Notes and Queries, Number 19, March 9, 1850

A.B.

Decking Churches with Yew on Easter Day.—In the village of Berkely near Frome, Somerset, and on the borders of Wiltshire, the church is decorated on Easter Sunday with yew, evidently as an emblem of the Resurrection. Flowers in churches on that day are common, but I believe the use of yew to be unusual.

W. Durrant Cooper.

Strewing Straw or Chaff.—The custom mentioned by your correspondent "B." (p. 245.) as prevailing in Gloucestershire, is not peculiar to that county. In Kent, it is commonly practised by the rustics. The publican, all the world over, decorates his sign-board with a foaming can and pipes, to proclaim the entertainment to be found within. On the same principle, these rustics hang up their sign-board,—as one of them, with whom I was once remonstrating, most graphically explained to me. When they knew of a house where the master deems a little wholesome discipline necessary to ensure the obedience of love, considering it a pity that the world should be ignorant of his manly virtues, they strew "well threshed" chaff or straw before his door, as an emblematical sign-board, to proclaim that the sweet fare and "good entertainment" of a "well threshed" article may be found within. The custom, at all events, has one good tendency, it shames the tyrant into restraint, when he knows that his cowardly practices are patent to the world.

Lambert B. Larking.

FOLK LORE OF WALES

No. 1. Cron Annwn.—When a storm sounds over the mountains, the Welsh peasant will tell you that his ear discerns the howl of the Cron Annwn mingling with that of the wind, yet as clearly distinct from it as is the atmosphere in a diving-bell from that of the surrounding waters. These dogs of Annwn, or "couriers of the air," are spirit hounds, who hunt the souls of the dead; or, as occasionally said, they foretell, by their expectant cries, the approaching death of some man of evil deeds. Few have ever pretended to see them; for few, we presume, would linger until they dawned on the sight; but they are described by Taliesin, and in the Mabinogion, as being of a clear shining white, with red ears; colouring which confirms the author of the Mythology of the Ancient Druids in the idea that these dogs were "a mystical transformation of the Druids with their white robes and red tiaras." Popular superstition, however, which must always attribute ugliness to an object of fear, deems that they are either jet black, with eyes and teeth of fire, or of a deep red, and dripping all over with gore. "The nearer," says the Rev. Edmund Jones, "they are to a man, the less their voice is, and the farther the louder, sometimes swelling like the voice of a great hound, or a blood-hound."

They are sometimes accompanied by a female fiend, called Malt y nos—Mathilda or Malen of the night, a somewhat ubiquitous character, with whom we meet under a complication of names and forms.

Jones of Brecon, who tells us that the cry of the Cron Annwn is as familiar to the inhabitants of Ystrad Fellte and Pont Neath-vaughan [in Glamorganshire] as the watchman's rattle in the purlieus of Covent Garden—for he lived in the days when watchmen and their rattles were yet among the things of this world—considers that to these dogs, and not to a Greek myth, may be referred the hounds, Fury, Silver, Tyrant, &c., with which Prospero hunts his enemies "soundly," in the Tempest. And they must recall to the minds of our readers the wisk, wisked, or Yesk hounds of Devon, which are described in the Athenæum for March 27. 1847, as well as the Maisne Hellequin of Normandy and Bretagne.

There has been much discussion respecting the signification of the word Annwn, which has been increased by the very frequent mistake of writing it Anwn, which means, unknown, strange, and is applied to the people who dwell in the antipodes of the speaker; while Annwn is an adaptation of annwfn, a bottomless or immeasurable pit, voidless space, and also Hell. Thus we find, that when Pwyl, or Reason, drives these dogs off their track, the owner comes up, and, reproving him, declares that he is a crowned king, lord of Annwn and Pendaran, i.e. chief of thunder. (See Myth. Ant. Druids, p. 418.)

This Prince of Darkness is supposed to be the spouse of Andraste, now corrupted into Andras, and equivalent with Malt y nos, the Diana or Hecate of the ancient Britons.

These dogs sometimes appear singly, on which occasions they sit by the side of a stream, howling in so unearthly a manner, that the hapless man who finds one in his path usually loses his senses. This seems to have a connection with the "Manthe Doog" of the Isle of Man; but the tradition is not, we suspect, genuine.

Seleucus.

No. 2. Cyoeraeth or Gwrach-y-rhybin.—Another instance of the grand, though gloomy superstitions of the Cymry, is that of the Cyoeraeth, or hag of the mist, an awful being who is supposed to reside in the mountain fog, through which her supernatural shriek is frequently heard. She is believed to be the very personification of ugliness, with torn and dishevelled hair, long black teeth, lank and withered arms and claws, and a most cadaverous appearance; to this some add, wings of a leathery and bat-like substance.

The name Cy-oer-aeth, the last two syllables of which signify cold-grief, is most descriptive of the sad wail which she utters, and which will, it is said, literally freeze the veins of those who hear it; she is rarely seen, but is heard at a cross-road, or beside a stream—in the latter case she splashes the water with her hands—uttering her lamentation, as if in allusion to the relatives of those about to die. Thus, if a man hears her cry fy nqwsaig, fy nqwsaig, &c., his wife will surely die, and he will be heard to mourn in the same strain ere long; and so on with other cases. The cadence of this cry can never be properly caught by any one who has not heard, if not a Cyoeraeth, at least a native of Wales, repeat the strain. When merely an inarticulate scream is heard, it is probable that the hearer himself is the one whose death is fore-mourned.

Sometimes she is supposed to come like the Irish banshee, in a dark mist, to the windows of those who have been long ill; when flapping her wings against the pane, she repeats their names with the same prolonged emphasis; and then it is thought that they must die.

It is this hag who forms the torrent beds which seam the mountain side; for she gathers great stones in her cloak to make her ballast, when she flies upon the storm; and when about to retire to her mountain cave, she lets them drop progressively as she moves onwards, when they fall with such an unearthly weight that they lay open the rocky sides of the mountain.

In some parts of South Wales this hag of the mists either loses her sway, or divides it with a more dignified personage, who, in the form of an old man, and under the name of Brenhin Llwyd, the grey king, sits ever silent in the mist.

Any one who has witnessed the gathering and downward rolling of a genuine mountain fog must fully appreciate the spirit in which men first peopled the cloud with such supernatural beings a those above described; or with those which dimly, yet constantly, pervade the much-admired Legend of Montrose.

Seleucus.

WILLIAM BASSE AND HIS POEMS

I regret that I am unable to offer any information in answer to "Mr. P. Collier's" inquiry (No. 13. p. 200.) respecting the existence of a perfect or imperfect copy of a poem by William Basse on the Death of Prince Henry, printed at Oxford by Joseph Barnes, 1613, and am only aware of such a poem from the slight mention of it by Sir Harris Nicolas in his beautiful edition of Walton's Complete Angler, p. 422. But as the possessor of the 4to. MS. volume of poems by Basse, called Polyhymnia, formerly belonging to Mr. Heber, I feel greatly interested in endeavouring to obtain some further biographical particulars of Basse,—of whom, although personally known to Isaac Walton, the author of one or two printed volumes of poems, and of the excellent old songs of "the Hunter in his Career" and "Tom of Bedlam," and worthy of having his verses on Shakspeare inserted among his collected poems, yet the notices we at present possess are exceedingly slight. We learn from Anth. Wood, in his Ath. Oxon., vol. iv. p. 222., that Basse was a native of Moreton, near Thame in Oxfordshire, and was for some time a retainer of Sir Richard Wenman, Knt., afterwards Viscount Wenman, in the peerage of Ireland. He seems also to have been attached to the noble family of Norreys of Ricot in Oxfordshire, which is not far from Thame; and addressed some verses to Francis Lord Norreys, Earl of Berkshire, from which I quote one or two stanzas, and in the last of which there is an allusion to the [plainness of the] author's personal appearance:

"O true nobilitie, and rightly grac'dWith all the jewels that on thee depend,Where goodnesse doth with greatnesse live embrac'd,And outward stiles, on inward worth attend.Where ample lands, in ample hands are plac'dAnd ancient deeds, with ancient coats descend:Where noble bloud combin'd with noble spiritForefathers fames, doth with their formes inherit."Where ancestors examples are perus'dNot in large tomes, or costly tombs alone,But in their heires: and being dayly us'dAre (like their robes) more honourable growne,Where Loyalty with Piety is infus'd,And publique rights are cherish'd w'th their owne;Where worth still finds respect, good friend, good word,Desart, reward. And such is Ricot's Lord."But what make I (vaine voyce) in midst of allThe Quires that have already sung the fameOf this great House, and those that henceforth shall(As that will last) for ever sing the same.But, if on me, my garland instly fall,I justly owe my musique to this name.For he unlawfully usurps the BayesThat has not sung in noble Norrey's prayse."In playne (my honour'd Lord) I was not borne,Audacious vowes, or forraigne legs to use,Nature denyed my outside to adorne,And I, of art to learne outsides refuse.Yet haveing of them both, enough to scorneSilence, & vulgar prayse, this humble museAnd her meane favourite; at yo'r comandChose in this kinde, to kisse your noble hand."

His Polyhymnia is dedicated to the sister of this person, the Lady Bridget, Countess of Lindsey, and Baroness of Eresbie and of Ricot. Besides the "Anglers' Song" made at Walton's request, and the before-mentioned two songs, which are given at length in the Appendix to the Complete Angler, p. 420., Sir H. Nicolas's edit., besides these, and the verses "on William Shakespeare, who died in April, 1616," sometimes called "Basse his Elegie on Shakespeare," which appear in the edition of Shakespeare's Poems of 1640, 8vo., and are reprinted in Malone's edition of his Plays, vol. i. p. 470.: another poem by William Basse will be found in the collection entitled Annalia Dubrensia, upon the Yearely Celebration of Mr. Robert Dover's Olympick Games upon Cotswold Hills, 4to. 1636. This consists of ten stanzas, of eight lines each, "To the noble and fayre Assemblies, the harmonious concourse of Muses, and their Ioviall entertainer, my right generous Friend, Master Robert Dover, upon Cotswold." Basse was also, as Mr. Collier remarks, the author of a poem, which I have never seen, called Sword and Buckler, or Serving Man's Defence, in six-line stanzas, 4to. Lond., imprinted in 1602. A copy of this was sold in Steevens's sale, No. 767., and is now among "Malone's Collection of Early Poetry" in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. And, according to Ritson, he wrote another work, published in the same year, viz. Three Pastorall Elegies of Anander, Anytor and Muridella, entered to Joseph Barnes, 28 May, 1692, of which I am not aware that any copy is now in existence. These, with the addition of Great Brittaines Sunnes-set, bewailed with a Shower of Teares, at Oxford, printed by Joseph Barnes, 1613, the fragment of which is in the possession of Mr. Collier, appear, as far as I can yet ascertain, to be the only known publications of William Basse, with his name attached to them in full. Other works, however, have been attributed to him from the similarity of the initials,—but most of them probably without much foundation; viz. 1. Scacchia Ludus: Chesse-play: a poetical translation of Vida's poem at the end of Ludus Sacchiæ, Chesse-Play, by W.B. 4to. Lond. 1597; by Ritson. 2. A Helpe to Discourse; or a Miscelany of Merriment, by W.B. and E.P. 2nd edit. 8vo. Lond. 1620; by Mr. Malone. And 3. That which seemes Best is Worst, exprest in a Paraphrastical Transcript of Iuuenals tenth Satyre. Together with the Tragicall Narration of Virginius Death interserted, by W.B. small 8vo. Lond.; imprinted by Felix Kyngston, 1617, by Mr. Octavius Gilchrist, who however rather leans to the opinion of William Barkstead being the author, from the circumstance of his having, as early as 1607, paraphrased, much in a similar way, the interesting tale of Myrrha, the mother of Adonis, from the 10th Book of the Metamorphoses. (See Restitutu, vol. i. p. 41.)

Cole, in his MS. Collectanea for Athenæ Cantabrigiensis, says:

"Mr. Knight, jun. shewed me a MS. written by William Basse, and corrected by him, in 4to., called Polyhymnia.—Dedication. To the Right Noble and vertuous Lady, the Lady Bridget, Countess of Lindsey, and Baroness of Eresbie and Ricot, in verse, with Verses to the Right Hon. Francis Lord Norreys, Earl of Berkshire (in his days). To the Right Hon. the Lady Aungier (then wife of Sir Thos. Wenman) upon her coming out of Ireland and return thither. To the Right Hon. the lady Viscountess Falkland, upon her going into Ireland, two Sonnets. The Youth in the Boat. Acrostics of the truly noble, vertuous, and learned Lady, the Lady Agnes Wenman; of the Lady Penelope Dynham; of Mrs. Jane Wenman. Verses on the Chapel of Wadham College consecration, St. Peter's Day, 1613; on Caversham or Causham House; of Witham House, Oxfordshire, the house of a noble Knight, and favourer of my Muse; and Elegy on a Bullfinch, 1648; of the Four Mile Course of Bayaides Green, six times run over, by two famous Irish footmen, Patrick Dorning and William O'Farrell.—It contains about 40 leaves, much corrected, and at the end is 'L'Envoy':—

"'Go, sweet Polymnia, thanks for all your costAnd love to me; wherein no love is lost.As you have taught me various verse to use,I have to right you to be a Christian Muse.'"

I have been thus particular in transcribing this passage from Cole, because this copy, mentioned as being in the possession of Mr. Knight, jun. (quere, where is it now?), varies from mine, obtained from Mr. Heber's Collection, and was no doubt the one prepared and corrected for the press by Basse. The following poems, mentioned by Cole, are not in my copy:—

"To the Right Hon. the Lady Aungier (then wife of Sir Thos. Wenman) upon her coming out of Ireland, and return thither. Acrostics of the truly noble, vertuous, and learned Lady, the Lady Agnes Wenman; of the Lady Penelope Dynham; of Mrs. Jane Wenman. Verses on the Chapel of Wadham College consecration, St. Peter's Day, 1613; and on Caversham or Causham House."

My copy, however, contains the following poems, not mentioned in the other:—

"Of a Great Floud; of the Raine-bowe; of Pen and Pensill, upon a fayre and vertuous Ladye's Picture; and the Spirituall Race."

The MS. contains 52 leaves, beautifully written without any corrections, and is in the original binding. It was procured by Mr. Heber from Hanwell, the Bookseller in Oxford, who had probably purchased it on the taking down of Ricot, the old seat of the Norreys family, and the dispersion of its contents. It has the autograph of Francis Lord Norreys on the fly-leaf, and was no doubt a presentation copy to him from Basse. The poetry of this work does not rise above mediocrity, and is not equal in thought or vigour to the Epitaph on Shakspeare. The chief portion of the volume is occupied with the singular tale of "The Youth in the Boat," which is divided into two parts; the first, containing (with the introduction) 59 verses of four lines each, and the second 163, exclusive of the "Morall," which occupies 11 more.

We know that it was Basse's intention to have published these poems, from some lines addressed by Dr. Ralph Bathurst "To Mr. W. Basse upon the intended publication of his poems, January 13. 1651," which are given in Warton's Life and Literary Remains of Dean Bathurst, 8vo. 1761, p. 288. In these lines the Dean compares Basse, who was still living, "to an aged oak," and says:—

"Though thy grey Muse grew up with elder times,And our deceased Grandsires lisp'd thy rhymes,Yet we can sing thee too."

From these lines, therefore, written nearly 50 years after the publication of his former works in 1602, when we may reasonably suppose he could not have been under 20, it is certain that Basse was then well stricken in years; and the probability is, that he died very shortly afterwards, and that this was the reason of the non-publication of his poems. It is possible that a search into the registers at Thame or that neighbourhood, or in the court at Oxford, might settle this point, and also furnish some further information concerning his family and connections. Cole mentions that a person of both his names was admitted a sizar in Emanuel College, Cambridge, in 1629, of Suffolk, and took his degree of B.A. in 1632 and M.A. in 1636. But this was too modern a date for our poet, and might possibly be his son.

I have been informed that in Winchester College library, in a 4to. volume, there are some poems by Mr. William Basse; but the title of the volume I have not been able to obtain.

Mr. Collier concludes his remarks, with a supposition that Basse "was a musical composer, as well as writer of verses." I believe Mr. C. to be right in this notion, from a passage which I find in the commencement of the 2nd Part of "The Youth in the Boat," where, alluding to "sweete Calliope," he remarks:—

"A Muse to whom in former dayesI was extremely bound,When I did sing in Musiques prayse,And Voyces heau'nly sound."

And from the circumstance also of one of the Ballads in the Roxburghe Collection, "Wit's never good till 'tis bought," being sung to the tune of "Basse's Carreere." Mr. Collier has reprinted this in his elegant Book of Roxburghe Ballads, 4to. 1847, p. 264., and says:—

"The tune to which is sung, 'Basse's Carreere,' means of course, the tune mentioned in Walton's Angler, 'The Hunter in his Career,' composed, as he states by William Basse."

I have a distant recollection of having seen other pieces in some of our early musical works, composed by Basse. Sir Harris Nicolas, also, in the "Life of Walton," prefixed to his edition of The Complete Angler, p. cxx., says:—

"He (Walton) appears to have been fond of poetry and music.... and was intimate with Basse, an eminent composer, in whose science he took great interest."

I fear that these notices of William Basse, thus collected together from scattered sources, will not afford much information to Mr. Collier, beyond what he is already possessed of; but they may possibly interest others, who may not be quite so conversant with our early writers as that gentleman is known to be. I shall feel much gratified and obliged if he or any other of your correspondents will add any further notices or communications respecting one who may possibly have been personally known to Shakspeare, but whose name, at all events, will be handed down to posterity in connection with that of our immortal bard.

THOMAS CORSER,

Stand Rectory, Feb. 22. 1850.

JOHN STOWE

In the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. vii., new series, p. 48., is a clever notice of the life and works of the venerable John Stowe. It says:—

"The biographers have affirmed that he quitted his trade; but there is nothing to authorize that assertion in what he says himself upon the subject."

In the preface to an edition of the Summarie for the Year 1575, now in my possession, Stowe says:—

"It is nowe x yeres, since I (seeing the confuse order of our late englishe Chronicles, and the ignorant handling of aunciet affaires) leaning myne own peculiar gains, coscerated my selfe to the searche of our famous antiquities."

Stowe was born in 1525; he was then 40 years of age when he gave up his "peculiar gains," and devoted himself entirely to antiquarian labours. There had already appeared his edition of Chaucer in 1561, also the commencement of the Summaries; but his greater works, the Annals, Survey of London, &c., were not published till several years after.

In his old age he was reduced to poverty, or rather to actual beggary; for shortly before his death, when fourscore years old, he was permitted, by royal letters patent, to become a mendicant. This curious document is printed in Mr. Bolton Corney's Curiosities of Literature Illustrated, and sets forth, that

"Whereas our louing Subject, John Stowe, this fine & forty yeers hath to his great charge, & with neglect of his ordinary meanes of maintenance (for the generall good as well of posteritie, as of the present age) compiled and published diuerse necessary bookes & Chronicles; and therefore we, in recompense of these his painfull laboures, & for the encouragement to the like, haue in our royall inclination ben pleased to graunt our Letters Patents &c. &c.; thereby authorizing him and his deputies to collect amongst our louing subjects, theyr voluntary contributions & kinde gratuities."

The whole preface to this edition of the Summarie is curious, and is followed by a List of "Authors out of whom this Summary is collected."

In Hearne's Robert of Gloster, preface, p. lxi., allusion is made to these Summaries. He says:—

"I have not yet met with a copy of this Summary in which we have an account of his authors."

After a panegyric on Stowe's incredible industry he says:—

"Sir Roger Lestrange, talking some years before his death with a very ingenious and learned Gentleman about our Historians, was pleased to say, that it was always a wonder to him, that the very best that had penn'd our History in English should be a poor Taylour, honest John Stowe. Sir Roger said a Taylour, because Stowe, as is reported, was bred a cap-maker. The trade of Cap-making was then much in fashion, Hats being not at that time much in request."

J.E.N.

TRANSPOSITION OF LETTERS

The only reason, I imagine, which can be given for the transposition of letters spoken of by Mr. Williams (No. 12. p. 184.), is that it was done on "phonetic" principles—for the sake of euphony:—the new way was felt or fancied to be easier to the organs of speech, or (which is nearly the same) pleasanter to those of hearing. Such alterations have at all times been made,—as is well known to those versed in the earlier stages of the language,—and often most arbitrarily. It is needless to say that "provincial and vulgar" usage throws much light on the changes in the forms of words; and perhaps a little attention to the manner in which words are altered by the peasantry would illustrate the point in question more than a learned comment.

No form of verbal corruption is more frequent throughout the rural districts of England than that produced by the transposition of letters, especially of consonants: such words as world, wasp, great, are, as every one knows, still ordinarily (though less frequently than a dozen years ago) pronounced wordle, waps, gurt. So with names of places: thus Cholsey (Berks.) is called Chosley.

The dropping of a letter is to be accounted for in a like manner. Probably the word was first pronounced short, and when the ear became accustomed to the shortened sound, the superfluous (or rather unpronounced) letter would be dropped in writing. In proper names, to which your correspondent particularly refers, we observe this going on extensively in the present day. Thus, in Caermarthen and Caernarvon, though the e is etymologically of importance, it is now very generally omitted—and that by "those in authority:" in the Ordnance Maps, Parliamentary "Blue Books," and Poor-law documents, those towns are always spelled Carnarvon, Carmarthen. A still more striking instance is that of a well-known village on the Thames, opposite Runnimede. Awhile back it was commonly spelled Wyrardisbury; now it appears on the time-tables of the South-Western Railway (and perhaps elsewhere) Wraysbury, which very nearly represents the local pronunciation.