RHYMING LATIN VERSION OF THE SONG ON ROBIN GOODFELLOW.
In the same MS. from which I extracted Braithwait's Latin Drinking Song, the following version
of the well-known song on Robin Goodfellow occurs. It is apparently by the same hand. I give the English, as it contains but six stanzas, and affords some variations from the copy printed by Percy; and indeed one stanza not given by him. Peck attributes the song to Ben Jonson, but we know not on what foundation. It must be confessed that internal evidence is against it. The publication of Percy's Reliques had a no less beneficial influence on the literature of Germany than it had on our own; and Voss had given an admirable version of nine stanzas of this song as early as the year 1793. The first stanza will afford some notion of his manner:
"Von Oberon in Feenland,
Dem Könige der Geister,
Komm' ich, Knecht Robert, abgesandt,
Von meinem Herrn und Meister.
Als Kobolt und Pux,
Wohlkundig des Spuks,
Durchschwarm' ich Nacht vor Nacht.
Jezt misch' ich mich ein
Zum polternden Reihn,
Wohlauf, ihr alle, gelacht, gelacht!"
Although the classic ear may be offended by the "barbarous adjunct of rhyme," and by the solecisms and false quantities which sometimes occur, "et alia multa damna atque outragia," others may be amused with these emulations of the cloistered muse of the Middle Ages. The witty author of Whistlecraft has shown that he had a true relish for them, and has successfully tried his hand, observing at the same time:
"Those monks were poor proficients in divinity,
And scarce knew more of Latin than myself;
Compar'd with theirs, they say that true Latinity
Appears like porcelain compar'd with delf."
Honest Barnaby had no intention of rivalling Horace: his humbler, but not less amusing, prototypes were Walter de Mapes and his cotemporaries. We may accept his own defence, if any is needed:
"That paltry Patcher is a bald translator,
Whose awl bores at the words but not the matter;
But this TRANSLATOR makes good use of leather,
By stitching rhyme and reason both together."
S. W. Singer.
A SONG ON ROBIN GOODFELLOW.
"From Oberon in faery-land,
The king of ghosts and goblins there,
Mad Robin I, at his command,
Am sent to view the night-sports here.
What revel rout is here about,
In every corner where I go;
I will it see, and merry be,
And make good sport with ho, ho, ho!
"As swift as lightning I do fly
Amidst the aery welkin soon,
And, in a minute's space, descry
What things are done below the moon.
There's neither hag nor spirit shall wag,
In any corner where I go;
But Robin I, their feats will spy,
And make good sport with ho, ho, ho!
"Sometimes you find me like a man,
Sometimes a hawk, sometimes a hound,
Then to a horse me turn I can,
And trip and troll about you round:
But if you stride my back to ride,
As swift as air I with you go,
O'er hedge, o'er lands, o'er pool, o'er ponds,
I run out laughing ho, ho, ho!
"When lads and lasses merry be,
With possets and with junkets fine;
Unknown to all the company,
I eat their cake and drink their wine;
Then to make sport, I snore and snort,
And all the candles out I blow;
The maids I kiss; they ask who's this?
I answer, laughing, ho, ho, ho!
"If that my fellow elf and I
In circle dance do trip it round,
And if we chance, by any eye
There present, to be seen or found,
Then if that they do speak or say,
But mummes continue as they go,[[1]]
Then night by night I them affright,
With pinches, dreams, and ho, ho, ho!
"Since hag-bred Merlin's time have I
Continued night-sports to and fro,
That, for my pranks, men call me by
The name of Robin Goodfellow.
There's neither hag nor spirit doth wag,
The fiends and goblins do me know;
And beldames old my tales have told;
Sing Vale, Vale, ho, ho, ho!"
The Latine of the foregoing verses.
"Ab Oberone lemurum
Cœmetriorum regulo,
Spectator veni lubricum,
Illius jussu, Robbio;
Quodcunque joci, sit hic loci,
Quocunque vado in angulo,
Id speculabor, et conjocabor,
Sonorem boans, ho, ho, ho!
"Præceps feror per aerem
Telo trisulco citius,
Et translunaria penetrem
Momento brevi ocyus;
Larvatus frater non vagatur
Quocunque vado in angulo,
Nam Robbio, huic obvio,
Et facta exploro, ho, ho, ho!
"Nunc canis nunc accipiter,
Et homo nunc obambulo,
Nunc equi forma induor
Et levis circumcursito;
Si quis me prendat, et ascendat,
Velocius aurâ rapio,
Per prata, montes, vada, fontes,
Risumque tollo, ho, ho, ho!
"Cum juvenes convivio
Admiscent se puellulis,
Ignotus vinum haurio
Et impleor bellariis;
Tunc sterto, strepo, et dum crepo,
Lucernam flatu adventillo,
Hæc basiatur; hic quis? clamatur,
Cachinnans reddo, ho, ho, ho!
"Si quando cum consorte larva
In circulum tripudio,
Et observemur nos per arva
Acutiori oculo;
Et si spectator eloquatur
Nec os obhæret digito,
Nocte terremus et torquemus
Ungue spectris, ho, ho, ho!
"Post incubiginam Merlinum
Nocturni feci ludicra,
Et combibonem me Robbinum
Vocent ob jocularia,
Me dæmones, me lemures,
Me novite tenebrio,
Decantant me veneficæ;
Vale! Valete! ho, ho, ho!"
Footnote 1:[(return)]
This line is distinctly so written. We should probably read or instead of but. Mummes may mean mumbling, muttering.