Part 5

The principal figure on the second plate is the "Bellman," with dog, bell, halberd, and lanthorns. His "cry" is curious, though we have had it almost in the same form before, at page 56:--

"Mayds in your Smocks, Looke Wel to your lock--your fire And your light, and God Give you good night. At One a Clock."

The cries around him deserve transcription:--

Buy any Shrimps Buy some Figs Buy a Tosting Iron Lantorne candellyht Buy any Maydes The Water bearer Buy a whyt Pot Bread and Meate Buy a Candelsticke Buy any Prunes Buy a Washing ball Good Sasages Buy a Purs Buy a dish a Flounders Buy a Footestoole Buy a fine Bowpot Buy a pair a Shoes Buy any Garters Featherbeds to dryue Buy any Bottens Buy any Whiting maps Buy any Tape Worcestershyr Salt Ripe Damsons Buy any Marking Stones The Bear bayting Buy any blew Starch Buy any Points New Hadog Yards and Ells Buy a fyne Brush Hote Mutton Poys New Sprats new New Cod new Buy any Reasons P. and Glasses to mend

On the third plate, the principal figure is the "Crier," with his staff and keys:--

"O yis, any man or woman that Can tell any tydings of a little Mayden Childe of the age of 24 Yeares. Bring worde to the cryer, And you shal be pleased for Your labor And God's blessinge."

The figures surrounding the Common Crier are in the same style of art, and their cries characteristic of bygone times:--

Buy any Wheat Buy al my Smelts Quick Periwinckels Rype Chesnuts Payres fyn White Redish whyt Buy any Whyting Buy any Bone lays I ha' rype Straberies Buy a Case for a Hat Birds and Hens Hote Podding Pyes Buy a Hair Lyne Buy any Pompeons Whyt Scalions Rype Walnuts Fyn Potatos fyn Hote Eele Pyes Fresh Cheese and Creame Buy any Garlick Buy a longe Brush Whyt Carots whyt Fyne Pomgranats Buy any Russes Hats or Caps to dress Wood to cleave Pins of the maker Any sciruy Grass Any Cornes to pick Buy any Parsnips Hot Codlinges hot Buy all my Soales Good Marroquin Buy any Cocumber New Thornebacke Fyne Oate Cakes.

The only crier in the series who has a horse and cart to attend him is the Worcestershire salt-man. Salt is still sold from carts in poor and crowded neighbourhoods.

We have been somewhat surprised in not finding a single Thames waterman among the criers of London; but the series was, perhaps, confined to the streets of London, and the watermen were thought to belong altogether to the stairs leading to their silent highway. Three of their cries have given titles to three good old English comedies, "Northward, ho!" "Eastward, ho!" and "Westward, ho!" But our series of cries is still extremely incomplete. Every thing in early times was carried and cried, and we have seen two rare prints of old London Cries not to be found in the lists already enumerated. One is called "_Clove Water, Stomock Water_," and the other "_Buy an new Booke_." Others may still exist. In the Duke of Devonshire's collection of drawings, by Inigo Jones, are several cries, drawn in pen-and-ink, for the masques at court in the reigns of James I. and Charles I.

In Thomas Heywood's, "_The Rape of Lucrece_, a True Roman Tragedy, acted by Her Majestie's Servants at the _Red-Bull_, 1609," is the following long list of LONDON CRIES, but called for the sake of the dramatic action of the scene, "_Cries of Rome_," which was the common practice with the old dramatists, Rome being the canting name of London. Robert Greene, in his "_Perimedes the Blacksmith_, 1588," when he wished to criticise the London _Theatre_ at Shoreditch, talks of the _Theatre in Rome_; also in his "_Never too Late_, 1590," when he talks of the London actors, he pretends only to speak of Roscius and the actors of _Rome_. In the pedlar's French of the day Rome-vyle--or ville--was London, and Rome-mort the Queen [Elizabeth]. There is some humour in the classification, and if the cries were well imitated by the singer, the ballad--or as it would then be called "_jig_"--is likely to have been extremely popular in its day.

THE CRIES OF ROME [_i.e._ London.]

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down, Round and sound all of a colour, Buy a very fine marking stone, marking stone, Round and sound all of a colour; Buy a very fine marking stone, marking stone.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Bread and--meat--bread--and meat For the--ten--der--mercy of God to the poor pris--ners of _Newgate_, four- score and ten--poor--prisoners.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Salt--salt--white Wor--stershire Salt,

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Buy a very fine Mouse--trap, or a tormentor for your Fleas.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Kitchen-stuff, maids.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

I have white Radish, white hard Lettuce, white young Onions.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

I have Rock--Samphire Rock--Samphire,

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Buy a Mat, a Mil--Mat, Mat or a Hassock for your pew, A stopple for your close-stool, Or a Pesock to thrust your feet in.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Whiting maids, Whiting.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Hot fine Oat-Cakes, hot.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Small--Coals here.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Will you buy any Milk to day.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Lanthorn and Candle light here, Maid, a light here.

Thus go the cries in _Rome's_ fair town, First they go up street, and then they go down.

Here lies a company of very poor Women, in the dark dungeon, Hungary, cold, and comfortless, night and day; Pity the poor women in the dark dungeon.

Thus go the cries where they do house them, First they come to the grate, and then they go lowse them.

From "Deuteromelia: or, the Second Part of Pleasant Roundelayes; K. H. Mirth, or Freeman's Songs, and such delightful Catches. London, printed for Thomas Adams, dwelling in Paul's Church-yard, at the sign of the White Lion, 1609."

Who liveth so merry in all this land As doth the poor widdow that selleth the sand? And ever shee singeth as I can guesse, Will you buy any sand, any sand, mistress?

The broom-man maketh his living most sweet, With carrying of brooms from street to street; Who would desire a pleasanter thing, Then all the day long to doe nothing but sing.

The chimney-sweeper all the long day, He singeth and sweepeth the soote away; Yet when he comes home altho' he be weary, With his sweet wife he maketh full merry.

* * * * *

Who liveth so merry and maketh such sport As those that be of the poorest sort? The poorest sort wheresoever they be, They gather together by one, two, three.

And every man will spend his penny What makes such a shot among a great many?

Thomas Morely, a musical composer, set music of four, six, eight and ten parts, to the cries in his time, among them are some used by the milliners' girls in the New Exchange, which was on the south side of the Strand, opposite the now Adelphi Theatre, it was built in the reign of James I., and pulled down towards the end of the last century; among others are "_Italian falling Bands_," "_French Garters_," "_Robatos_," a kind of ruff then fashionable, "_Nun's Thread_," _&c._

The effeminacy and coxcombry of a man's ruff and band are well ridiculed by many of our dramatic writers. There is a small tract bearing the following title--"A Merrie Dialogue between Band, Cuffe and Ruffe. Done by an excellent Wit, and lately acted in a Shew in the Famous Universitie of Cambridge. London, printed by W. Stansby for Miles Partrich, and are to be sold at his shop neere Saint Dunstone's Church-yard in Fleet Street, 1615." This _brochure_ is a _bonne-bouche_ of the period, written in dramatic dialogue form, and full of puns as any modern comedy or farcical sketch from the pen of the greatest word-twister of the day--Henry J. Byron (who, on _Cyril's Success_, _Married in Haste_, _Our Boys_, and _The Girls_,)--and is of considerable value as an illustration of the history of the costume of the period. The band, as an article of ornament for the neck, was the common wear of gentlemen, though now exclusively retained by the clergy and lawyers; the cuff, as a fold at the end of a sleeve, or the part of the sleeve turned back from the hand, was made highly fantastical by means of "cut work;" the ruff, as a female neck ornament, made of plaited lawn, or other material, is well-known, but it was formerly worn by both sexes.

In a Roxburghe Ballad entitled "The Batchelor's Feast," &c., we have:--

"The taylor must be pay'd for making of her gowne, The shoomakers for fine shoes: or else thy wife will frowne; For _bands_, fine _ruffes_, and _cuffes_, thou must dispence as free: O 'tis a gallant thing to live at liberty," &c.

In another, "The Lamentations of a New Married Man, briefly declaring the sorrow and grief that comes by marrying a young wanton wife":--

"Against that she is churched, a new Gowne she must have, A daintie fine _Rebato_ about her neck to brave;"

In "_Loyal Subject_," by Beaumont and Fletcher, act iii., sc. 5, we find that in the reign of James I., potatoes had become so common, that "_Potatoes! ripe Potatoes!_" were publicly hawked about the city.

Orlando Gibbons,--1583-1625--set music in madrigals to several common cries of the day. In a play called "_Tarquin and Lucrece_," some of the music of the following occur,--"_Rock Samphire_," "_A Marking Stone_," "_Bread and Meat for the poor Prisoners_," "_Hassock for your pew_," "_Lanthorne and Candlelight_," _&c._

In the Bridgewater library (in the possession of the Earl of Ellesmere) is a series of engravings on copper thirty-two in number, without date or engraver's name; but called, in the handwriting of the second Earl of Bridgewater, "The Manner of Crying Things in London." They are, it is said, by a foreign artist, and probably proof impressions, for on the margin of one of the engravings is a small part of another, as if it had been taken off for a trial of the plate. Curious and characteristic they certainly are, and of a date anterior to 1686; in which year the second Earl of Bridgewater died. The very titles kindle old recollections as you read them over:--

1. Lanthorne and a whole candell light: hang out your lights heare!

2. I have fresh cheese and creame.

3. Buy a brush or a table book.

4. Fine oranges, fine lemons.

5. Ells or yeards: buy yeard or ells.

6. I have ripe straw-buryes, ripe straw-buryes.

7. I have screenes, if you desier to keepe y{r} butey from y{e} fire.

8. Codlinges hot, hot codlinges.

9. Buy a steele or a tinder box.

10. Quicke peravinkells, quicke, quicke.

11. Worke for a cooper; worke for a cooper.

12. Bandestringes, or handkercher buttons.

13. A tanker bearer.

14. Macarell new: maca-rell.

15. Buy a hone, or a whetstone, or a marking stone.

16. White unions, white St. Thomas unions.

17. Mate for a bed, buy a doore mate.

18. Radishes or lettis, two bunches a penny.

19. Have you any work for a tinker?

20. Buy my hartichokes, mistris.

21. Maribones, maides, maribones.

22. I ha' ripe cowcumber, ripe cowcumber.

23. Chimney sweepe.

24. New flounders new.

25. Some broken breade and meate for y{e} poore prisoners; for the Lord's sake pittey the poore.

26. Buy my dish of great smelts.

27. Have you any chaires to mend?

28. Buy a cocke, or a gelding.

29. Old showes or bootes; will you buy some broome?

30. Mussels, lilly white mussels.

31. Small cole a penny a peake.

32. What kitchen stuff have you, maides?

The figures, male and female, in the engravings, are all three-quarter lengths, furnished with the implements of their various trades, or with the articles in which they deal. The Watchman (one of the best) is a fine old fellow, with a broad brim to his hat, a reverential beard, a halberd in one hand, and a lanthorn in the other (after the manner of the one we have given at page 46). But perhaps the most curious engraving in the set is the "cry" called "Some broken breade and meate for y{e} poore prisoners: for the Lord's sake pittey the poore." This represents a poor prisoner with a sealed box in his hand, and a basket at his back--the box for alms in the shape of money, and the basket for broken bread and meat. There is also preserved a small handbill printed in 1664, and entitled, "The Humble Petition of the Poor Distressed Prisoners in Ludgate, being above an hundred and fourscore poor persons in number, against the time of the Birth of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." "We most humbly beseech you," says the handbill "(even for God's cause), to relieve us with your charitable benevolence, and to put into this Bearers Boxe, the same being sealed with the house seale as it is figured on this Petition."

To, "O, rare Ben Jonson!" we are indebted for the most perfect picture of Smithfield at "Barthol'me-tide," which he gives us, together with the popular cries in vogue at the time, in his comedy of "_Bartholomew Fair_," produced at the Hope Theatre, on the Bankside, 1614, and acted, as Jonson tells us, by the lady Elizabeth's servants.

The second act opens with "_The Fair. A number of Booths, Stalls, &c., set out_." The characters presented are "Lanthorn Leatherhead," _a hobby-horse seller_. "Bartholomew Cokes," _an esquire of Harrow_. "Nightingale," _a ballad-singer, a costard-monger, mousetrap-man, corn cutter_. "Joan Trash," _a gingerbread woman_. "Leatherhead" calls--"What do you lack? what is't you buy? what do you lack? rattles, drums, halberts, horses, babies o' the best? fiddles o' the finest." "Joan Trash" cries, "Buy my gingerbread, gilt gingerbread!" the costard-monger, bawls out, "Buy any pears, pears, fine, very fine pears!" "Nightingale," the ballad man sings--

"Hey, now the Fair's a filling! O, for a tune to startle The birds o' the booths here billing Yearly with old saint _Bartle_! The drunkards they are wading, The punks and chapmen trading: Who'd see the _Fair_ without his lading? Buy my ballads! new ballads!"

"What do you lack?" continues Leatherhead, "What do you lack, gentlemen? my pretty mistress, buy a fine hobby-horse for your young master; cost you but a token a week for his provender." The corn cutter cries, "Have you any corns in your feet or toes?" The tinder-box man calls, "Buy a mouse-trap, a mouse-trap, or a tormentor for a flea!" Trash cries, "Buy some gingerbread!" Nightingale bawls, "Ballads, ballads, fine new ballads!" Leatherhead repeats, "What do you lack, gentlemen, what is't you lack? a fine horse? a lion? a bull? a bear? a dog? or a cat? an excellent fine Bartholomew bird? or an instrument? what is't you lack, what do you buy, mistress? a fine hobby-horse, to make your son a tilter? a drum, to make him a soldier? a fiddle, to make him a reveller? what is't you lack? little dogs for your daughters? or babies, male and female? fine purses, pouches, pincases, pipes; what is't you lack? a pair o' smiths to wake you i' the morning? or a fine whistling bird?" A character named "Bartholomew Cokes," a silly "Esquire of Harrow," stops at Leatherhead's stall to purchase.--"Those six horses, friend, I'll have, and the three Jew's trumps; and half a dozen o' birds; and that drum; and your smiths--I like that devise o' your smiths, and four halberts; and let me see, that fine painted great lady, and her three women of state, I'll have. A set of those violins I would buy too, for a delicate young noise[4] I have i' the country, that are every one a size less than another, just like your fiddles." Joan Trash invites the Esquire to buy her gingerbread, and he turns to her basket, whereupon Leatherhead says, "Is this well, Goody Joan, to interrupt my market in the midst, and call away my customers? Can you answer this at the _Pie-poudres_?"[5] whereto Joan Trash replies, "Why, if his master-ship have a mind to buy, I hope my ware lies as open as anothers; I may show my ware as well as you yours." Nightingale begins to sing:--

"My masters and friends, and good people draw near."

Squire Cokes hears this, and says, "Ballads! hark, hark! pray thee, fellow, stay a little! what ballads hast thou? let me see, let me see myself--How dost thou call it? _A Caveat against Cut-purses!_--a good jest i' faith; I would fain see that demon, your cut-purse, you talk of;" He then shows his purse boastingly, and enquires "Ballad-man, do any cut-purses haunt hereabout? pray thee raise me one or two: begin and show me one." Nightingale answers, "Sir, this is a spell against 'em, spick and span new: and 'tis made as 'twere in mine own person, and I sing it in mine own defence. But 'twill cost a penny alone if you buy it." The Squire replies: "No matter for the price; thou dost not know me, I see, I am an old _Bartholomew_." The ballad has "pictures," and Nightingale tells him, "It was intended, sir, as if a purse should chance to be cut in my presence, now, I may be blameless though; as by the sequel will more plainly appear." He adds, "It is, to the tune of _Paggington's Pound_, sir." and he finally sings the ballad, the first and last stanzas of which follow:--

"My masters, and friends, and good people draw near, And look to your purses, for that I do say; And though little money, in them you do bear, It cost more to get, than to lose in a day, You oft' have been told, Both the young and the old, And bidden beware of the cut-purse so bold; Then if you take heed not, free me from the curse, Who both give you warning, for, and the cut-purse. Youth, youth, thou hadst better been starved by thy nurse, Than live to be hanged for cutting a purse.

* * * * *

"But O, you vile nation of cut-purses all, Relent, and repent, and amend, and be sound, And know that you ought not by honest men's fall, Advance your own fortunes to die above ground. And though you go gay In silks as you may, It is not the highway to heaven (as they say.) Repent then, repent you, for better, for worse; And kiss not the gallows for cutting a purse. Youth, youth, thou hadst better been starved by thy nurse, Than live to be hanged for cutting a purse."

While Nightingale sings this ballad, a fellow tickles Coke's ear with a straw, to make him withdraw his hand from his pocket, and privately robs him of his purse, which, at the end of the song, he secretly conveys to the ballad-singer; who notwithstanding his "Caveat against cut-purses," is their principal confederate, and in that quality, becomes the unsuspected depository of the plunder.

In the years 1600-18, there was published a musical work, entitled "_Pammelia_--MVSICKES MISCELLANIE; _Or_, Mixed Varietie of pleasant ROVNDELAYS and delightful CATCHES. London, Printed by Thomas Snodhom, for Matthew Lownes and Iohn Browne." It was compiled by some eminent musicians, who had a practice of setting the cries of London to music, retaining only the very musical notes of them, here we find, "What Kitchen-Stuffe haue you maids," and there is a Round in six parts to the cry of "New Oysters:"--

"New Oysters, new Oysters, new Oysters new, New Oysters, new Wall-fleet Oysters-- At a groat a pecke--each Oyster worth twopence. Fetch vs bread and wine, that we may eate, Let vs lose no time with such good meate-- A Banquet for a Prince--New Oysters. New--_vt supra_--Oysters."

From "Meligmata: Musical Phantasies, fitting the Court, City, and Country Manners, to three, four and five Voices"--

"To all delightful, except to the spiteful; To none offensive, except to the pensive."

"London, printed by William Stansby, for Thos. Adams, 1611," we take as follows:--

"CITTIE ROUNDS.

"Broomes for old shoes! pouch-rings, bootes and buskings! Will yee buy any new broome? New oysters! new oysters! new new cockles! Cockels nye! fresh herrings! will yee buy any straw? Hay yee any kitchen stuffe, maides? Pippins fine, cherrie ripe, ripe, ripe! Cherrie ripe, &c. Hay any wood to cleaue? Give care to the clocke! Beware your locke! Your fire and your light! And God giue you good night! One o' clocke!"

Some of the "Common Cryes i' th' City," as Oysters, Codlings, Kitchen-stuff, Matches for your Tinder-box, &c., are enumerated in Richard Brome's--The "Court Beggar, A Comedie acted at the _Cock-pit_, by His Majesties Servants, _Anno_ 1632."

"The London Chanticleers, a witty Comedy full of Various and Delightful Mirth," 1659. This piece is rather an interlude than a play, and is amusing and curious, the characters being, with two exceptions, all London criers. The allusions to old usages, with the mention of many well known ballads, and some known no longer, contribute to give the piece an interest and a value of its own.

The principal _dramatis personae_ consists of:--

HEATH.--_A broom-man._ "Brooms, maids, broom! Come, buy my brooms, maids; 'Tis a new broom, and will sweep clean. Come, buy my broom, maids!"

BRISTLE.--_A brush-man._ "Come, buy a save-all. Buy a comb-brush, or a pot-brush; buy a flint, or a steel, or a tinder-box."