0 Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript. Ballads and Romances. EDITED BY JOHN W. HALES, M.A. FELLOW AND LATE ASSISTANT-TUTOR OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE AND FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL, M.A. OF TRINITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE. (ASSISTED BY PROF. CHILD, OF HARVARD UNIV., U.S.; W. CHAPPELL, Esq., &c. &c.) Vol. II. LONDON: N. TRÜBNER & CO., 60 PATERNOSTER ROW. (03) PREFACE ΤΟ THE SECOND VOLUME. As the first volume was specially that of Arthur and Gawaine, of Robin Hood and his great compeer, now almost forgotten, Randolph, Erl of Chestre,' so this second volume is specially that of Sir Grey, who did such mighty deeds for England, and the pathos of whose death in his hermit's cell near Warwick has never yet been worthily sung. But the Arthur and Gawaine stories are here continued in The Grene Knight, the Boy and Mantle, and Libius Disconius ; and we have besides, in the present volume, versions of some of the best of our English ballads, Chevy Chase, Childe Waters, Bell my Wiffe, Bessie off Bednall, &c. Of one of the best of them, King Estmere, Percy's ruthless hands (p. 200, note) have prevented us giving the MS. version of the folio. We have been unable to find any other MS. or printed copy of this ballad, and have therefore been obliged to put side by side in an appendix Percy's two printed versions of it, with all their differences from each other marked in italics, so that readers may judge for themselves as to his probable amount of alteration in the other parts. The folio version of Bell my Wiffe-a ballad to which Shakspere's quotation of it in Othello has secured immortality—is believed to be the earliest known; and as it just filled a page PREFACE TO THE SECOND VOLUME. in the MS. it was chosen for photolithographing, and an impression of it will be given with Vol. III. for Vol. I. John de Reeve is (among other pieces) here printed for the first time, and if it can be taken in any degree as a picture of the bondman's condition at the time it represents, or even the time it was written, it is of considerable historical value. At any rate, it shows us a merry scene of early English life. Conscience's tale is of a darker tint, but is valuable for its sketch of the corruptions of its times. The other historical ballads treat of fights and plots abroad and at home-of Agincourt, Buckingham's Fall, the Siege of Cadiz, Durham Field, Northumberland besieged by Douglas, &c. &c.,-but none of them are of more than average merit. Mr. Hales has written all the Introductions, except those to Cales Voyage (for which the Editors are indebted to Mr. John Bruce, the Director of the Camden Society), to Earle Bodwell (which is reprinted from the first edition of Bishop Percy's Reliques), to Boy and Mantle (which is reprinted from Professor Child's Ballads), and the following by Mr. Furnivall: Come, Come; Conscience; Agincourte Battell; and Libius Disconius. Mr. Hales has also written the Introductory Essay on The Revival of Ballad Poetry in the Eighteenth Century. For the text Mr. Furnivall is, as before, mainly responsible, and has to thank Mr. W. A. Dalziel for his help in reading the copy and proof with the MS. The contractions of the MS. are printed in italics in the text. To the Revs. Alexander Dyce, W. W. Skeat, J. Roberts, and Archdeacon Hale; to Messrs. Chappell, Bruce, T. Wright, Planché, and Jones, the Editors tender their thanks for help in divers ways. February 4, 1868. |