in Yorkshire; who, in the most obliging manner, gave full permission to subjoin it to the poem. Warncliffe Lodge, and Warncliffe Wood (vulgarly pronounced Wantley), are in the parish of Penniston, in Yorkshire. The rectory of Penniston was part of the dissolved monastery of St. Stephen's, Westminster; and was granted to the Duke of Norfolk's family: who therewith endowed an hospital, which he built at Sheffield, for women. The trustees let the impropriation of the great tithes of Penniston to the Wortley family, who got a great deal by it, and wanted to get still more: for Mr. Nicholas Wortley attempted to take the tithes in kind; but Mr. Francis Bosville opposed him, and there was a decree in favour of the modus in 37th Eliz. The vicarage of Penniston did not go along with the rectory, but with the copyhold rents, and was part of a large purchase made by Ralph Bosville, Esq., from Queen Elizabeth, in the second year of her reign: and that part he sold in 12th Eliz. to his elder brother Godfrey, the father of Francis; who left it, with the rest of his estate, to his wife for her life, and then to Ralph third son of his uncle Ralph. The widow married Lyonel Rowlestone, lived eighteen years, and survived Ralph. This premised, the ballad apparently relates to the lawsuit carried on concerning this claim of tithes made by the Wortley family. "Houses and churches were to him geese and turkeys;" which are titheable things, the dragon chose to live on. Sir Francis Wortley, the son of Nicholas, attempted again to take the tithes in kind: but the parishioners subscribed an agreement to defend their modus. And at the head of the agreement was Lyonel Rowlestone, who is supposed to be one of "the stones, dear Jack, which the dragon could not crack." The agreement is still preserved in a large sheet of parchment, dated 1st of James I., and is full of names and seals, which might be meant by the coat of armour "with spikes all about, both within and without." More of More-hall was either the attorney, or counsellor, who conducted the suit He is not distinctly remembered, but More-hall is still extant at the very bottom of Wantley [Warncliff] Wood, and lies so low, that it might be said to be in a well: as the dragon's den [Warncliff Lodge] was at the top of the wood, "with Matthew's house hard by it." The keepers belonging to the Wortley family were named, for many generations, Matthew Northall; the last of them left this lodge, within memory, to be keeper to the Duke of Norfolk. The present owner of More-hall still attends Mr. Bosville's manor-court at Ox-spring, and pays a Rose a year. "More of More-hall, with nothing at all, slew the Dragon of Wantley." He gave him, instead of tithes, so small a modus, that it was in effect nothing at all, and was slaying him with a vengeance. "The poor children three," &c., cannot surely mean the three sisters of Francis Bosville, who would have been co-heiresses had he made no will? The late Mr. Bosville had a contest with the descendants of two of them, the late Sir George Saville's father, and Mr. Copley, about the presentation to Penniston, they supposing Francis had not the power to give this part of the estate from the heirs at law; but it was decided against them. The dragon (Sir Francis Wortley) succeeded better with his cousin Wordesworth, the freehold lord of the manor (for it is the copyhold manor that belongs to Mr. Bosville), having persuaded him not to join the refractory parishioners, under a promise that he would let him his tithes cheap: and now the estates of Wortley and Wordesworth are the only lands that pay tithes in the parish. N.B. The "two days and a night," mentioned in verse 125, as the duration of the combat, was probably that of the trial at law. XIV. St. George for England. THE FIRST PART. As the former song is in ridicule of the extravagant incidents in old ballads and metrical romances; so this is a bur lesque of their style; particularly of the rambling transitions and wild accumulation of unconnected parts, so frequent in many of them. This ballad is given from an old black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, "imprinted at London, 1612." It is more ancient than many of the preceding; but we place it here for the sake of connecting it with the SECOND PART. WHY doe you boast of Arthur and his knightes, How St. George, St. George the dragon made to flee. Mark our father Abraham, when first he rescued Lot He slew the great Goliah, with a stone within a sling: Nor St. George, St. George, who the dragon did confound. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for France; Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. Jephthah and Gideon did lead their men to fight, They conquered the Amorites, and put them all to flight: Hercules his labours 'were' on the plaines of Basse; And Sampson slew a thousand with the jawbone of an asse, And eke he threw a temple downe, and did a mighty spoyle: But St. George, St. George he did the dragon foyle. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for France; Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. The warres of ancient monarchs it were too long to tell, And likewise of the Romans, how farre they did excell; Hannyball and Scipio in many a fielde did fighte: Remus and Romulus, were they that Rome did builde: The noble Alphonso, that was the Spanish king, The order of the red scarffes and bandrolles in did bring1: He had a troope of mighty knightes, when first he did begin, Which sought adventures farre and neare, they might win; that conquest The ranks of the Pagans he often put to flight: But St. George, St. George did with the dragon fight. Many 'knights' have fought with proud Tamberlaine: In the forest of Acon slew both woolfe and beare: Besides that noble Hollander, 'sir' Goward with the bill: But St. George, St. George the dragon's blood did spill. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for France; Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. Valentine and Orson were of king Pepin's blood: This probably alludes to "An ancient Order of Knighthood, called the Bevis conquered Ascapart, and after slew the boare, moore: Sir Isenbras and Eglamore, they were knightes most bold; And good Sir John Mandeville of travel much hath told: There were many English knights that Pagans did convert: But St. George, St. George pluckt out the dragon's heart. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for France; Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. The noble earl of Warwick, that was call'd sir Guy, He slew the giant Brandimore, and after was the death Of that most ghastly dun cowe, the divell of Dunsmore heath; Besides his noble deeds all done beyond the seas: Richard Coeur-de-lion, erst king of this land, Besides his famous actes done in the holy lande: Henry the fifth he conquered all France, And quartered their arms, his honour to advance: 2 Alluding to the fabulous exploits attributed to this king in the old RoSee the Dissertation prefixed to this volume. mances. |