These writers, in their old age, collected their songs into little penny books, called “Garlands,” some of which have been republished by Ritson; and a recent editor has well described them as “humble and amusing village strains, founded upon the squabbles of a wake, tales of untrue love, superstitious rumours, or miraculous traditions of the hamlet.”  They enter into the picture of our manners, as much as folio chronicles.

These songs abounded in the good old times of Elizabeth and James; for Hall in his Satires notices them as

Sung to the wheel, and sung unto the payle;

that is, sung by maidens spinning, or milking; and indeed Shakspeare had described them as “old and plain,” chanted by

The spinsters, and the knitters in the sun,
And the free maids that weave their threads with bones.
Twelfth Night.

They were the favourites of the Poet of Nature, who takes every opportunity to introduce them into the mouths of his clown, his fool, and his itinerant Autolycus.  When the musical Dr. Burney, who had probably not the slightest conception of their nature, and perhaps as little taste for their rude and wild simplicity, ventured to call the songs of Autolycus, “two nonsensical songs,” the musician called down on himself one of the bitterest notes from Steevens that ever commentator penned against a profane scoffer.[62]

Whatever these songs were, it is evident they formed a source of recreation to the solitary task-worker.  But as the more masculine trades had their own songs, whose titles only appear to have reached us, such as “The Carman’s Whistle,” “Watkin’s Ale,” “Chopping Knives,” they were probably appropriated to the respective trades they indicate.  The tune of the “Carman’s Whistle” was composed by Bird, and the favourite tune of “Queen Elizabeth” may be found in the collection called “Queen Elizabeth’s Virginal Book.”  One who has lately heard it played says, “that it has more air than the other execrable compositions in her Majesty’s book, something resembling a French quadrille.”

The feeling our present researches would excite would naturally be most strongly felt in small communities, where the interest of the governors is to contribute to the individual happiness of the laborious classes.  The Helvetic society requested Lavater to compose the Schweitzerlieder, or Swiss Songs, which are now sung by the youth of many of the cantons; and various Swiss poets have successfully composed on national subjects, associated with their best feelings.  In such paternal governments as was that of Florence under the Medici, we find that songs and dances for the people engaged the muse of Lorenzo, who condescended to delight them with pleasant songs composed in popular language; the example of such a character was followed by the men of genius of the age.  These ancient songs, often adapted to the different trades, opened a vein of invention in the new characters, and allusions, the humorous equivoques, and, sometimes, by the licentiousness of popular fancy.  They were collected in 1559, under the title of “Canti Carnascialeschi,” and there is a modern edition, in 1750, in two volumes quarto.  It is said they sing to this day a popular one by Lorenzo, beginning