Kitabı oku: «Notes and Queries, Number 35, June 29, 1850», sayfa 4

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SIR GEORGE BUC

It has often been noticed, that when a writer wishes to support some favourite hypothesis, he quite overlooks many important particulars that militate against his own view of the case. The Rev. Mr. Corser, in his valuable communication respecting Sir George Buc (Vol. ii., p. 38.), is not exempt from this accusation. He has omitted the statement of Malone, that "Sir George Buc died on the 28th of September, 1623." (Boswell's Shakspeare, iii. 59.) We know positively that in May 1622, Sir George, "by reason of sickness and indisposition of body, wherewith it hath pleased God to visit him, was become disabled and insufficient to undergo and perform" the duties of Master of the Revels; and it is equally positive that Malone would not so circumstantially have said, "Sir George Buc died on the 28th of September, 1623," without some good authority for so doing. It is only to be regretted that the learned commentator neglected to give that authority.

Mr. Corser wishes to show that Sir George Buc's days "were further prolonged till 1660;" but I think he is in error as to his conclusions, and that another George Buc must enter the field and divide the honours with his knightly namesake.

It is perfectly clear that a George Buc was living long after the date assigned as that of the death of Sir George, by Malone. This George Buck, for so he invariably spells his name, contributed a copy of verses to Yorke's Union of Honour, 1640; to Shirley's Poems, 1646; and to the folio edition of Beaumont and Fletcher's Plays, 1647. Ritson, then, when speaking of Sir George Buc's Great Plantagenet, as published in 1635, was rather hasty in pronouncing it as the work of "some fellow who assumed his name," because here is evidence that a person of the same name (if not Sir George himself, as Mr. Corser thinks) was living at the period. The name, if assumed in the case of the Great Plantagenet, would hardly have been kept up in the publications just alluded to.

In the British Museum, among the Cotton MSS. (Tiberius, E. X.), is preserved a MS. called "The history of King Richard the Third, comprised in five books, gathered and written by Sir G. Buc, Knight, Master of the King's Office of the Revels, and one of the gentlemen of his Majesty's Privy Chamber." This MS., which appears to have been the author's rough draft, is corrected by interlineations and erasements in every page. It is much injured by fire, but a part of the dedication to Sir Thomas Howard, the Earl of Arundel, &c., still remains, together with "an advertisement to the reader," which is dated "from the King's Office of the Revels, St. Peter's Hill, 1619." This history was first published in 1646, by George Buck, Esquire, who says, in his dedication to Philip, the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, "that he had collected these papers out of their dust." Here is evidence that the work was not published by the original compiler; besides, how can Mr. Corser reconcile his author's knighthood with the designations on the respective title-pages of The Great Plantagenet, and The History of Richard the Third? In the former the writer is styled "George Buck, Esquire," and in the latter, "George Buck, Gentleman." It is difficult to account for Mr. Corser's omission of these facts, because I am well assured, that, with his extensive knowledge of our earlier poets, my information is not new to him.

That there were two George Bucs in the seventeenth century, and both of them poets, cannot, I think, be doubted. Perhaps they were not even relations; at any rate, Mr. Corser's account of the parentage of one differs from mine entirely.

"He [Sir George Buc] was born at Ely, the eldest son of Robert Bucke, and Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter Lee of Brandon Ferry; the grandson of Robert Bucke, and Jane, the daughter of Clement Higham; the great-grandson of Sir John Bucke, who, having helped Richard to a horse on Bosworth Field, was attainted for his zeal."—Chalmers' Apology, p. 488.

The MS. now in Mr. Corser's possession occurs in the Bibliotheca Heberiana, Part xi. No. 98., and I observe, by referring to that volume, that the compiler has the following note:—

"This MS. is entirely in the handwriting of Sir George Buck, Master of the Revels in the reign of James I., as prepared by him for publication. The initials G. B. correspond with those of his name, and the handwriting is similar to a MS. Dedication of his poem to Lord Chancellor Egerton, which is preserved at Bridgewater House."

The authorship of The Famous History of St. George, then, rests solely upon the initials "G. B.," and the similarity of the handwriting to that of Sir George Buc. Now it must be remembered that the MS. dedication was written in 1605, and the history after 1660! Surely an interval of fifty-five years must have made some difference in the penmanship of the worthy Master of the Revels. I think we must receive the comparison of handwritings with considerable caution; and, unless some of your readers can produce "new evidence" in favour of one or other of the claimants, I much fear that your reverend correspondent will have to exclaim with Master Ford in the play,—

 
"Buck. I would I could wash myself of the Buck!"
 

Edward F. Rimbault.

I am not quite certain that I can satisfactorily answer Mr. Corser's query; but at least I am able to show that a Sir George Buck, seised in fee of lands in Lincolnshire, did die in or about 1623. In the Report Office of the Court of Chancery is a Report made to Lord Keeper Williams by Sir Wm. Jones, who had been Lord Chief Justice in Ireland, dated the 10th Nov. 1623, respecting a suit referred to him by the Lord Keeper, in which Stephen Buck was plaintiff and Robert Buck defendant. In this report is contained a copy of the will of Sir George Buck, whom I supposed to be the Sir George Buck, the master of the Revels; and the will containing a singular clause, disinheriting his brother Robert because he was alleged to be a Jesuit, and it having been supposed that Sir George Buck died intestate, I published an extract from it in my Acta Cancellariæ (Benning, 1847). On further examination of the whole of the document in question, I find it distinctly stated, and of course that statement was made on evidence adduced, that Sir George Buck was seised in fee of certain lands and tenements in Boston and Skydbrooke, both of which places, I need scarcely say, are in Lincolnshire. It is therefore, at least, not improbable that the testator was a native of Lincolnshire. It also appears that the proceedings in Chancery were instituted previously to June, 1623; and, inasmuch as Sir George Buck's will is recited in those proceedings, he must have died before they were commenced, and not in September, 1623, as I once supposed. It may, perhaps, aid Mr. Corser's researches to know that the will (which is not to be found at Doctors' Commons) mentions, besides the brother Robert, a sister, Cecilia Buck, who had a son, Stephen, who had a son, George Buck, whom his great uncle, Sir George, made ultimate heir to his lands in Lincolnshire.

Cecil Monro.

Registrars' Office, Court of Chancery.

"A FROG HE WOULD A-WOOING GO."

Your Sexagenarian who dates from "Shooter's Hill," has not hit the mark when he suggests that Anna Bouleyn's marriage with Henry VIII. (in the teeth of the Church) is the hidden mystery of the popular old song,—

 
"Sir Frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother was willing or no."
 

That some courtship in the history of the British monarchy, leaving a deep impression on the public mind, gave rise to this generally diffused ballad, is exceedingly probable; but the style and wording of the song are evidently of a period much later than the age of Henry VIII. Might not the madcap adventure of Prince Charles with Buckingham into Spain, to woo the Infanta, be its real origin? "Heigho! for Antony Rowley" is the chorus. Now "Old Rowley" was a pet name for Charles the Second, as any reader of the Waverley Novels must recollect. No event was more likely to be talked about and sung about at the time, the adventurous nature of the trip being peculiarly adapted to the ballad-monger.

Francis Mahony.

"A Frog he would a-wooing go" (Vol. ii., p. 45.)—Your correspondent T. S. D. is certainly right in his notion that the ballad of "A frog he would a-wooing go" is very old, however fanciful may be his conjecture about its personal or political application to Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn. That it could not refer to "the Cavaliers and the Roundheads," another of T. S. D.'s notions, is clear from the fact, that it was entered at Stationers' Hall in November, 1581; as appears by the quotation made by Mr. Payne Collier, in his second volume of Extracts, printed for the Shakspeare Society last year. It runs thus:—

"Edward White. Lycensed unto him, &c., theis iiij. ballads followinge, that is to saie, A moste strange weddinge of the frogge and the mowse," &c.

Upon this entry Mr. Collier makes this note:

"The ballad can hardly be any other than the still well-known comic song 'A Frog he would a-wooing go.'"

It may have been even older than 1581, when Edward White entered it; for it is possible that it was then only a reprint of an earlier production. I, like Mr. Collier, have heard it sung "in our theatres and streets," and, like T. S. D., always fancied that it was ancient.

The Hermit of Holyport.

Rowley Powley.—As generally inclined to the belief that everything is older than anybody knows of, I am rather startled by "Rowley Powley" not being as old as myself. I remember seeing mentioned somewhere, without any reference to this chorus, that rowley powley is a name for a plump fowl, of which both "gammon and spinach" are posthumous connexions. I cannot help thinking that this may be a clue to some prior occurrence of the chorus, with or without the song. If "derry down," which has been said to be druidical, were judged of by the last song it went with, how old would be the Druids?

M.

"A Frog he would a-wooing go."—It may perhaps be interesting to some of your correspondents on the subject of "A frog he would a-wooing go," to know that there exists an Irish version of that woeful tale, which differs in several respects from the ballad which has so long been familiar to English ears. The burthen of "Heigho! says Rowley," does not occur in the Hibernian composition, but a still less intelligible chorus supplies its place. The air is exceedingly quaint, and seems to me to bear the stamp of antiquity. The words are as follow:—

 
"Misther Frog lived in a well,
Heigho! my lanti-iddity!
And the merry mouse in the mill,
Terry heigho! for lang for liddity!
Says Mr. Frog, 'I will go coort,'
Heigho, &c.
'Saddle me nag and polish me boots!'
Terry heigho, &c.
Frog came to Lady Mouse's hall,
Heigho, &c.
Gave a rap and thundering call,
Terry heigho, &c.
'Where is the people of this house?'
Heigho, &c.
'Here am I,' says my Lady Mouse,
Terry heigho, &c.
'I've come to court Miss Kitty here,'
Heigho, &c.
'If that she can fancy me.'
Terry heigho, &c.
'Uncle Rat is not at home;'
Heigho, &c.
'He'll give you an answer—I have none,'
Terry heigho, &c.
Uncle Rat, when he came in,
Heigho, &c.
'Who's been here since I left home?'
Terry heigho, &c.
'Misther Frog, a worthy man;'
Heigho, &c.
'Give him a wife, Sir, if you can,'
Terry heigho, &c.
'Where shall we make the bride's bed?'
Heigho, &c.
'Down below, in the Horse's Head.'
Terry heigho, &c.
'What shall we have for the wedding supper?'
Heigho, &c.
'A roasted potato and a roll o' butter.'
Terry heigho, &c.
Supper was laid down to dine,
Heigho, &c.
Changed a farthing and brought up wine,
Terry heigho, &c.
First come in was a nimble bee,
Heigho, &c.
With his fiddle upon his knee,
Terry heigho, &c.
Next come in was a creeping snail,
Heigho, &c.
With his bagpipes under his tail,
Terry heigho, &c.
Next came in was a neighbour's pig,
Heigho, &c.
'Pray, good people, will ye play us a jig?'
Terry heigho, &c.
Next come in was a neighbour's hen,
Heigho, &c.
Took the fiddler by the wing,
Terry heigho, &c.
Next come in was a neighbour's duck,
Heigho, &c.
Swallow'd the piper, head and pluck,
Terry heigho, &c.
Next come in was a neighbour's cat,
Heigho, &c.
Took the young bride by the back,
Terry heigho, &c.
Misther Frog jumped down the well,
Heigho, &c.
'Zounds, I'll never go coort again!'
Terry heigho, &c.
Uncle Rat run up a wall,
Heigho, &c.
'Zounds, the divil's among you all!'
Terry heigho, &c."
 

W. A. G.