And the next week there was the following answer:—
“Having found that in Chappell’s ‘Popular Music of the Olden Time’ there was mention made of a tune called ‘Captain Ward,’ I wrote to Mr Chappell himself. He says about the ballad: ‘For “A famous sea-fight between Captain Ward and the Rainbow” see Roxburghe Collection, v. 3, fol. 56, printed for F. Coles, and another with printer’s name cut off in the same volume, fol. 654; an edition in the Pepys Collection, v. 4, fol. 202, by Clarke Thackeray and Passinger; two in the Bayford, [643, m. 9 / 65] and [643, m. 10 / 78]. These are by W. Onbey, and the second in white letter. Further, two Aldermary Church Yard editions in Rox. v. 3, folios 652 and 861. The ballad has an Elizabethan cut about it, beginning, “Strike up, you lusty Gallants.” If I remember rightly, Ward was a famous pirate of Elizabeth’s reign, about the same time as Dansekar the Dutchman.’
“I went down myself to Magdalene, and saw the copy in the Pepysian Library there. It is entirely different from that in the ‘Suffolk N. and Q.,’ though at the same time there are slight resemblances in expression. As ballads they are quite distinct. I suppose the other copies to which Mr Chappell refers are like the Pepysian, which begins as he says, ‘Strike up, ye lusty Gallants.’
“W. Aldis Wright.
“Cambridge.”
V.
A SOVEREIGN REMEDY.
Not many years since, not far from Ipswich, some practical agriculturists met—as, for all I know, they may meet now—at a Farmers’ Club to discuss such questions as bear practically upon their business and interests. One evening the subject for discussion was, “How to cure hot yards,” i.e., yards where the manure has become so heated as to be hurtful to the cattle’s feet. Many remedies were suggested, some no doubt well worth trying, others dealing too much maybe in small-talk of acids and alkalis. None of the party was satisfied that a cure had been found which stood the test of general experience. Then they asked an elderly farmer, who had preserved a profound silence through all the discussion, what he would recommend. His answer was very true and to the point. “Gentlemen,” he said, “yeou shu’nt have let it got so.”
Hippicus.
VI.
THE ONLY DARTER.
A Suffolk Clergyman’s Reminiscence. [52a]
Our young parson said to me t’other däa, “John,” sez he, “din’t yeou nivver hev a darter?” “Sar,” sez I, “I had one once, but she ha’ been dead close on thatty years.” And then I towd him about my poor mor. [52b]
“I lost my fust wife thatty-three years ago. She left me with six bors and Susan. She was the owdest of them all, tarned sixteen when her mother died. She was a fine jolly gal, with lots of sperit. I coon’t be alluz at home, and tho’ I’d nivver a wadd [52c] to säa aginst Susan, yet I thowt I wanted some one to look arter her and the bors. Gals want a mother more than bors. So arter a year I married my second wife, and a rale good wife she ha’ bin to me. But Susan coon’t git on with her. She’d dew [52d] what she was towd, but ’twarn’t done pleasant, and
when she spŏok she spŏok so short. My wife was werry patient with her; but dew all she could, she nivver could git on with Susan.