TRANSLATIONS.

It becomes needful that the translations which are to be copyright should be accurately made when the new international law comes into effect. In the Consulship and Empire of M. Thiers, vol. iii. p. 220., purporting to be translated by D. Forbes Campbell, "under the sanction and approval of the author," the following happy piece of translation occurs:—

"They urged also, that the Maltese people would offer great resistance to the destruction of those fine fortresses, and proposed the reconstitution of the Order on a new and more solid basis. They had no objection to allow the French language still to be used there, stipulating only that a college should be instituted for teaching the English and Maltese languages. The latter for the advantages of the Maltese people, who should have a share in its management; they were desirous of placing this new settlement under the guarantee of some great power, Russia for example. The English were in hopes that with the English and Maltese languages spoken by the people who would still be devoted to them, they should still have an influence in the island, which would prevent the French from again obtaining possession of it."

The translator has invented a college and system of instruction, because he did not know how to translate "langue!"[1] Thus this important passage is wholly perverted.

[1] "Langue" means Order of Knights of Malta, of the particular "nation" expressed.

"Ils alléguaient la resistance de la population maltaise à toute destruction de ses belles forteresses, et proposaient la reconstitution de l'Ordre sur des bases nouvelles et plus solides. Ils voulaient y laisser une langue française, moyennant qu'on y institût une langue anglaise et une langue maltaise, celle-ci accordée à la population de l'îsle, pour lui donner part à son gouvernement; ils voulaient que ce nouvel établissement fût placé sur la garantie d'une grande puissance, la Russie par exemple. Les Anglais espéraient qu'avec les langues anglaise et maltaise qui leur seraient dévotée, ils auraient un pied dans l'isle, et empêcheraient les Français d'y rentrer."

C. REDDING.

BALLAD OF LORD DELAMERE.
(Vol. ii., p. 104.)

A correspondent gives the first two lines of a ballad called Lord Delamere, and inquires to what political event it refers. DR. RIMBAULT (Vol. ii., p. 158.) suggests that this song may be another version of one published in Mr. Thomas Lyte's Ancient Ballads and Songs, which begins differently, and which Mr. Lyte fancies may refer to some corn-law debate in parliament about the years 1621 and 1622. I have a song which I took down from recitation in Derbyshire, entitled The Long-armed Duke, but which is no doubt identical with Mr. Lyte's, the first verse being nearly the same. That it refers to some transaction much later than 1622 is evident from the mention of Lord Delamere, that title having been first conferred by Charles II. upon Sir George Warrington. Henry, second Earl of Delamere, and William, Earl of Devonshire, are the heroes of the ballad, which I believe to be founded upon some obscure report of the quarrel which took place between the latter and Colonel Colepepper, of which an account will be found in the Works of Lord Delamere, London, 1694, p. 563. (reprinted in Howell's State Trials, vol. ii. p. 510.), and also in Collins's Peerage, vol. i. p. 343.; and see also Colley Cibber's Apology, chap. iii.

The Earl of Devonshire struck Colonel Colepepper in the anteroom at Whitehall, having previously received an affront from the Colonel in the king's palace. He was summoned to appear at the King's Bench, and gave bail to the amount of 30,000l.; Lord Delamere being one of his sureties. A fine to that amount was inflicted on him, but he appealed from the judgment to the House of Lords, where one of his warmest advocates was Lord Delamere. Vague reports of these proceedings would find their way into the North, where the matter would be handled by the balladmongers in a style congenial to the manners and ideas of their rustic auditory. Lord Delamere is described by a cotemporary versifier as

"Fit to assist to pull a tyrant down,

But not to please a prince that mounts the throne."

These lines are given, without a reference, in a note to Burton's Diary. Query, Where do they come from?

My version of the ballad was printed about nine years ago in a periodical called The Storyteller, which came to an abrupt conclusion in the second volume, and is probably now in the hands of few. Mr. Lyte's volume also appears to be a rarity. I therefore append a copy, which you can add to this note if you do not think it too long. Perhaps your correspondent would send the remainder of his fragment, which it might be interesting to compare.

"THE LONG-ARMED DUKE.

"Good people, give attention, a story you shall hear,

It is of the king and my Lord Delamere;

The quarrel it arose in the parliament house,

Concerning some taxations going to be put in force.

"Ri toora loora la.

"Says my Lord Delamere to his Majesty soon,

'If it please you, my liege, of you I'll soon beg a boon.'

'Then what is your boon? let me it understand:'

'It's to have all the poor men you have in your land;

"'And I'll take them to Cheshire, and there I will sow

Both hempseed and flaxseed, and them all in a row.

Why, they'd better be hanged, and stopped soon their breath,

If it please you, my liege, than to starve them to death.'

"Then up starts a French[2] lord, as we do hear,

Saying, 'Thou art a proud Jack,' to my Lord Delamere,

'Thou oughtest to be stabbed,' then he turn'd him about,

'For affronting the king in the parliament house.'

"Then up starts his grace the Duke of Devonshire,

Saying, 'I'll fight in defence of my Lord Delamere.'

Then a stage was erected, to battle they went,

To kill or to be killed was our noble duke's intent.

"The very first push, as we do understand,

The duke's sword he bended it back into his hand.

He waited awhile, but nothing he spoke,

Till on the king's armour his rapier he broke.

"An English lord, who by that stage did stand,

Threw Devonshire another, and he got it in his hand:

'Play low for your life, brave Devonshire,' said he,

'Play low for your life, or a dead man you will be.'

"Devonshire dropped on his knee, and gave him his deathwound;

Oh! then that French lord fell dead upon the ground.

The king called his guards, and he unto them did say,

'Bring Devonshire down, and take the dead man away.'

"'No, if it please you, my liege, no! I've slain him like a man;

I'm resolved to see what clothing he's got on.

Oh! fie upon your treachery—your treachery,' said he,

'Oh! king, 'twas your intention to have took my life away:

"For he fought in your armour, whilst I have fought in bare;

The same thou shalt win, king, before thou does it wear.'

Then they all turned back to the parliament house,

And the nobles made obeisance with their hands to their mouths.

"God bless all the nobles we have in our land,

And send the Church of England may flourish still and stand:

For I've injured no king, no kingdom, nor no crown,

But I wish that every honest man might enjoy his own."

[2] According to some reciters, "Dutch."

C. W. G.