending it seemed naturally to devolve on one, so nearly allied to the late editor. For a long time I shrunk from the undertaking, conscious of my want of leisure and abilities to do Justice to it, and I had nearly relinquished it altogether, when the unexpected access to some new and interesting, materials, finally determined me to engage in a revi­sion and enlargement of the work. I will now succinctly state the alter­ations. that have been made in, the present edition, and whence the materials for the additions have been chiefly drawn. Wherever I have had an opportunity, I have collated the ballads with the earliest editions, which were frequently inaccessible to the late editor, and have restored the genuine readings, which had been materi­ally changed, and deteriorated in the modern copies. I have omitted all the poems of Gold­smith, Gray, Sir William Jones, Chatterton and other eminent modern writers, whose works have been  collected, and may be presumed to be in the reader's possession. I hope I shall not be charged with a want of gallantry, for leaving out the effusions of Mrs. Robinson, and Helen Maria Williams. I felt no tenderness for the feeble productions of Jerningham,  Ball, Blacklock, and a few others; they never deserved a place in this collection, and even had they possessed more merit than they can claim, it must be admitted that they occupied too large a portion of a work destined to exhibit the legitimate productions of our early Minstrels. These omissions, and the augmentation of the size of each volume, have enabled me to introduce a considerable number of ancient productions; in any of which are of rare Occurrence, and have not been inserted, in any other collection. The late Duke of Roxburghe possessed a very singular, and almost matchless collection of Old Ballads. The history of these I will subjoin in the words of Mr. Nicol, extracted from ail, unpublished preface to the Catalogue of his friend and patron: "This  collection of Ancient Ballads was originally formed for the celebrated library of the Earl of Oxford, in the beginning of the last century, and was then supposed to exceed the famous Pepys Collection at Cambridge. It was obtained, as well as many other curious articles, from the Har­leian Library by Mr. West, at whose sale it was purchased by Major Pearson, a gen­tleman, who had made old English litera­ture his particular study; in his possession, with the assistance of his  friend Mr. Isaac Reed, the collection received very great additions, and was hound in two large volumes; in this state it was bought at Major Pearson's sale by the Duke. of Roxburghe. After the industrious exer­tions of two such skilful collectors as Major Pearson and Mr. Reed, the Duke did not flatter himself with ever being able to add much to the collection; but as usual he undervalued his own industry. Finding that his success far exceeded his expectations, he determined to add a third volume to the collection. Among these new acquisitions are some very rare ballads; one quoted by Hamlet, of which no other is now known to exist."* This valuable collection has been dili­gently examined, and I hope, very consi­derable advantage has been derived from it. The Pepys Collection, at Magdalen College, Cambridge, in five volumes folio, furnished some materials, which have been duly acknowledged in the progress of this ­work. To the Rev. Mr. Todd I am indebted for the inspection of many rarities, and for two poems taken from a manuscript in his possession. Mr. Douce most obligingly favoured me with the loan of some scarce articles, particularly two volumes of Old Ballads, originally collected by the late Mr. Baynes, one of the few persons distin­guished by the praise of Ritson. In expressing my thanks to Mr. Todd, and Mr. Douce, I must not confine myself to the sub­ject of books lent; I have applied to them for the solution of some difficulties I was unable to explain, and have always found them extremely liberal, and communicative, and entitled to my warmest acknowledgements. The most difficult part of this undertaking, is to express the gratitude I feel to my friends, Messrs. George and William Nicol, for the uniform kindness, with which they have promoted the prosecution of this work. By their intervention, I in­spected the Roxburghe Collection, and can confidently say, they could not have displayed more zeal, had they themselves been personally interested. It would be superfluous and ridiculously ostentatious, to enumerate every book made use of in the compilation, of this work. I have pointed out the leading sources, whence. the materials have been drawn. It will afford me, much gratification,  should the publick esteem this new edition improved by the researches of the editor; if otherwise, his efforts cannot be too soon consigned to oblivion, "The family vault of all the Capulets." It is only necessary to add, that the poems contained in the first volume (ex­cept No. V.), are now first printed in this collection. The additional matter, inter­spersed through the other volumes, is dis­tinguished by a † prefixed to the title in the general table of contents, annexed to the first volume. R. H. EVANS, Pall-Mall. * See, Vol. 1 . p. 7. ERRATUM. The reader will please to make the following correction in vol. 3. p. 63. instead of Through the Town of Fortune we did him bring, read, Through the Town of Forden we did him bring, In the note subjoined at the bottom of the page, I had intimated my dissent from Mr. Weber's emendation; a subsequent inspection of Speed's Theatre of Great Britain, enables me to restore the genuine reading. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 1. A Nosegay always sweet, for Lovers to send for tokens of Love 2. Jepha, Judge of Israel 3. The Constancy of Susanna 4. Ancient Song, from Lusty Juventus 5. Ancient Drinking Song, from Gammer Gurton's Needle 6. Yorkshire Song, by Elderton 1584 7. A most sweet Song of an English Merchant, born in Chichester 8. Fair Portion for a Fair Maid 9. Country Lass 10. A Maiden's Nay, or I Love Not You 11. Young Palmus and fair Sheldra 12. Proper New Song, by a Student in Cambridge 13. Address to a Disappointed Lover wearing a Willow branch 14. The Deceased Maiden Lover 15. True Maid of the South 16. Pleasant History of Alexander and Lodwicke 17. London Lass's Lamentation 18. Lovely Northern Lass 19. Fickle Northern Lass  20. Stout Cripple of Cornwall 21. Lamentation of John Musgrave, executed at Kendal, for robbing the King's Receiver 22. Jockie is Growne a Gentleman 23. Complaint of the Shepherd Harpalus 24. Shepherd's Delight 25. Northern Lass's Lamentation 26. A Lover's Praise of his Lady 27. Fain would I have a Pretty Thing 28. Ballad from the Romance of Fragosa and his three Sons 29. Maiden's Vow, that would Marry and knew not how 30. Maid's Complaint of her Mother 31. Rare example of a Virtuous Maid in Paris, burnt for Popery 32. The Mad Man's Morrice 33. Urchin's Dance 34. The Elves Dance 35. Old Christmas Returned 36. The Merry Hostess 37. The Little Barley-Corn 38. Good Fellow's Frolic 39. London Ordinary, or every Man in his Humour 40. The Cruel Shrow 41. Merry Careless Lover 41.* Married Man's Lesson 42. Merry Jest of John Tomson and his Wife 43. Countryman's Bill of Charges for coming to London 44. Robin Good-Fellow's Adventures at a Wedding 45. True Relation of one Susan Higges, executed for Robbery and Murder 46. Maiden's Tragedy 47. Young Seaman's Misfortune 48. Dorastus and Faunia 49. Death of Iffida 50. Rossalind's Ditty 51. Pithias's Lament for the Loss of Damon 52. Old Tithon 53. Three-Man's Song 54. Three-Man's Song 55. Song from the fair Maid of the Exchange 56. Hedone 57. Lullaby Song 58. Lullaby Song 59. Lullaby Song 60. The May Pole 61. May-Day Song 62. Symptoms of Love 63. Shepherd's Love for Philliday 64. Maiden's Complaint of her Love's Inconstancy 65. No Constancy in Man 66. Lady Wronged by False Suspect 67. The New Balow 68. Musidurus and Amadine 69. Countryman's Lamentation for the Death of his Cow 70. Take Time while 'tis offered 71. Wanton Wife of Bath 72. Most excellent Ditty of Sampson and the Philistines 73. David and Bath-Sheba 74. The Dead Man's Song 75. The Turtle Dove 76. Mad kind of Wooing 77. Nothing to be had without Money 77.* Lewd Life of a Marchant's Sonne of London 78. Shepherd's Slumber 79. The Barginet of Antimachus 80. The Lover compareth himself to the Painful Falconer 81. Merry Ballet of the Hathorne Tree 82. The Woodman's Walk 83. Jack Dove's Resolution 84. Alphonso and Ganselo 85. Pleasant, Ballad of two Lovers 86. Courage Crowned with Conquest, or Sir Eglamore and the Dragon 87. Sir Hugh the Grime 88. The Seven Champions [Listing for other Volumes] CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. 1 Duke of Cornwall's Daughter 2 Noble acts of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table 3 King Alfred and the Shepherd 4 King Edgar's deception in Love 5 The freeing of Coventry by Gordina Countess of Coventry 6 The Valiant Courage and Policy of the Kentishmen 7 The Brave Men of Rent 8 Memorables of the Montgomeries 9 The Drowning of the Children of King Henry the First as they came from France 10 Strange Lives of two Young Princes of England 11 King Henry the Second crowning his Son in his life­time 12 The Unfortunate Concubine; or, Rosamond's Over­throw 13 The Lamentation of Queen Elinor, Wife to Henry the Second 14 A Princely Song of Richard Cordelion 15 The Pedigree, Education, and Parentage of Robin Hood 16 Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham 17 ---------------  and the Pindar of Wakefield 18 ---------------  and the Bishop 19 ---------------  and the Butcher 20 ---------------  and the Tanner 21 ---------------  and the Jolly Tinker 22 ---------------  and Allen a Dale 23 ---------------  and the Shepherd 24 Robin Rood's Meeting and Fighting with his Cousin Scarlet 25 The Famous Battle between Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar 26 Robin Hood's famous Archery before Queen Catherine 27 ---------------  Chase; or Merry Progress between Robin Hood and King Henry 28 ---------------  Golden Prize 29 ---------------  rescuing Will. Stutely from the Sheriff 30 The Noble Fisherman; or, Robin Rood's Preferment 31 Robin Hood's Delight 32† ---------------  and the Beggar 33   ---------------  turned Beggar 34 Little John and the Four Beggars 35 Robin Hood and the Ranger 36 ---------------  and Little John 37 Robin Hood's Entertainment of the Bishop of Hereford 38 ---------------  rescuing the Widow's Three Sons from the Sheriff 39† --------------  and Maid Marian 40 The King's Disguise and Friendship with Robin Hood 40* Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow 41 ---------------  and the Valiant Knight 42 Robin Hood's Death and Burial 43 Epitaph 44 Warning Piece to England; or, the Fall of Queen Eleanor, Wife of Edward the First 45 Song of Queen Isabel, with the Fall of the Spencers 45† Edward the Second's Deposition and imprisonment in Berkeley Castle 46 Lamentable and Cruel Murder of King Edward the Second 47 Doleful Lamentation of the Lord Matrevers and Sir Tho. Gurney 48 Edward the Third's Expedition to Brabant 49 Edward the Third and the Countess of Salisbury 50 The Winning of the Isle of Man by the Earl of Salisbury 51 Rebellion of Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and others, against King Richard the Second 52 Banishment of the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk by Richard the Second 53 Sir Richard Whittington’s advancement 54 Deposition of Richard the Second, and his Murder in Pomfret Castle 55† Siege of Harfleur and Battle of Agincourt 56 The Victory of Agincourt 57 The Wooing of Queen Catherine by Owen Tudor 58 Cupid's Revenge CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME 1 Lamentable Fall of the Dutchess of Gloucester, Wife to Duke Humphry 2 Princely Wooing of the Fair Maid of London 3 Cruel Murder of Edward V. and the Duke of York in the Tower 4 Life and Death of the great Duke of Buckingham 5† Sorrowful Song of the miserable end of Banister who betrayed the Duke of Buckingham 6 Life and Death of Richard III. 7 Union of the Red and White Rose 8† Delightful Song of the Four Famous Feasts of England 9 Rueful Lamentation on the Death of Queen Elizabeth, Wife of Henry VII. 10 Marriage of Margaret Daughter of Henry VIII. to James IV. of Scotland 11† The King's [Henry VIII.] Balad 12† Floddon Field 13† Ballad of the Battle of Floddon Field 15 The Story of III May-day 16 A Song of an English Knight that married Lady Mary, Sister to Henry VIII. 17 Doleful Complaints of Anne Boleyn 18 Doleful Death of Queen Jane, Wife to Henry VIII. 19 Princely Song of the Six Queens that were married to Henry VIII. 20 Johnny Armstrong's Last Good Night 21 Sir John Armstrong and Musgrave's contest 22† Anne Askew, burnt for heresy 23† The Hospitable Oak 24† Description of a most noble Lady (Queen Mary) 25 Lamentable Ditty on the Death of Lord Guildford Dudley and Lady Jane Grey 26 Lamentable Complaint of Queen Mary for the unkind departure of Philip 27 The Battle of Corichie 28 The Dutchess of Suffolk's calamity 29 Queen Elizabeth's behaviour at Tilbury 30 Life and Death of Lord Stukely 31 Queen Elizabeth's Champion, or a Victory obtained by Lord Essex over the Emperor of Germany 32 Lamentable Ditty on the Beheading of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex 33 Lamentable Ballad on the Earl of Essex's death 34 Life and Death of Queen Elizabeth 35 The Honour of a London Prentice 36 True Lover's Knot untied 37† Song from the Lorde's Mask on the marriage night of the Count Palatine and the Royal Lady Elizabeth 38 Servant's Sorrow for the loss of his mistress Queen Anne, wife of James the First 39 Excellent Song of the Successors of Edward IV. 40† Lord Russell's Farewel 41† Young Jemmy, or the Princely Shepherd (the Duke of Monmouth) 42† England's Darling, or Great Britain's Joy and Hope in the Duke of Monmouth 43 Sea Fight off Cape La Hogue in 1692 44 Complaint and Lamentation of Mistresse Arden of Feversham 45 Lord Wigmore and the Fair Maid of Dunsmore 46 The Cruel Black 47 The Tragedy of Phillis 48 Blew-cap for me 49 Seldom comes the better 50 Love's Lamentable Tragedy 51 Fair Susan of Somersetshire 52 Time's Alteration 53 The Merchant's Son and Beggar-Wench of Hull 54† The Felon Sow and the Freeres of Richmond 55† Truth's Integrity, or Love will find out the way 56† Early Marriage recommended 57 The Spanish Tragedy 58 Roman Charity 59 Notable Example of an ungracious Son who in pride denied his own Father 60 The Mercer's Son of Midhurst and the Clothier's Daughter of Guilford 61† Life and Death of the Two Ladies of Finsbury, that gave Moor-fields to the City 62† Song from the Lord's Mask 63† Constancy protested 64† Freedom from Charms 65† Cupid's Artillery 66† Hopeless Love cured by Derision 67† A Doubt resolved 68† Counsel to a Maid 69† Amintor's Well-a-day 70 Sir James the Ross 71 The Dowy Den 72 Duncan 73 The Fair Penitent 74 Lord George and Lady Dorothy 75 The Renewing of Love 76 The Pleasures of Love CONTENTS OF THE FOURTH VOLUME. 1† Tom Thumb 2† Murder of the two Brothers, Lewis and Edmund West, by the Sons of the Lord Darsy 3 The Poor Child 4 Sympathising Lover 5 Amorous Distress 6 Loyal Lover 7 The Lover's Expostulation 8 Tho Lover's Indifference 9 Bachelor's Plea against Matrimony 10 Caveat against Idle Rumours 11† Sonnet to the Virgin Mary 12† Balade of a Shepharde 13 Sonnet sung before Queen Elizabeth, attributed to the Earl of Essex 14 Sonnet on Elizabeth Markhame 15 Bishop Tharstan and the King of Scots 16 Battle of Cuton Moor 17 Murder of Prince Arthur 18 Prince Edward and Adam Gordon 19 Cumnor Hall 20 Arabella Stuart 21 Anna Bullen 22 The Lady and The Palmer 23 Fair Maniac 24 The Bridal Bed 25 The Lordling Peasant 26 Red-Cross Knight 27 Wandering Maid 28 Triumph of Death 29 Julia 30 Bitter Fruits Of Jealousy 31 Death of Allen 32 Mad Shepherdess 33 Athelgiva 34† Sir John Barley-Corn 35† Mas Mault 36† The Devonshire Nymph 37† Venus's Lament for Adonis 38 Song of Richard, Coeur de Lion 39 Military Song on the French Champion, Roland 40 Song by Thibaut, King of Navarre 41 Laidley Worm of Spindleston Heughs 42 Zayde and Zelindaxa 43 The Hermit of Warkworth 44 Ragnar Lodbrach 45 Hirlas Owain, or the Drinking-Horn of Owen 46 Elphin's Consolation 47† Anglo-Norman Drinking Song 48 Lord Henry and Fair Catherine 49 Cadwallo and Elmira 50 The Prophecy of Queen Emma 51 Death of Earl Oswald 52 Elfrida and Sir James of Perth 53† Ancient Hunting Song 54† A pleasant new Court Song 55† Venus's Search after Cupid 56† Love and Constancy 57† Ungrateful Nanny 58† Song by Sir Robert Aytoun 59† The Duke of Suffolk's Address to Queen Katherine 60† Queen Katherine's Song to the Duke of Suffolk 61† The Marquis of Montrose's Address to his Mistress