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Page 14
_The Bailiffe._
And zif ther is any man
That this wittsiggen can
Iche am here ready for to d�n
Azens himself, iche �ne,
Other mid him on,
Other mid twyn feren,
Als we ther weren.
----
"Sir, byleve take this staffe,
This is the Tale of the Wardstaffe."
It will be at once apparent that this is a corrupt transcript of a
semi-Saxon original of much earlier date; and by comparing it with Morant's
very blundering copy, the conjectural corrections I have essayed will be
perceived to be numerous. Many of then will, however, be found not only
warranted, but absolutely necessary, from the accompanying prose account of
the ceremony. The MS. from which it was taken by Morant, was an account of
the Rents of the hundred of Ongar, in the time of John Stonar of Loughton,
who had a grant of it for his life in the 34th year of King Henry VIII. He
seems to have died 12th June, 1566, holding of the Queen, by the twentieth
part of a knight's fee, and the yearly rent of 13l. 16s. 4d., the manor,
park, chase, &c., of Hatfield Broad Oak, with the hundreds of Ongar and
Harlow; and the _Wardstaff_ of the same hundreds, then valued at 101l. 15s.
10d. As the _Wardstaff_ is said by Morant to make a considerable figure in
old records, it is reasonable to hope that a more satisfactory account of
it may still lie amongst unsunned ancient muniments. All the old Teutonic
judicial assemblies were, as Sir F. Palgrave remarks, held in the open air,
beneath the sky and _by the light of the sun_. The following is a part of
the ancient rhyme by which the proceedings of the famous Vehm-Gerichte were
opened, which were first printed by Schottelius, and the whole of which may
be found in Beck's _Geschichte der Westphalischen Fehm-Gerichte_, and in
Sir F. Palgrave's work. The similarity of expression is remarkable.
{59}
"All dewile an d�ssem Dage,
Mit yuwer allen behage,
Under den HELLEN HIMMEL klar,
Ein fry Feld-gericht openbar;
Geheget BYM LECHTEN SONNENSHIN
Mit n�chterm Mund kommen herin,
De toel ock is gesettet recht,
Dat maht befunden uprecht,
So sprecket Recht ane With und Wonne
Up Klage und Antwort, WEIL SCHIENT DIE SONNE."
I must refer to Morant, to Beckwith or Sir F. Palgrave, for the details of
the ceremony of the Wardstaff, which it should appear was observed at least
as late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth, but in Morant's time it had long
been neglected. In the hope that some of your antiquarian correspondents
may be enabled to throw more light on this very curious custom, I will
merely add, that Morant suggests that it is possible some elucidation of it
might be found "in the Evidence House in Hatfield Church, where (he says)
are a great number of writings relating to the priory and lordship."
S.W. SINGER.
Jan 11. 1851.
[Footnote 3: a�ied, cut.]
[Footnote 4: _i.e._ tally, or _score_.]
[Footnote 5: _i.e._ a rope with a _bell_ appended.]
* * * * *
BALLAD ASCRIBED TO SIR C. HANBURY WILLIAMS.
Being engaged on a collection of fugitive pieces by wits of the last
century, yet unprinted, I wish to take the opinion of your valuable
correspondents as to the authorship of the enclosed piece. It has been
pointed out to me in an album, dated at the beginning Feb. 14th, 1743; it
occurs towards the end of the volume (which is nearly filled), without
date, and signed C.H. Williams.
It is evidently not autograph, being in the hand which mainly pervades the
book. Had Sir C.H. Williams been a baronet at the time, his title would
doubtless have been attached to his name. I wish to know, first, at what
date Sir C.H. Williams was born, became a baronet, and died? Secondly, is
there any internal evidence of style that the ballad is by his hand?
Thirdly, is there any clue as to who the fair and cruel Lucy may have been?
And lastly, whether any of your correspondents have seen the thing in print
before?
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