A history of English sexual morals / by Ivan Bloch ; translated by William H. Forstern.

  • Iwan Bloch
Date:
1936
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A history of English sexual morals / by Ivan Bloch ; translated by William H. Forstern. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    643/700 (page 613)
    ongs, like the story of Sir Topas, and those of Bevis of Southampton, Warwick, Adam Bell, etc., and also other old omances. Sometimes they sang rhymes made up by them- elves at weddings, taverns and beer-houses. The ballad-singers of London in the sixteenth century lad their pitch at Temple Bar, where they always had a mmerous audience for their vulgar songs and ' alehouse Tories \ But the higher type ballad was not entirely lost. Thus Dulcina ', an erotic ballad ascribed to Sir Walter Raleigh, was very popular in the sixteenth century. Songs of this type are also to be found in the works of Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and their contemporaries. But folk poetry was entirely in the hands of the ballad makers, who at first printed their work on single sheets, which they sold at low prices. Later these single sheets wero assembled into small volumes or ' garlandssuch as ' Garland of Joy ', 4 Garland of Love etc. A famous collection of songs, most of which were set to music, was written at the turn of the seventeenth century by Thomas D'Urfey. They are full of the gay, licentious, lascivious spirit of the Restoration period. A typical example of the D'Urfey songs is 4 The Cumberland Lass the first verse of which is as follows: Up to my Chamber I her got, There I did treat her courteously. I told her I thought it was her Lot To stay all night and Lig with me. Oh, to Bed to me, to Bed to me, The Lass that comes to bed to me. Blith and bonny may she be, The Lass that comes to bed to me. [613]