Bailiff's Daughter of Islington (LON) c1672 Child A a
[Child A a is taken from Roxburghe Ballads, Volume 6 by Chappell. Chappell's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
The Roxburghe Ballads, Volume 6
By William Chappell
The "Bailiff's Daughter of Islington.
"Oh Love! that stronger art than Wine,
Pleasing delusion, witchery divine,
Wont to be priz'd above all wealth,
Disease that has more joys than Health:
Tho' we blaspheme thee in our pain,
And of thy tyranny complain.
We all are better'a by thy reign." —Aphra Behn's Lucky Chance, iii. 4, 1687.
No mischief might befall if we left without settlement, before reaching a cosy corner in the Elysian Fields, an unsatisfactory dispute wherewith certain learned pundits have disquieted themselves regarding the precise locality indicated in the following ballad. The answer might be postponed; awaiting solution along with sundry riddles proposed in Hydriotaphia. The question is simply this: whether the 'Islington' here mentioned was some apocryphal microscopic agglomeration of wigwams, a "fortuitous congregation of atoms" (invisible on all save Ordnance maps), in Norfolk; or else the more pleasant suburban village-grown-town of Islington in Middlesex, "very dear to fancy." Thither on holidays the London 'Prentices joyfully escorted their sweethearts, to regale them with far-famed cheese-cakes, curds and cream, custards, or pudding-pyes; even on "the day that comes between the Saturday and Monday." Martin Parker's Medley (Roxb. Bds., i. 55), circd 1647, records "At Inlington there's pudding-pyes, hot custards."
Dr. Thomas Percy imagined that the Bailiff's Daughter had dwelt at Norfolk-Islington (and both J. 0. Halliwell-Phillipps and John Glyde, Junior, agree, they respectively including the ballad in The Norfolk Anthology, p. 53, and The Norfolk Garland, p. 241). We cling with orthodox belief to Islington in Middlesex.
Nota Bene.—Islington in Norfolk is so small that it was obliged to be conjoined with another village in order to become visible. It is Tilney-cumItlingUm, five miles W.S.W. from Lynn. It had feebly emerged from the ooze of the Wash before Queen Bess came to the throne; hence, in momentary ardour, it secured a parish-register, dating from 1559. The Vicarage was in 1874 granted to the Bev. W. B. Punsfer (not a Punster, as mis-reported); chiefly because no other Fellow than one belonging to the Boyal Geographical Society could possibly have found it. The combined population, by gigantic efforts, had, in 1881, reached the number of 275 souls, or bodies, including twins, all told. Two centuries ago Thomas Jordan or any other person would have scorned to write a ballad on one of its half-dozen inhabitants, or to fancy it a Bailiewicked place.
The Norfolkians of old were proverbially litigious, and discontented. "The Lass of Lynn " was an exception, who said, "Aye, marry, and thank you too!" From Tilney, following the pilgrim Mayflower across the Atlantic, some of them escaped to Massachusetts. They there founded another miniature Islington! Does it claim to have produced " The Bailiff's Daughter " as its very own? If not, then why not? We pause for a reply, by cable, from a clever Child.
We admit that the distance to be traversed by either of the lovers, botween the most northern estate in Middlesex township of Islington and the southernmost City warehouse, may appear insufficient to account for their being held asunder so long; being only two or three hours ramble across the pleasant intervening meadows of old time: and "The walks of Islington and Hogsdon" were celebrated by Thomas Jordan the ballad-writer, and his comedy licensed, so early as August 2nd, 1641. This short distance may inadequately meet the requirements of the story. There would appear to be less likelihood of the Esquire's Son being thus kept apart from reunion with his Lady-love, while he fulfilled his seven years of apprenticeship in London, and she remained dwelling so nigh, that half a day's journey would have brought them together, than if they were separated by nearly a hundred miles. But surely they were ruled by other considerations than distance! She may have been closely watched and guarded; moreover, maidenly modesty kept her from following him uninvited, until separation became insupportable any longer. If either of them had been resolute in will at earlier date, so short a journey as that between London and Norfolk would not have hindered them. But in such a case the maiden must have necessarily spent more than one day on the road, and we hear nothing whatever of any nightfall, or of Buch fears as nightfall would occasion. We regard this fact as utterly destructive of the Norfolk-Islington theory.
As to her disguising herself, and going to meet him, whom she knew at once, while she was unrecognized in face or voice, is there any great difficulty here? We are accustomed to the vagaries of true affection, and she had thought of him more constantly than he believed possible: "Many a tear have I shed for her sake, when she little thought of me!" So men flatter themselves as to their superior constancy; nevertheless, "Man's love is of man's life a thing apart; 'tis Woman's whole existence." She travelled only part of one day, but she was anxious and affrighted; no wonder that her face flushed rosy red, and at first seemed unfamiliar to him, although he had never forgotten how she used to look in girlhood. To us the directness of the narrative is perfect.
For the purpose of the ballad-singer, we maintain that our nowsuburban Islington was to all useful intents far enough distant; and we feel sure that London 'Prentices or their sweethearts would not have loved and sang this charming ballad, if they had not habitually associated the name of it with their own favourite haunt. Who cared a Brummagem-button about Norfolk? It is a far cry to Loch Awe! Our own northern heights of Middlesex lent sufficient romance to the story, and ensured its popularity. Esto perpetua.
[Roxburghe Coll., II. 457; III. 690; IV. 56. Pepys, III. 258. Douce, II. 239; III. 94.]
True Love Requited:
Or, The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington.
The Young-man's Friends the Maid did scorn,
'Cause she was poor and left forlorn;
They sent the Esquire to London fair,
To be an Apprentice seven year:
And when he out on's time was come,
He met his Love a going home,
And then, to end all farther strife,
He took the Maid to be his Wife.
THere was a youth, and a well-belov'd youth,
and he was a 'Squire's Son; [" Esquire's."
He loved the Bayliff's daughter dear,
that lived in Islington. 4
[But] she was coy, and she would not believe
that he did love her so;
No, nor at any time she would
any countenance to him shew. 8
But when his friends did understand
his fond and foolish mind,
They sent him up to fair London,
an Apprentice for to bind. 12
And when he had been seven long years,
and his Love he did not see; [a.l. "had not seen"
"Many a tear have I shed for her sake,
when she little thought of me!" 16
All the Maids of Islington
went forth to sport and play;
All but the Bayliff's Daughter dear,
she secretly stole away. 20
[Then] she put off her gown of gray,
and put on her puggish attire;[1]
She is up to fair London gone,
her true Love to require. 24
[Now] as she went along the Road,
the weather being hot and dry,
There was she aware of her true Love,
at length came riding by. 28
She stept to him, as red as any Rose,
and took him by the bridle-ring;
"I pray you, kind Sir, give me one penny,
to ease my weary limb." 32
"I prithee, Sweet-heart, can'st thou tell me
where that thou wast born?"
"At Islington, kind Sir," said she,
"where I have had many a scorn." 36
"I prithee, Sweet-heart, can'st thou tell me,
whether thou dost know
The Bayliff's Daughter of Islington?"
"She is dead, Sir, long ago!" 40
"Then will I sell my goodly Steed,
my saddle, and my bow;
I will into some far country,
where no man doth me know." 44
"0 stay! 0 stay, thou goodly Youth!
here she standeth by thy side;
She is alive, she is not dead;
and is ready to be thy Bride." 48
"O farewell grief, and welcome joy,
ten thousand times and more:
For now I have seen ray own true Love,
that I thought I should have seen no more."
1 "Doth set my pugging tooth on edge," Winter's Tale, iv. 2. Ideal, tramper's garb: puggish is thievish. A modernized reading (Percy's) is "ragged attire."
52 Printed for P. Brooksby, at the Golden Ball in Pye- Corner. [Black-letter. Two woodcuts, vary. Brooksby's issue, between 1672 and 1680.]
On our p. 236 we furnished details identifying the borrowed tune. It is sometimes cited as / have a good old Mother at home; sometimes as / have a good old Father at home (i.e. the Sequel, on p. 248); otherwise, / have a good old Wife at home, and / have a good old Woman at home (see Douce Coll., III. 94, II. 229). From a burden, on p. 246, it is known as What shall I do, shall I die for Love!
The tune commonly appropriated to " The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington" is giYen in Mr. William Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, p. 263, and in Eimbault's Musical Illustrations of Percy's Reliques, p. 100. Seeing that both " I have a good old Mother at home," and the similar assertion about a father, are lines in " The Good Fellow: a Song," we give it here, without delay.