Cricket 1909

4°4 CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. S e p t . 16, 1909. Mr. Burnby was a native of Canterbury and died there on March 8th, 1805, at the age of fifty-eight. Besides “ The Kentish Cricketers” he published “ An Address to the Public on the Increase of their Poor- Bates,” “ Thoughts on the Freedom of Election,” and “ An Historical Description of the Cathedral Church at Canterbury.” The last-named was afterwards reprinted with additions and corrections by the Rev. John Duncombe, the author of S u rry T riu m p h a n t. Burnby has been . described — G entlem ens M a g a zin e lxxv., 385 — as “ A man of very eccentric character, im ­ prudent, intemperate, and, of late years, in distressed circumstances.” In the poem as originally published the lines were not numbered, but they are here in order to ensure easy reference to the foot­ notes. In .several instances the version given in Sum m er A m u s m e n t differs from that in the quarto pamphlet. It is the text of the latter which is reproduced, and when­ ever the other differs to any extent the alternative rendering is given at the foot of the column. In Times like these, when V ic e can rear Her pois’nous Crest . . . make Virtue fear; When Dukes and Lords, are daily known, To swarm like Locusts o’er the Town, Eager to grasp the golden Prize, As F o l l y blinds the Gamester’s Eyes. When the ignoble thoughtless Duke, Unknown to Reason's harsh Rebuke, Despises Man, Blasphemes his GOD, 10 Rules o’er Mankind with Iron Rod, Studies, by specious Arts, to prove, How dear he holds his Country’s Love ; Flatters, and fawns, to gain that Priz^, An H o n e s t B r it o n would despise. In Times like these, when Nature’s Laws Perverted are, and eke the Cause. Return’d from School, the virtuous Youth, Possesses C a n d o r, H o n o r , T r u t h : Decent in Dress, lie strives to please, 30 And shine the well-bred Man with Ease : Stranger to Vice, ’till Fortune’s Frov\n, Summon’d the Hero up to Town ; Deceiving, gilded Sons of Dress, Soon taught him Fashion’s soft Address ; Now prostrating at F o lly ’s Throne, He stamps her Vices for his own, Struts forth in variegated Taste, A Coat just reaching to his Waist, Wool, Hair, and T a il— unnat’ral Shape, 30 So very like the m 'm ic Ape, That Monkies chain’d in every Shop, Chatter, and seem to know the Jft.p. In Iimes like these,when Commerce weeps, And English credit soundly s'eeps ; W h in candid merchants, bent to thrive, Keep Flattery aud F ia u d alive ; Lost to all Sense (f Sham*, they shun The H o n o u r s their Forefathers won, And deal out Cunning in their Trade, 40 To cheat the World in Masquerade. In times like these, when manly Fame Is too much center'd in the Name ; When vile Effeminancy reigns W ith timid Blood in E n g lis h Veins, And Coxcombs blush to find a Man, Whom Reason guides by Nature’s Plan. When no athletic Youths are seen, To stalk triumphant o’er the Green ; But every tender, gentle Game, Lines 7 and 8. When the degenerate thoughtless Peer Unus’d to think, untaught to fear, Lines 19and 20. These are omitted from Summer Amusement. “° Is suited to th’ enerved Frame Of batter’d Beaus, and eke their Cronies, C o u r a g e o u s T h in g s , call’d, Macaronies. M y Muse, descriptive, wends her Way, The Game of C R IC K E T , to display, And place the Laurel, where ’tis due, T h o ’ simple Parodies ensue, If toothless Critics wish to know, W hy all this Preface I bestow, Let them Lut view good Sense in Man, 60 Then justly blame me, if they can. K E N T , who is fam ’d for Men of Skill, Whom Nature form ’d to climb the H ill, Descend the Vale with rap'd Flight, And shine heroic Men of Might, Agreed, a C r ic k e t M a t c h to play W ith S U R R Y Men, as fam’d as they. In July last, at B is h o p s b o r n e , (a ) Before the golden Shocks of Corn Were rear’d by the laborious Hind, 70 To ease the anxious Farm er’s Mind, The matchless C r ic k e t e r s were seen In milk-white Vt stments tread the Green ; Where the smooth Grass was laid compleat Before Sir H o r a c e M a n n ’s Retreat; When the sweet Lawn, with shady Trees Encompass’d round . . Sensation’s please! The rural Prospect of the Grove, Nature so kindly made for Love . . . The tow’ring H ill, and neighb’ring Vale, 80 The gliding Stream of the C anal: But view the Scene! . . Description’s faint; M y Pen cannot its Beauties paint. From distant Counties many came, To see the Herculean Game: Nobles, Squires, Captains view : Physicians, Lawyers, Rectors too, Flying with haste, the Sport to see, W hich Rustics term, their Jubilee. Viewing the shelter’d shady Tent, 90 I ’spy’d the pleasing M a id o f K e n t , In whom the mental Beauties shine, And Candor speaks her all D i\in e : External Beauty seems to me, Like Blossoms with’ring on the Tree. But now the Com} any retreat, For gen le 'la y lo i* doth intrtat; Tho’ rough his Manner, Justice proves, M e e k -e y \l Hum anity he loves. L u m p e y } appears, whose steady Eye, (b) 100 And nervous Arm makes wickets fly, Calls for the K e n t is h Men to play, Fo r Miller, Simmons, Louch and May. * A Person employed by Sir Horace Mann to keep the Company from intruding on the Players. I Stevens, alias Lumpey, a Surry Cricketer, esteem’d the best Bowler in England. (a) This was the match described in Surry Triumphant. (See Cricket of Sept. 9, pp. 387-389.) Surrey won by 153 runs. Lines 67-72. In that warm season of the year Which brings the Lion in its sphere; Before the golden shocks of corn That gild the vales of Bishopsborne Were pil’d by the laborious hind, To ease the anxious farmer’s mind, The matchless Combatants were seen In milk-white Vestments on the green; Lines 83-88: — With haste from far a myriad came, To see the rough Herculean Game ; Gents, Nobles, Squires, and Captains, view, Priests, Lawyers, Doctors, Rabble, too, With eager steps, in groupes, to see Which Rustics term, their Jubilee. Line 90.— A footnote in Summer Amusement refers to the Maid of Kent as Miss K---------------------- . Lines 95-96. But now the throng on ev’ry side At Taylor’s* gentle nod divide ; And as they yield expand the way, To give the Combatants their play : (b) For a few remarks concerning Lumpy see Cricket, Sept. 9, page 388, col. 2 ^footnote). Fortune, the Power to S u r r y gave, The Ground to chuse they’d wish to Lave : Far from the usual Place of Play They pitch’d the Wickets for the Day ; Tho’ Reason urg’d her plaintive Song, To prove the S u r r y Sportsman wrong. And, now kind T r u t h , thou candid Maid, 110Oh, give me thy descriptive Aid ! Teach not my Genius to disgrace The noble Song of Chevy Chace ; But let my Steps thy Paths pursue, And give to Merit all her Due. First M iller came, who stands confest, Of England’s Cricketers the B e s t; W ith nervous Hand, and manly Strength, He’ll pitch a Ball its proper Le n g th ; W ill run, stop, throw, and catch, to please, 120And play the skilful Game with Ease : View him but fix’d with Bat in Hand, W ith careless Ease, his great Command, W ill send the hathern Globe o’er all, T ho’ Lumpey bowl’d the steady Ball. H is Grace the D u k e o f D o r s e t came, The next enroll’d in skilful Fame, Equall’d by few, he plays with Glee, Nor peevish seeks for Victory. H is Grace for Bowling, cannot yield 130To none but Lumpey in the Field : And far unlike the modern Way, Of blocking every B a ll at Play, He firmly stands with Bat upright, And strikes with his athletic Might, Sends far the B all across the Mead, And scores six Notches for the Deed. Indulge me, Reader, for a Thought. How sweet the Blessing! to be taught, That sweet Content, and rural Sport, 140Exceeds the dissipated Court. The Man, whose Actions gain Applause, By keeping sacred England’s Laws, Is he, who shuns the insidious Tribe, That dare to tend the venal B rib e! The active Sim m ons ne’er w ill yield To Mau, whene’er he skims the Field : Close to the Wicket now he stands, W ith piercing Eyes, and anxious Hands, Eager to catch the wish’d-for Prize, 150And heave victorious to the S kies: View him now swiftly fly the Mead O'ertake the rapid B all with Speed, And instantaneous throw the same So just, to gain immortal Fame : A ll, all, must own, who saw the Feat . . Of Field ’s-men, he’s the most compleat. Sir H o r a c e M a n n , with Justice may Be term’d the Hero of ihe Play : H is gen’rous Temper w ill support 160The G am e of C r ic k e t ’s pleasing Sport, And few there are who play the Game, W hich merit a superior Nam e: He hits with Judgment, throws to please, And stops the speedy B all with ease. Lines 103-106. The alternative reading in Summer Amusement of these frequently quoted lines is as follow s:— Fortune by lot to Surrey gave The ground their ardor wish’d to have ; Far from the Bowler’s usual stand They pitch’d the wickets for their hand ; Lines 117 to 122. With skilful aim, and manly strength, To pitch the Ball its proper length ; Will run, stop, throw, aud catch, at will, And act each part with equal sk ill: Nor will He ever fail to please Who plays the game with skilful case. Lines 125-126. See next enroll’d for skilful fame Dorsetta’s Lord, of ducal name. Lines 152-15U. Quickly o’er take the foe again, And instantaneous hurl it back, Intent to gain th’ immortal stake : (The substitution of stake for fame in 1.154 is amusing.)