The Relief of Vienna, 1683. "From Mahomet and Paganisme, From Hereticks, and Sects, and Schisme, "From Serjeants, Yeomen, and their Maces, Than Usquebaugh or Aqua Vitæ. Libera nos, Domine! -Merry Drollery. 1661, and 1670. WHILE the excitement of terror at the sham Popish-Plot had lasted, beginning four years earlier, it seemed as though no topic could interest the populace unless it were concerning the supposed machinations of Jesuits and their abettors for the re-establishment of Papal Supremacy in England: which lying "Narratives," issued in folio pamphlets, found readers incessantly. The nation for the time showed a distaste for wholesome food, and craved ravenously for such garbage as Titus Oates, William Bedloe, the Smiths, the Jennisons, and other "Discoverers" furnished without stint. For the Libel market, in their own day, the slanderous "Evidences" catered: Thousands a thousand times told have bought them, And if myriads and ten of myriads sought them, They would still find some to buy ; For however great were the demand, So great would be the supply. But a great change was visible after the first two weeks of excitement caused by the Rye-House Plot revelations. Apathy and weariness were soon apparent, whenever pamphleteer or Coffee-house politician tried to resume anti-Papal diatribes. A sense of disgust and shame for having so madly yielded belief to men whose falsehood was gradually being made manifest; a conviction of having been jockeyed and befooled by wily unscrupulous politicians, who all the time were projecting treason, foul as that which they contrived calumniously to charge against the murdered Jesuits, showed the restoration to sanity of the very people who had lately accepted the unsupported testimony of notorious criminals as being equal to a conclusive demonstration. There was now a speedy turning to books, pamphlets, and broadside-ballads for amusement. Accounts of trials and executions were found to be dreary literature. Theatres again were crowded, and the latest comedies of those whom we now call "the Dramatists of the Restoration " found willing purchasers: the lively quartos, issued by Henry Herringman, "gentle George " Etherege's Man of Mode; or Sir Fopling Flutter, with fresh editions of Dryden's Some of the Pamphlets and Ballads in 1683. 349 Marriage à la Mode and his The Wild Gallant, on the 8th November, 66 (to " 350 Some of the Ballads issued in 1684. This begins, "There was an Exciseman of late" (Roxb. Coll., II. 577): 19th June, 1684. On 7th August appeared "The NewCreated Cuckolds of Westminster;" and three weeks later, "An Excellent Example to Young Men: a Dialogue betwixt Youth and Conscience;" also, "Mercy and Cruelty striving for Victory : a Dialogue betwixt a Good Christian and an unmerciful Miser: all three entered to Jonah Deacon. Hindmarsh has "The Rampant Moorman; or, News from the Exchange." A parody on Dr. Walter Pope's recent Song of the "Old Man's Wish" ("If I live to grow old, for I find I go down:" which is in Roxb. Coll., II. 386), is entered on 28th November, 1684, to Gabriel Sedgewick, fortunately not by its title, "The Old Woman's Wish," there being two parodies so named, but by its first line, "As I went by an hospitall." To John Millet on 15th January, 168 (conclusively settling the date, before the death of King Charles II.), is entered "A Pleasant Dialogue between Two Wanton Ladies of Pleasure: " viz. the one beginning "Brave Gallants, now listen, and I will you tell," which we reprinted in our Bagford Ballads, p. 599. To the same publisher, marked by initials only on the broadside, and on January 22, 168. is entered the pamphlet entituled "The Dutchesse of Portsmouth's Farewell." This also we reprinted, in Roxburghe Ballads, vol. iv. p. 283, it beginning, "I prithee, dear Portsmouth, now tell me thy mind." On the same day was entered to Henry Hills, "The Siege of Vienna, a Poem by W.C." (This W.C. was possibly William Cleland vel Cleaveland who wrote with some vigour and humour. He was a Captain of Horse, and afterwards involved in Argyle's insurrection. To him we shall have an opportunity of returning in the Final Monmouth Group.) The subject of this poem seems to been peculiarly attractive to readers of verse, for we possess a sheaf of ballads or broadsides, that had first appeared in the preceding September and October, 1683. Into the examination of the causes of the war betwixt the Turks and Christians we need not fully enter. But it is indisputable that Louis XIV. desired the humiliation of the Austrians, and that the English felt a warm interest in the contest, although they were not nationally engaged as a belligerent power. We sent no recognized auxiliaries, but there is evidence in the ballads that "English Volunteers" had enlisted in the struggle for defence of the Christian religion from the inroads of the hitherto triumphant Turks. We prefix a condensed account of the siege to the ballads of "Vienna's Triumph " and "A Carrouse." "The Relief of Vienna: A Hymn for True Protestants," is contained in the volume of Eighty-Six Loyal Poems, p. 222, published by Nathanael Thompson, 1685, and in our private possession. As to the writer of "The Relief of Vienna," etc. :-George Daniel, antiquary, of Canonbury, inscribed on his copy of the same book: "This volume is rare and particularly curious. The author turn'd Yet another Daniel come to Judgement. 351 Bartlemy-Fair Player, Bully of the Town, and Highwayman." Hard words, Master Daniel come to judgement! We wish that you had given us chapter and verse, the man's name, and the date of his final exit in D. pendant circumstances, sus per col. But, as Paul Dombey said about the mad bull, we "don't believe that story!" George Daniel, thou art demonstrably incorrect thus far, that we ourselves have identified certain poems in the volume (which are by various hands), and know them to have been written by persons of better position, College graduates, than your apocryphal "Bartlemy-Fair Player." Names and dates certified, Master George! And now to the exciting narrative of the Relief of Vienna :"Think with what passionate delight the tale was told, in Christian halls, How Sobieski turn'd to flight the Muslim from l'ienna's walls: How, when his horse triumphant trod the burghers' richest robes upon, The ancient words rose loud From God a man was sent whose name was John."" This was originally the exclamation of Pope Pius V. when he heard of Don John of Austria having conquered the Turks at Lepanto, in 1571. But it was repeated, more appropriately, by the priest at the Te Deum in which Sobieski joined as thanksgiving for the Relief of Vienna, in 1683. When the Turks were about to besiege the city, we are told by Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy, that the Emperor Leopold "had neither men nor money sufficient to enable him to confront such a deluge of invasion; and, after many abject entreaties, he obtained a promise of help from King Sobieski of Poland, whom he had previously treated with contumely and neglect. Poland was at peace with Turkey, nor had the Turk in any way failed in observance of the recent treaty. But neither Sobieski nor other Christian adversaries of the Turks were very scrupulous as to such obligations; and the Polish King promised to aid the Austrian Emperor with fifty-eight thousand men." R On the Relief of Vienna. A Hymn for True Protestants. Enown'd be [the] Christian Arm, the Turkish Whigs be pпшр, And lousie Holwel in their Head, who our blue Saints has shamm'd. These are your precious Rogues! rather than not rebel 1 Against their lawful Prince, and God, they'l joyn the Devil of Hell. And vindicate Himself, against True Protestant and Turk. 'Twas a true Christian Prince, that made him know His pleasure And taught the Villains what is due both to their God and Cæsar. God bless our good King Charles, and James, his own dear Brother, And may they both live long, to succour one another. God bless the King of Poland too, and every Christian King, The Name is sacred: Hang the Dogs who do not love the Thing. [In White-letter. No woodcut. Printed by Nathanael] Thompson], at the entrance to the Old Spring Garden, near Charing-Cross.] 1 See next page, commenting on this fact. We have identified "lousie Holwel" as "John Holwell, Philomath;" who perhaps wore the dozen white Juces in his coat, or cranium: he certainly had a bee in his bonnet. That the Turks would be successful had been prophesied by this John Holwell, Philomathematica. Earlier, in 1674, he had published A Sure Guide to the Practical Surveyor, London, 8vo.; and in 1679 printed for the author A New Prophecy; or a Prophetical Discourse of the blazing Star, that appeared on April the 23rd, 1677, being a full account of the events that threaten England, etc. He describes himself as residing "at the east end of Spittalfields, over against Dorset Street, next door to a glazier's," where he taught arithmetic, geometry, surveying, navigation, fortification, astrology, etc. His father and grandfather had fallen in support of the monarchy during the evil days of usurpation, and their family estate of Holwell Hall in Devonshire had been thus lost for ever; but at the Restoration in 1660, John Holwell obtained the posts of Astronomer Royal and Surveyor of Crown lands, with an honourable place for his wife near the Queen. Later he was appointed Mathematical teacher to the young Duke of Monmouth, whom he appears to have warmly admired. In 1682 he had published, in English, a bitter attack on the Popish party, under the title of Catastrophe Mundi, which was answered in 1684 by J. Merrifield, Student in Astrology, in a quarto, named Catastasis Mundi also Holwell's Falsehoods Discovered. After the accession of James II., in 168, John Holwell was sent to America as surveyor of New York, and died there, with strong suspicion of having been poisoned in coffee, to hinder his return after completing the survey. 2 This alludes to "Julian the Apostate," written by Samuel Johnson, June, 1683; not to Robert Julian, the self-styled "Secretary of the Muses." |