No. 284: John Dory
[There are no known US or Canadian traditional versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnote (There is one footnote for this ballad)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Text A
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 284. John Dory
A. Roud No. 249: John Dory (7 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 284. John Dory (Bronson's music examples and texts)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A)
Child's Narrative: 284. John Dory
A. Ravenscroft's Deuteromelia, London, 1609; No 1 of Freemen's Songs, sig. B.
John Dory goes to Paris and offers King John, in return for a pardon asked for himself and his men, to bring the French king all the churls in England in bonds. Nicholl, a Cornish man, fits out a good bark, has an encounter with John Dory, and after a smart fight takes him prisoner.
This ballad had a remarkable popularity in the seventeenth century, as is evinced by the numerous cases of its being cited which Chappell has collected, Popular Music, p. 67 f.[1]
As to the history of the transactions set forth in the ballad, I am not aware that anything has been added to the account given by Carew in his Survey of Cornwall, 1602, p. 135, which Ritson has quoted in the second edition of his Ancient Songs, II, 57, an account which is likely to have been taken from the ballad, with the specification from tradition that Nicholl was "son to a widow near Foy."
"Moreover, the prowess of one Nicholas, son to a widow near Foy, is descanted upon in an old three-man's song, namely, how he fought bravely at sea with John Dory (a Genowey, as I conjecture), set forth by John, the French king, and, after much bloodshed on both sides, took, and slew him, in revenge of the great ravine and cruelty which he had fore committed upon the Englishmen's goods and bodies." (Page 316 of the edition of 1813.)
The king in the ballad would be John II, the Good, who was taken prisoner at Poitiers, and died in 1364. No John Doria is mentioned as being in his service.
Footnote:
1. The song "I cannot eat but little meat," introduced into Gammer Gurton's Needle, which was acted in 1566, was sung to 'John Dory,' says Mr. Chappell, as above; but there is nothing to show that this was the original tune.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
This ballad had a remarkable popularity in the seventeenth century, as is evinced by the numerous cases of its being cited which Chappell has collected (Popular Music, p. 67 f .). As to the history of the transactions set forth in the ballad, an account of them was given by Carew in his Survey of Cornwall, 1602, p. 135, an account which is likely to have been taken from the ballad, with the specification from tradition that Nicholl was "son to a widow near Foy." The king in the ballad would be John II, the Good, who was taken prisoner at Poitiers, and died in 1314. No John Doria is mentioned as being in his service.
Child's Ballad Text
'John Dory'- Version A; Child 284 John Dory
Ravenscroft's Deuteromelia, London, 1609; No 1 of Freemen's Songs, sig. B.
1. As it fell on a holy-day,
And vpon an holy-tide-a,
Iohn Dory bought him an ambling nag,
To Paris for to ride-a.
2 And when John Dory to Paris was come,
A little before the gate-a,
John Dory was fitted, the porter was witted
To let him in thereat-a.
3 The first man that John Dory did meet
Was good king John of France-a;
John Dory could well of his courtesie,
But fell downe in a trance-a.
4 'A pardon, a pardon, my liege and my king,
For my merie men and for me-a,
And all the churles in merie England,
I'le bring them all bound to thee-a.'
5 And Nicholl was then a Cornish man,
A little beside Bohide-a,
And he mande forth a good blacke barke,
With fiftie good oares on a side-a.
6 'Run vp, my boy, vnto the maine top,
And looke what thou canst spie-a:'
'Who ho! who ho! a goodly ship I do see,
I trow it be John Dory[-a']
7 They hoist their sailes, both top and top,
The meisseine and all was tride-a,
And euery man stood to his lot,
What euer should betide-a.
8 The roring cannons then were plide,
And dub-a-dub went the drumme-a;
The braying trumpets lowde they cride
To courage both all and some-a.
9 The grappling-hooks were brought at length,
The browne bill and the sword-a,
John Dory at length, for all his strength,
Was clapt fast vnder board-a.