Some rade upo horse, some ran a fit, Mean time far hind out owre the lee, For snug in a glen, where nane could see, Cut frae a new cheese a whang. The priving was gude, it pleas'd them baith, Quo she, to leave thee, I will be laith, O kend my minny I were wi' zou, Sic a poor man sheld nevir trow, Aftir the gaberlunzie-mon. My dear, quo he, zee're zet owre zonge; To follow me frae toun to toun, And carrie the gaberlunzie on. 70 Wi' kauk and keel, Ill win zour bread, While we sall sing and be merrie-o. 80 XI. On Thomas Lord Cromwell. It is ever the fate of a disgraced minister to be forsaken by his friends, and insulted by his enemies, always reckoning among the latter the giddy inconstant multitude. We have here a spurn at fallen greatness from some angry partisan of declining Popery, who could never forgive the downfall of their Diana, and loss of their craft. The ballad seems to have been composed between the time of Cromwell's commitment to the Tower, June 11, 1540, and that of his being beheaded July 28, following. A short interval! but Henry's passion for Catherine Howard would admit of no delay. Notwithstanding our libeller, Cromwell had many excellent qualities: his great fault was too 'much obsequiousness to the arbitrary will of his master; but let it be considered that this master had raised him from obscurity, and that the high-born nobility had shown him the way in every kind of mean and servile compliance. The original copy printed at London in 1540, is entitled "A newe ballade made of Thomas Crumwel, called Trolle on Away." To it is prefixed this distich by way of burthen, Trolle on away, trolle on awaye. Synge heave and howe rombelowe trolle on away. BOTH man and chylde is glad to here tell Synge trolle on away. When fortune lokyd the in thy face, Thou haddyst fayre tyme, but thou lackydyst grace; 5 Thy cofers with golde thou fyllydst a pace. Synge, &c. Both plate and chalys came to thy fyst, Thou lockydst them vp where no man wyst, Tyll in the kynges treasoure suche thinges were myst. Synge, &c. Both crust and crumme came thorowe thy handes, 10 Synge, &c. Fyrste when kynge Henry, God saue his grace! 15 Synge, &c. Hys grace was euer of gentyll nature, Mouyd with petye, and made the hys seruyture: But thou, as a wretche, suche thinges dyd procure. Synge, &c. Thou dyd not remembre, false heretyke, One God, one fayth, and one kynge catholyke, 20 Synge, &c. Thou woldyst not learne to knowe these thre; Wherfore all this lande hathe ben troubled with the. Synge, &c. 25 All they, that were of the new trycke, Agaynst the churche thou baddest them stycke; Synge, &c. Both sacramentes and sacramentalles Thou woldyst not suffre within thy walles; 30 Synge, &c. Of what generacyon thou were no tonge can tell, Or else sent vs frome the deuyll of hell. Thou woldest neuer to vertue applye, Synge, &c. But couetyd euer to clymme to hye, Synge, &c. Who-so-euer dyd winne thou wolde not lose; Wherfore all Englande doth hate the, as I suppose, Bycause thou wast false to the redolent rose. 35 Synge, &c. Ver. 32, i. e. Cain, or Ishmael. See below, the note, book ii. no. iii, stanza 3d. Thou myghtest have learned thy cloth to flocke 40 Upon thy gresy fullers stocke; Wherfore lay downe thy heade vpon this blocke. Synge, &c. Yet saue that soule, that God hath bought, And for thy carcas care thou nought, Synge, &c. God saue kyng Henry with all his power, Synge trolle on awaye, syng trolle on away. 45 V. 41, Cromwell's father is generally said to have been a blacksmith at Putney: but the author of this ballad would insinuate that either he himself, or some of his ancestors, were fullers by trade. The foregoing piece gave rise to a poetic controversy, which was carried on through a succession of seven or eight ballads, written for and against Lord Cromwell. These are all preserved in the archives of the Antiquarian Society, in a large folio Collection of Proclamations, &c., made in the reigns of King Henry VIII., King Edward VI., Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James I., &c. |