Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub
[graphic]
[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1908.

comparatively small matters, which may

safely be left to the judicious reader.

When we come to the ballad. 'Clerk

Colvin' we find a different state of things.
The opening stanza of this narrative states
that the "girdle round the middle jimp" of
Colvin's lady cost her lord no less a sum than
crowns fifteen. To this Lewis or his repre-
sentative appends the startling note, "Jimps,
stays"! This deliverance may have been
due not so much to hopeless ignorance as
misguided ingenuity, for the annotator may
have been thinking of another ballad, where
a lady exclaims :-

:-

And wha will lace my middle jimp
Wi' a lang linen band?

tion-Misquotations Elizabethan Poem-King's Weigh The natural inference of a mere man from
House, 13-Pausanias-Monarch in a Wheelbarrow-Latin such an appeal would be that what needed
Quotation-Index: How not to Make-Purcell Family-lacing was a portion of wearing apparel, and
Branstill Castle, 14-" Eparchy Mourning

"

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

not an epithet indicative of exquisite grace.

It is probably similar lyrical bewilderment

that presently makes Clerk Colvin exclaim,

"Ohan! and alas !" in the text, and explains

row," meaning wrap or roll, as rap, which

is surely too deliberate for a typical error.
Towards the end of the ballad the Clerk is
credibly informed that things with him "will
ever be wae," and the annotator carefully
glosses this as "be painful," thereby showing
commendable courage and some promise of
improvement. But immediately afterwards
he lapses wofully. Clerk Colvin, conscious
after what has befallen him that he must
now dree his weird, rides crestfallen to get
final solace from his mother :-

:-

He has mounted on his berry-brown steed,
And dowie, dowie on he rides,
Till he has reached Dunallan's towers,

IN 1887 the late Prof. Henry Morley
added M. G. Lewis's 'Tales of Terror
and Wonder' to the useful series which he
published under the title of the "Universal
And there his mother dear resides.
Library." He seems to have restricted his
editorial duties to the writing of a concise
"Dowie" is the word here that naturally
and helpful introduction and, perhaps, the proves the mettle of the glossarist, and it is
superintendence of the text. Lewis's notes appalling to find him, with all the English
he has left to themselves: he has not supple-language to draw upon, deliberately choosing
mented them where additions were wanted,
and he has not corrected mistakes. There
is need, for instance, to qualify Lewis's ex-
planation of "wraiths" 'as water-spirits,"
given as a note on a line in Bothwell's
Bonny Jane'; and what is said of St. Bothan,
Hallowe'en, and the Brownie at further stages
of the same ballad could be materially im-
proved by expert comment. Bellane-
and "bathy" in the notes to Scott's

'Glenfinlas' are misprints for beltane-tree

and bothy; and the definition of "windle-

strae," which occurs in Leyden's 'Elfin-King,'

is not sufficiently exhaustive, even if it does

happen to have been the explanation given

by Leyden himself. These, however, are

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

It's dowie i' the hin' o' hairst,
At the wa'gang o' the swallow,

When the winds grow cauld, when the burns grow bauld,

An' the wuds are hingin' yellow.

THOMAS BAYNE.

37. Wigs; or, The Inundation. Sung also in 'The Oddities' (revived).

On Nos. 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 36 appears a note adverThis enshrines the mood represented by the tising the harpsichord lessons (see below). Of several songs equestrian pace of Clerk Colvin. I have later impressions from the plates, which bear also Dibdin's Leicester Place address. I have seen still later issues -in most cases from Dibdin's plates-of Nos. 5, 9, 18, 27, and 32 by G. Walker, No. 13 by J. Diether, No. 16 by J. Lawson, also a pirated single sheet of No. 33 by Hime of Dublin. Hogarth includes the following songs in his collection as in 'The Wags':*38. Neighbours Fare. *39. Peace and War.

A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THE
WORKS OF CHARLES DIBDIN.

(Continued from 9th S. x. 245.)

1790. The Wags; or, The Camp of Pleasure, a Table Entertainment written & composed by Charles Dibdin, first performed 18th October, 1790.

The songs were published in folio, price ls., signed by Dibdin, on a sheet of 4 pp. Usually the music and first stanza of the songs are on pp. 2 and 3, the front being blank, and p. 4 occupied by the rest of the words and arrangements for flute and (or) guitar. Exceptions are noted. The headings of the songs, unless mentioned as otherwise, are similar to that on No. 1.

1. The Watery Grave. Written and composed by Mr. Dibdin, for his entertainment called The Wags, or The Camp of Pleasure. London: Printed and Sold by the Author, at his Music Warehouse, No. 411 Strand, opposite the Adelphi. Title on front page.

2. A Drop of the Creature.

3. Sound Argument.

4. Patrick O'Row. (Price marked with a pen.) 5. The Soldier's Adieu.

6. Nautical Philosophy. (No price marked.) 7. Indian Death Song.

8. Happy Jerry.

9. Jack in his Element. Title on front page. 10. The Joys of the Country.

11. Death or Victory. Title on front page.

12. The Virtue of Drunkenness.

13. Buxom Nan.

14. Family Likeness.

15. Morality in the Foretop.

16. The Dustman.

17. Swizzy.

18. Soldier Diok.

19. The Shipwreck.

20. The Negro and his Banjer.

21. Olympian Hunt.

22. The Camp of Pleasure. 4 pp.

23. Death Alive.

24. Irish [Mock?] Italian Song. 12 pp. Front and back blank. Price 2s. 6d.

[blocks in formation]

*40. The Difficult Task.
*41. Crotchets and Quavers.

Early advertisements of 'The Wags' mention No. 39, also a song :

42. Hey Fellow Well Met (of which I find no other trace), also 'The Finale.'

1790. (Museum date, doubtful.) *Ode in honour of His Majesty's birthday, written and composed by C. Dibdin. London, folio.

1790. Book of the songs in A Divertisement [sic], with Dialogue intended only to introduce the following favourite songs, selected, written and Dibdin. In two parts; 13 songs and an overture. composed (with new Accompanyments) by Mr. The first performance, at Covent Garden Theatre, was on 23rd November, 1790.

1791. A Sonata, adapted for the Harpsichord or Piano-Forte, with an accompaniment for the violin or flute; from the subjects of Bachelor's Hall, Poor Tom, & the Camp of Pleasure; being No. 1 of a collection to be publish'd monthly by Mr. Dibdin from the favorite Songs in his Wags and Oddities. Printed and sold by the Author at his Music warehouse 411 Strand. Oblong folio, 8 pp., front and back blank. Signed at foot of first engraved page. Nos. 2 and 3 are similar. The subjects in No. 2 are 'Happy Jerry,' 'The Virtue of Drunkenness,' and the 'Greenwich Pensioner.' Those in No. 3 are the 'Mock Italian Song,' 'Ben Backstay,' and 'Peggy Perkins.' Price 1s. 6d. A fourth number was advertised as in preparation in an advertisement of Dibdin's Entertainment, but I doubt if it appeared.

1791. Private Theatricals; or, Nature in Nubibus, a Table Entertainment by Charles Dibdin, first performed 31st October, 1791.

The songs were published in folio, price 1s., signed by Dibdin, on a sheet of 4 pp. Usually the music of the song is on pp. 2 and 3, the front being blank, and p. 4 occupied by the rest of the words and arrangements for flute and (or) guitar. Exceptions are noted. Headings of songs are similar to No. 1, or mentioned as otherwise.

1. Bill Bobstay written and composed by Mr. Dibdin, for his entertainment called Private Thea

tricals or Nature in Nubibus. London. Printed & Sold by the Author, at his Music Warehouse 411 Strand opposite the Adelphi.

1792. A Collection of Songs. Second volume pub. lished, also third edition of vol. i. See 1790 ante. 1792. The Quizes; or, A Trip to Elysium, a Table Entertainment written & composed by Charles Dibdin, first performed 13 October 1792. The songs were published in folio, price 1s., signed by Dibdin, on a sheet of four pages, the front being blank, except where noted.

On this song only there is the note "A Lesson, for the Harpsichord adapted by Mr. Dibdin from the subjects of his different songs, will be publish'd on the 15 day of every Month." I have found no evidence that more than the three already recorded were pub-In some cases there are arrangements on p. 4

lished.

[blocks in formation]

*23. The Beau.
*24. True Wisdom.
*25. The Application.

*26. All the Birds of the Air.

*27. Tight Lads of the Ocean.

for the flute or two flutes, but the first stanza is oftener continued on p. 4 than in previous entertainments. Headings of songs

similar to No. 1, or noted as otherwise.

are

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

23. Ninety-three, or a new God Save the King. 24. The Compact of Freedom, with chorus in two parts. Arrangement on p. 4 for a military band.

Nos. 1 to 21 formed the original programme of songs in the order as advertised; Nos. 22 to 24 were added afterwards. I have seen copies of several songs bearing Dibdin's Leicester Place address; also of Nos. 6 and Probably an error; see No. 14, 'The Quizes 20 published by G. Walker, 106, Great (1792).

*28. Honesty in Tatters.

*29. General Frog and General Mouse.

Portland Street, from Dibdin's plates.

1793. The Younger Brother: a novel, in three Dibdin's advertisements mention, but I have volumes, written by Mr. Dibdin. Thus runs the not been able to trace,

[blocks in formation]

world away. Shakespear. Vol. 1 (2 or 3) London: Printed for the Author, and sold at his Warehouse, No. 411, Strand, opposite the Adelphi. 8vo, 3 vols. Vol. 1, pp. iv (unnumbered), iv, xxviii, 250. Vols. 2 and 3, 312 pp. and 336 pp. ; both paged continuously from half-title.

No date on title; dedication to the most noble the Marquis of Salisbury, dated 8 Jan., 1793. Advertisements of 1794 and 1795 mention a new edition," which I have not seen.

[ocr errors]

1793. Castles in the Air; a Table Entertainment, written and composed by Charles Dibdin, first performed 12th October 1793.

« AnteriorContinuar »