Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'

Subject: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: GUEST,Linda C
Date: 17 Nov 13 - 11:05 AM

Any ideas on how I can find a ballad that contains the lines:

"Thus wasting lands and living / by this his lawless giving / at length he sold the pavements of the yard / which cover'd were with blocks of tin / old Curtis left the same to him / which he consumed lately as you've heard"

This relates to a Thomas Curtis, who died intestate, and his estate ended up in the hands of a Thomas Stukeley.

Any help on tracing the full ballad would be much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: GUEST,Autoharper
Date: 17 Nov 13 - 08:33 PM

http://archive.org/stream/queenelizabethhe01wriguoft/queenelizabethhe01wriguoft_djvu.txt

15()3.] STUKELEY THE PIRATE. 151

whom he tooke coming from Florida. They wer the French-
men whom John Rybault left last yere in Terra Florida,
whichperceavingthat Rybault cam not, thought best to come
from thence in a vessell made by themselves.

Bore old Curtis to the grave,

A thing that Stukely wisht to have,

That he might revel all in gold so bright.

He was no sooner tombed,
But Stukely he presumed

To spend a hundred pound a day in waste ;
The greatest gallants in the land
Had Stukely 's purse at their command.

Thus merrily the time away he past.

Taverns and ordinaries
Were his chiefest braveries,

Golden angels there flew up and down ;
Ryots were his best delight,
With stately feasting day and night,

In court and city thus he won renown.

Thus wasting lands and living,
By this his lawless giving,

At length he sold the pavements of the yard,
Which cover'd were with blocks of tin,
Old Curtis left the same to him,

Which he consumed lately as you've heard.

Whereat his wife sore grieved,
Desiring to be relieved,

" Make much of me, dear husband," she did say.
" I'll make much more of thee," said he,
" Than any one shall, verily:"

And so he sold her clothes, and went his way."

-Adam Miller
Folksinging.org

Subject: RE: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Nov 13 - 03:52 AM

Well found, Autoharper!

Tell us more about your search, Linda?

Subject: RE: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 13 - 07:46 AM

"Thus wasting lands and living"

Google the above verse but keep it in quotation marks, just as is. It will take you to a dozen Google book sites where you can find the complete ballad. I don't know how to copy pdf or I'd put the lyrics here.

Subject: RE: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 13 - 08:01 AM

The LIFE and DEATH of
The Famous Thomas Stukely,
An English Gentleman, in the Time of Queen Elizabeth;
who ended his Life in the Battle of the Three Kings of Barbary.
   

IN the west of Eagland,
Born there was, I understand;
    A famous gallant was he in his days;
By birth a wealthy clothiers son,
Deeds of wonder he hath done,
    To purchase him a long and lasting praise

If I would tell you his story,
Pride was all his glory;
    And lusty Stukely he was calld in court.
He servd a bishop in the west,
And did accompany the best;
    Maintaining of himself in gallant sort.

Being thus esteemed,
And every where well deemed,
    He gaind the favour of a London dame;
Daughter to an alderman.
Curtis she was called then,
    To whom a suitor gallantly he came.

When she his person spied,
He could not be denyed;
    So brave a gentleman he was to see.
She was quickly made his wife,
For better for worse to lead her life;
    Her father willing thereto did agree,

Thus in state and pleasure,
Full many days the9 measure;
    Till cruel Death, with his regardless spight,
Bore old Curtis to his grave;
A thing which Stukely wishd to have,
    That he might revel then in gold so bright.

He was no sooner tombed,
But Stukely he presumed,
    To spend a hundred pounds a day in waste.
The greatest gallant in the land,
Had Stukelys purse at their command.
    Thus merrily away the time he past.

Taverns and ordinaries
Were his chief Bravaries;
    Golden angels then flew up and down.
Riots were his chief delight,
With stately feasting day and night;
    In court and city thus he won renown.

Thus wasting lands and living,
By this lawless giving;
    At length he sold the pavement of the yard,
Which covered was with blocks of tin;
Old Curtis left the same to him,
    Which he consumed lately as youve heard.

At this his wife sore grieved,
Desiring to be relieved;
    Make much of me, dear husband, she did say.
Ill make more of thee, said he,
Than any one shall verily;
    Ill sell thy cloaths, and then go my way.

Cruelly thus heard-hearted,
Away from her he parted;
    And traveld into Italy with speed:
There he flourishd many a day,
In his silks and rich array;
    And did the pleasures of a lady feed.

It was the ladys pleasure,
To give him gold and treasure;
    To maintain him with great pomp and fame,
At last news came assuredly,
Of a battle fought in Barbary;
    And he would valiantly go see the same.

Many a noble gallant,
Sold both land and talent,
    To follow Stukely in this famous fight;
Whereas three kings would
Adventrously with courage bold,
    Within this battle shewd themselves in fight.

Stukely and his followers all,
Of the king of Portugal,
    Had entertainment like to gentlemen.
The king affected Stukely so,
That he did his secrets know;
    And bore his royal standard now and then.

Upon this day of honour,
Each man did his manner.
    Morocco, and the king of Barbary,
Portugal, and all his train,
Bravely glittering on the plain,
    And gave the onset there most valiantly.

The cannons there rebounded;
Ad[d] thundering guns resounded;
    Kill, kill, then was the soldiers cry.

Mangled men lay on the ground,
And with blood the earth was drownd;
    The sun was likewis darkend in the sky.

Heaven was so displeased,
And would not be appeased;
    But tokens of Gods wrath did show:
That he was angry at this war,
He sent a fearful blazing star,
    Thereby the king might his misfortune know.

Bloody was the slaughter,
Or rather cursed murder;
    Where sixscore thousand fighting men be slain.
Three kings within this fight dyd,
And forty lords and dukes beside;
    The like may never more be fought again.

With woeful arms enfolding,
Stukely stood beholding,
    This cursed sacrifice of men that day.
He sighing said, I wicked wight,
Against my conscience here to fight;
    And brought my followers unto decay.

Being thus sore vexed,
And with grief oppressed;
    These brave Italians that sold their lands,
With Stukely to venture forth,
And hazard life for nothing worth,
    Upon him then did cast their cursed hands.

Unto death thus wounded,
His heart with sorrow swooned;
    Unto them he made his heavy moan:
Thus have I left my country dear,
To be in this manner murderd here?
    Even in this place where I am not known.

My wife I have much wronged,
Of what to her belonged,
    I did consume in wicked course of life.
What I had is past I see,
And brings nought but grief to me:
    Therefore grant me pardon, loving wife.

Life I see consumeth,
And Death I see presumeth
    To change this life of mine into a new;
Yet this my greatest comfort brings,
I livd ahd dyd in love of kings.
    And so brave Stukely bids the world adieu.

Stukelys life thus ended,
Was after death befriended,
    And like a soldier buried gallantly:
Where now there stands upon the grave
A stately temple builded brave,
    With golden turrets piercing to the sky.


Printed and Sold at the Printing-Office in Bow-Church-Yard, London.


That is from

http://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ballad/31232/xml

Subject: RE: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 13 - 08:28 AM

The Roxburghe Ballads - Volume 7 - Page 576 - Google Books Result
books.google.ca/books?id=49YUAAAAQAAJ
William Chappell - 1890 - ‎Ballads, English
32 Whereat his Wife, sore grieved, desired to be relieved, " Make much of me, dear Husband," she did say. ... 48 Stukely, and his followers all, of the King of Portugal Had entertainment like to Gentlemen : The King affected Stukely so, that he ...


Go to p 575 of that site.

Subject: RE: Ballad mentioning 'Curtis'
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 13 - 12:23 PM

What an amazing response!

Thank you all so much for your time and patience in tracing this broadside ballad. Curtis was in fact Thomas Curtis, Lord Mayor of London, (d. circa 1559)a pewterer of the guild - hence the yard covered with blocks of tin. Some of his artefacts have recently been found in a shipwreck near the Dominican Republic, and are soon up for auction at Dickinsons Auctioneers at Doncaster!! We think Stukley was his son-in-law or grandson who squandered the inheritance by partying!!