V.

We may now bring together the passages in which Professor Child declared certain ballads to be of the true “popular” or “traditional” type. The fewness of such passages is at first surprising, yet it clearly formed no part of a set purpose to include in his introductions estimates of this kind, and such “appreciations” seem to have been either spontaneous,--springing, as in the case of _Johnie Cock_, from his delight in the ballad with which he was concerned,--or intended, as in the case of _Edward_, as answer to his predecessors’ doubts of authenticity. On ballads like _Lord Randal_, _Babylon_, _Hind Horn_, _Clerk Saunders_, _Fair Margaret and Sweet William_, there is no such comment. It would seem, no doubt, in such cases obviously unnecessary. Nevertheless the list is fairly representative. We have examples of the Domestic Ballad,--tragic, in _Earl Brand_ (7), _Edward_ (13), _Old Robin of Portingale_ (80), _Little Musgrave_ (81), _The Bonny Birdy_ (82); not tragic, in _Child Waters_ (63), _Young Beichan_ (53), _Queen Eleanor’s Confession_ (156): we have examples of the Supernatural Ballad,--transformation, in _The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea_ (36); fairy, in _Thomas Rymer_ (37); ghost, in _The Wife_ _of Usher’s Well_ (79): we have examples of the Border Ballad in _Captain Car_ (178 F) and _Jock o the Side_ (187): of the Outlaw Ballad in _Johnie Cock_ (114), the Robin Hood ballads, 117-121: of the Heroic Ballad in _King Estmere_ (60), _Sir Aldingar_ (59), _Sir Patrick Spens_ (58 A).

_Johnie Cock_ (114): “This precious specimen of the unspoiled traditional ballad.” III, 1.

_Edward_ (13): “The word ‘brand,’ in the first stanza, is possibly more literary than popular; further than this the language is entirely fit. The affectedly antique spelling in Percy’s copy has given rise to vague suspicions concerning the authenticity of the ballad, or of the language: but as spelling will not make an old ballad, so it will not unmake one. We have, but do not need, the later traditional copy to prove the other genuine. ‘Edward’ is not only unimpeachable, but has ever been regarded as one of the noblest and most sterling specimens of the popular ballad.” I, 167.

_The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea_ (36): “Somewhat mutilated, and also defaced, though it be, this ballad has certainly never been retouched by a pen, but is pure tradition. It has the first stanza in common with ‘Kemp Owyne,’ and shares more than that with ‘Allison Gross.’ But it is independent of ‘Allison Gross,’ and has a far more original sound.” I, 315.

_Earl Brand_ (7): ... “has preserved most of the incidents of a very ancient story with a faithfulness unequalled by any ballad that has been recovered from English oral tradition.” I, 88.

_The Wife of Usher’s Well_ (79): “A motive for the return of the wife’s three sons is not found in the fragments which remain to us.... But supplying a motive would add nothing to the impressiveness of these verses. Nothing that we have is more profoundly affecting.” II, 238.

_Thomas Rymer_ (37): “B ... has been corrupted here and there, but only by tradition.” I, 317.

“The fairy adventures of Thomas and of Ogier have the essential points in common, and even the particular trait that the fairy is taken to be the Virgin. The occurrence of this trait again in the ballad, viewed in connection with the general similarity of the two, will leave no doubt that the ballad had its source in the romance. Yet it is an entirely popular ballad as to style,[391] and must be of considerable age, though the earliest version (A) can be traced at furthest only into the first half of the last century.” I, 319 f.

_Captain Car_ (178): “F is purely traditional and has one fine stanza not found in any of the foregoing:@

Out then spake the lady Margaret, As she stood on the stair; The fire was at her goud garters, The lowe was at her hair.” III, 429.@

_Queen Eleanor’s Confession_ (156): “There is reason to question whether this [F] and the other recited versions are anything more than traditional variations of printed copies. The ballad seems first to have got into print in the latter part of the seventeenth century, but was no doubt circulating orally sometime before that, for it is in the truly popular tone.” III, 255.

_Robin Hood and the Tanner_ (126): “The sturdy Arthur a Bland is well hit off, and, bating the sixteenth and thirty-fifth stanzas, the ballad has a good popular ring. There is corruption at 8^3, 12^3, and perhaps 13^3.” III, 137.

The earliest Robin Hood ballads (117-121) “are among the best of all ballads, and perhaps none in English please so many and please so long.” III, 42.

_Robin Hood and the Monk_ (119): “Too much could not be said in praise of this ballad, but nothing need be said. It is very perfection in its kind; and yet we have others equally good, and beyond doubt should have had more, if they had been written down early, as this was, and had not been left to the chances of tradition. Even writing would not have saved all, but writing has saved this (in large part), and in excellent form.” III, 95.

_Child Waters_ (63): “This charming ballad, which has perhaps no superior in English, and if not in English perhaps nowhere.” II, 84. (“Caution is imperative where so much ground is covered, and no man should be confident that he can do absolute justice to poetry in a tongue that he was not born to; but foreign poetry is as likely to be rated too high as to be undervalued.” II, 84, n.)

_Jock o the Side_ (187): “The ballad is one of the best in the world, and enough to make a horse-trooper of any young borderer, had he lacked the impulse.” III, 477.

_Sir Patrick Spens_ (58, A): “This admired and most admirable ballad.” “It would be hard to point out in ballad poetry, or other, happier or more refined touches than the two stanzas in A which portray the bootless waiting of the ladies for the return of the seafarers.” II, 17 f.[392]

_Young Beichan_ (53): “A favorite ballad and most deservedly.” I, 455.

_King Estmere_ (60): “While we cannot but be vexed that so distinguished a ballad, not injured much, so far as we can see, by time, should not come down to us as it came to Percy, our loss must not be exaggerated. The changes made by the editor, numerous enough, no doubt, cannot be very material until we approach the end. Stanzas 63-66 are entirely suspicious, and it may even be questioned whether the manuscript contained a word that is in them.” II, 49.

_Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard_ (81): “The noble English ballad.” II, 260.

_The Bonny Birdy_ (82): “A fine ballad upon the same theme.” II, 243.

_Old Robin of Portingale_ (80): “This fine ballad.” II, 240.

_Sir Aldingar_ (69): “This ballad, one of the most important of all that the Percy manuscript has saved from oblivion.” II, 33.

_Robin Hood’s Death_ (120): “B, though found only in late garlands, is in the fine old strain.” III, 103.

Certain ballads are expressly condemned as not “traditional” or “popular”:

_Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly_ (141): “This is a ballad made for print, with little of the traditional in the matter and nothing in the style. It may be considered as an imitation of the Rescue of the Three Squires.” III, 185.

_Robin Hood’s Birth, Breeding, etc._ (149): “The jocular author of this ballad, who would certainly have been diverted by any one’s supposing him to write under the restraints of tradition....” III, 214.

_The Lovely Northerne Lasse_ (217, Appendix): “There is an English ‘ditty’ (not a traditional ballad) ... which was printed in the first half of the seventeenth century. It is here given in an appendix.” IV, 192.

To these may be added a few examples of less specific condemnation:

_The Earl of Mar’s Daughter_ (270): A Scandinavian ballad and this “are, perhaps, on a par, for barrenness and folly, but the former may claim some age and vogue, the Scottish ballad neither.” V, 39.

_The Drunkard’s Legacy_ (267, Appendix): “The modern ballad ... used by Percy was ‘The Drunkard’s Legacy,’ an inexpressibly pitiable ditty.” V, 12.

_John Thomson and the Turk_ (266): “This ridiculous ballad.” V, 1.

_Robin Hood and the Tinker_ (127): “The fewest words will best befit this contemptible imitation of imitations.” III, 140.

_Robin Hood and Maid Marian_ (150): “This foolish ditty.” III, 218.

_Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight_ (153): “Written, perhaps, because it was thought that authority should in the end be vindicated against outlaws, which may explain why this piece surpasses in platitude everything that goes before.” III, 225.

_The Suffolk Miracle_ (272): “This piece could not be admitted here on its own merits. At the first look, it would be classed with the vulgar prodigies printed for hawkers to sell and for Mopsa and Dorcas to buy. It is not even a good specimen of its kind.” V, 58.

We may add from the _Ballads_ half-a-dozen examples of specific praise:

_The Lass of Lochroyan_ [76, D][393]: “This beautiful piece.” _Ballads_, II, 98.

_The Queen’s Marie_ [173, I]: “Jamieson and Kinloch have each published a highly dramatic fragment of this terrible story.” _Ballads_, III, 107.

_The Lochmaben Harper_ [192, A]: “This fine old ballad ... has the genuine ring of the best days of minstrelsy. On account of its excellence, we give two versions.” _Ballads_, VI, 3.

_Earl Richard_ [68, J]: “This gloomy and impressive romance.” _Ballads_, III, 3.

_Chevy-Chace_ [162, A]: “Addison’s papers in the _Spectator_ ... evince so true a perception of the merits of this ballad [162, B], shorn as it is of the most striking beauties of the grand original, that we cannot but deeply regret his never having seen the ancient and genuine copy (‘The noble ballad,’ 162, A; _Ballads_, VII, 27), which was published by Hearne only a few days after Addison died.” _Ballads_, VII, 43.

_Sir Andrew Barton_ [167, A]: “This noble ballad.” _Ballads_, VII, 56.

_Sir Patrick Spence_ [58, A]: “If not ancient, has been always accepted as such by the most skilful judges, and is a solitary instance of a successful imitation, in manner and spirit, of the best specimens of authentic minstrelsy.” _Ballads_, III, 149.