XI.

ON THOMAS LORD CROMWELL.

It is ever the fate of a disgraced minister to be forsaken by his friends, and insulted by his enemies, always reckoning among the latter the giddy inconstant multitude. We have here a spurn at fallen greatness from one of the angry partisans of declining popery, who could never forgive the downfall of their Diana and loss of their craft. The ballad seems to have been composed between the time of Cromwell's commitment to the Tower, June 10th, 1540, and that of his being beheaded, July 28 following. A short interval! but Henry's passion for Catharine Howard would admit of no delay. Notwithstanding our libeller, Cromwell had many excellent qualities; his great fault was too much obsequiousness to the arbitrary will of his master; but let it be considered that this master had raised him from obscurity, and that the high-born nobility had shewn him the way in every kind of mean and servile compliance. The original copy, printed at London in 1540, is intitled, _A newe ballade made of Thomas Crumwel, called_ "_Trolle on away_." To it is prefixed this distich by way of burthen:

"Trolle on away, trolle on awaye. Synge heave and howe rombelowe trolle on away."

The following piece gave rise to a poetic controversy, which was carried on thro' a succession of seven or eight ballads, written for and against Lord Cromwell. These are all preserved in the archives of the Antiquarian Society, in a large folio collection of proclamations, &c., made in the reigns of King Henry VIII., King Edward VI., Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James I., &c.

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[Thomas Cromwell, called _Malleus Monachorum_, came of a good old Lincolnshire family. He was born about the year 1490 at Putney, where his father carried on the business of an iron-founder, which his enemies reduced to that of a blacksmith. His father died early, and in consequence of the re-marriage of his mother, he became a wanderer.

The author of the poor play, entitled _The Life and Death of_ _Thomas Lord Cromwell_, which has been absurdly attributed to Shakspere, makes "old Cromwell, a blacksmith, of Putney," live to see his son "made lord keeper."

There is a fragment of a ballad on Cromwell without any beginning in the Folio MS. (ed. Hales and Furnivall, vol. i. p. 127), which ends as follows:

"How now? How now? the king did say, Thomas how is it with thee? Hanging and drawing O King! he saide; You shall never gett more from me."

Mr. Hales points out a coincidence not mentioned by Mr. Froude, viz. that the minister was beheaded and the king married to Catherine Howard on one and the same day. In 1525 Cromwell undertook for Wolsey the work of visiting and breaking up the small monasteries which the Pope had granted for the foundation of Wolsey's new colleges, thus commencing the work which gained him the enmity of the adherents of the old faith. He was the first to cause Bibles in the English language to be deposited in all the churches, and to him we owe the institution of parish registers.]

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Both man and chylde is glad to here tell Of that false traytoure Thomas Crumwell, Now that he is set to learne to spell. Synge trolle on away.

When fortune lokyd the in thy face, Thou haddyst fayre tyme, but thou lackydyst grace; 5 Thy cofers with golde thou fyllydst a pace. Synge, &c.

Both plate and chalys came to thy fyst, Thou lockydst them vp where no man wyst, Tyll in the kynges treasoure suche thinges were myst. Synge, &c.

Both crust and crumme came thorowe thy handes, 10 Thy marchaundyse sayled over the sandes, Therfore nowe thou art layde fast in bandes. Synge, &c.

Fyrste when kynge Henry, God saue his grace! Perceyud myschefe kyndlyd in thy face, Then it was tyme to purchase the a place. 15 Synge, &c.

Hys grace was euer of gentyll nature, Mouyd with petye, and made the hys seruyture; But thou, as a wretche, suche thinges dyd procure. Synge, &c.

Thou dyd not remembre, false heretyke, One God, one fayth, and one kynge catholyke, 20 For thou hast bene so long a scysmatyke. Synge, &c.

Thou woldyst not learne to knowe these thre; But euer was full of iniquite: Wherfore all this lande hathe ben troubled with the. Synge, &c.

All they, that were of the new trycke, 25 Agaynst the churche thou baddest them stycke; Wherfore nowe thou haste touchyd the quycke. Synge, &c.

Bothe sacramentes and sacramentalles Thou woldyst not suffre within thy walles; Nor let vs praye for all chrysten soules. 30 Synge, &c.

Of what generacyon thou were no tonge can tell, Whyther of Chayme, or Syschemell,[377] Or else sent vs frome the deuyll of hell. Synge, &c.

Thou woldest neuer to vertue applye, But couetyd euer to clymme to hye, 35 And nowe haste thou trodden thy shoo awrye. Synge, &c.

Who-so-euer dyd winne thou wolde not lose; Wherfore all Englande doth hate the, as I suppose, Bycause thou wast false to the redolent rose. Synge, &c.

Thou myghtest have learned thy cloth to flocke 40 Upon thy gresy fullers stocke;[378] Wherfore lay downe thy heade vpon this blocke.

Yet saue that soule, that God hath bought, And for thy carcas care thou nought, Let it suffre payne, as it hath wrought. 45 Synge, &c.

God saue kyng Henry with all his power, And prynce Edwarde that goodly flowre, With al hys lordes of great honoure. Synge trolle on awaye, syng trolle on away. Hevye and how rombelowe[379] trolle on awaye. 50

FOOTNOTES:

[377] Ver. 32. _i.e._ Cain, or Ishmael. See below, the note, book ii. No. III. stanza 3rd.

[378] V. 41. Cromwell's father is generally said to have been a blacksmith at Putney: but the author of this ballad would insinuate that either he himself or some of his ancestors were fullers by trade.

[379] [The burden of an old song.]