Part 5 (1/2)
”Yet would I gladly heare some mery fit Of mayde Marion, or els of Robin hood; Or Bentleyes ale which chafeth well the bloud, Of perre of Norwich, or sauce of Wilberton, Or buckishe Joly well-stuffed as a ton.”
He again mentions ”Bentley's Ale” which ”maketh me to winke;” and some of our ancient domestic pastimes and amus.e.m.e.nts are recorded:--
”Then is it pleasure the yonge maydens amonge To watche by the fire the winters nightes long: At their fonde tales to laugh, or when they brall Great fire and candell spending for laboure small, And in the ashes some playes for to marke, To couer wardens [pears] for fault of other warke: To toste white sheuers, and to make prophitroles; And after talking oft time to fill the bowles.”
He mentions some musical instruments:
” . . . . Methinkes no mirth is scant, Where no reioysing of minstrelcie doth want: The bagpipe or fidle to vs is delectable.”
And the mercantile commodities of different countries and cities:--
”Englande hath cloth, Burdeus hath store of wine, Cornewall hath tinne, and Lymster wools fine.
London hath scarlet, and Bristowe pleasaunt red, Fen lands hath fishes, in other place is lead.”
Of songs at feasts:--
”When your fat dishes smoke hote vpon your table, Then layde ye songes and balades magnifie, If they be mery, or written craftely, Ye clappe your handes and to the making harke, And one say to other, lo here a proper warke.”
He says that minstrels and singers are highly favoured at court, especially those of the French gise. Also jugglers and pipers.
The personal references throughout the Eclogues, in addition to those already mentioned, though not numerous, are of considerable interest. The learned Alc.o.c.k, Bishop of Ely (1486-1500), and the munificent founder of Jesus College, Cambridge, stands deservedly high in the esteem of a poet and priest, so zealous of good works as Barclay. The poet's humour thus disguises him.--(Eclogue I., A iii., recto.):--
”Yes since his dayes a c.o.c.ke was in the fen, I knowe his voyce among a thousande men: He taught, he preached, he mended euery wrong; But, Coridon alas no good thing bideth long.
He all was a c.o.c.ke, he wakened vs from slepe, And while we slumbred, he did our foldes hepe.
No cur, no foxes, nor butchers dogges wood, Coulde hurte our fouldes, his watching was so good.
The hungry wolues, which that time did abounde, What time he crowed, abashed at the sounde.
This c.o.c.ke was no more abashed of the foxe, Than is a lion abashed of an oxe.
When he went, faded the floure of all the fen; I boldly dare sweare this c.o.c.ke neuer trode hen!
This was a father of thinges pastorall, And that well sheweth his Church cathedrall, There was I lately about the middest of May, Coridon his Church is twenty sith more gay Then all the Churches betwene the same and Kent, There sawe I his tome and Chapell excellent.
I thought fiue houres but euen a little while, Saint John the virgin me thought did on me smile, Our parishe Church is but a dongeon, To that gay Churche in comparison.
If the people were as pleasaunt as the place Then were it paradice of pleasour and solace, Then might I truely right well finde in my heart.
There still to abide and neuer to departe, But since that this c.o.c.ke by death hath left his song, Trust me Coridon there many a thing is wrong, When I sawe his figure lye in the Chapell-side, Like death for weping I might no longer bide.
Lo all good thinges so sone away doth glide, That no man liketh to long doth rest and abide.
When the good is gone (my mate this is the case) Seldome the better reentreth in the place.”
The excellence of his subject carries the poet quite beyond himself in describing the general lamentation at the death of this worthy prelate; with an unusual power of imagination he thus pictures the sympathy of the towers, arches, vaults and images of Ely monastery:
”My harte sore mourneth when I must specify Of the gentle c.o.c.ke whiche sange so mirily, He and his flocke wer like an union Conioyned in one without discention, All the fayre c.o.c.kes which in his dayes crewe When death him touched did his departing rewe.
The pretie palace by him made in the fen, The maides, widowes, the wiues, and the men, With deadly dolour were pea.r.s.ed to the heart, When death constrayned this shepheard to departe.
Corne, gra.s.se, and fieldes, mourned for wo and payne, For oft his prayer for them obtayned rayne.
The pleasaunt floures for wo faded eche one, When they perceyued this shepheard dead and gone, The okes, elmes, and euery sorte of dere Shronke vnder shadowes, abating all their chere.
The mightie walles of Ely Monastery, The stones, rockes, and towres semblably, The marble pillers and images echeone, Swet all for sorowe, when this good c.o.c.ke was gone, Though he of stature were humble, weake and leane, His minde was hye, his liuing pure and cleane, Where other feedeth by beastly appet.i.te, On heauenly foode was all his whole delite.”
Morton, Alc.o.c.k's predecessor and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury (1486-1500), is also singled out for compliment, in which allusion is made to his troubles, his servants' faithfulness, and his restoration to favour under Richard III. and Henry VII. (Eclogue III.):--
”And shepheard Morton, when he durst not appeare, Howe his olde seruauntes were carefull of his chere; In payne and pleasour they kept fidelitie Till grace agayne gaue him aucthoritie Then his olde fauour did them agayne restore To greater pleasour then they had payne before.