Humour wit Satire of the Seventeenth Century 36

Humour wit Satire of the Seventeenth Century 36

Death and an honest Cobler fell at bate [24.]

And finding him worne out, would needs translate;

He was a trusty so'le, and time had bin

He would, well liquord, go through thick and thin.

Death put a trick upon him, and what was't?

The Cobler call'd for All, death brought his last;

'Twas not uprightly done to cut his thread,

That mended more and more till he was dead;

But since hee's gone, tis all that can be said,

Honest _Cut-Cobler_ here is underlayed.

 

 

In political satire it was not to be expected that so prominent a

person as Prince Rupert, the son of James I.'s own sister, could

come off scathless; but it is somewhat singular, and it shows the

bitterness of the parties, that even his pets, his poodle dog, and his

monkey, should provoke the satiric ire of the Roundhead writers. Both

are historical, and, thanks to Thomason, whose wonderful collection,

known as the "Kings Pamphlets," exists in the British Museum, the

materials of their history are easily accessible to the student. The

Prince's dog "Boy" was a white poodle, and it is somewhat curious to

note that poodles, over 200 years since, were shaved so as to conserve

the lionlike mane, although the dandyisms of tufts on the legs and

tail seem to have been reserved for a later era.

 

[Illustration: "To him pudel."

"Bite him, peper"

'Cauilier Dog'

'Roundhead Curr']

 

His master must have had a special and peculiar affection for "Boy,"

as he, and a tame hare, "which used to follow him about & do his

bidding with facility," were his solace when imprisoned at Lintz

in 1641. According to a writer,[F. 64] whose "Prince Ruperts diary"

everybody would like to see, it was a "beautiful white dogge," was

given him by Lord Arundell, and was "of a breede so famous that the

Grand Turk gave it in particular injunction to his ambassador to

obtaine him a puppie thereof." His nationality is given in a tract

[36] as being either of German or Finland breed, and he must soon have

become notorious, as Prince Rupert did not come over to England after

his release from prison until February 1642; and we find from the

accompanying engraving [36] that early the following year he was

politically made use of for party purposes.

 

In this dialogue, which is too lengthy for reproduction here, it will

be seen that he was already accredited with supernatural qualities.

 

"_Tobies Dog._ ... I heare you are Prince _Ruperts_ white Boy.

 

_P. Rup. dog._ I am none of his White Boy, my name is

_Puddle_.

 

_Tob. dog._ A dirty name indeed, you are not pure enough for

my company, besides I hear on both sides of my eares that you

are a Laplander, or Fin land Dog, or truly no better than a

Witch in the shape of a white Dogge.

 

* * * * *

 

_Tob. Dog._ You are of _Brackley_ breed, better to hang than

to keep.

 

_ Pr. Rup. Dog._ No, Sirrah, I am of high Germain breed;

 

_Tob. Dog._ Thou art a Reprobate, and a lying Curre; you were

either whelpt in Lapland, or else in Fin land; where there is

none but divells and Sorcerers live."

 

This supernatural idea seems to have had its rise in Boy's

accompanying his master always, even on the battlefield, enjoying a

marvellous immunity from harm. There is a very similar engraving to

the accompanying, in a chap-book of "The History of the Blind Begger

of Bednal Green" [38], where it does duty for "Young Monford Riding to

the Wars, where he unhapily lost his Eye sight."[F. 65] And I have no

doubt but that in this present work the engraving to "The Poets Dream"

is an old woodcut of Prince Rupert and his dog Boy.

 

[37.]

 

[Illustration: Dauentry ... Brimidgham]

 

In another tract of the time [39] are plentiful allusions to his being

a witch. "Grumbling Sir, or counterfeit Lapland Lady, I admire thy

impudence in calling thyself a Lady: Art thou a Lady and hast so much

haire?... Thou wouldst be a rough bed fellow for the Divell himself;

if thou art not a Divell thyself, thou hast conditions sutable to

thy shape, for thou doest snarle and bite at the Parliament, and hast

learnt that quality from other Popish Dogs; good thou canst do none

to the Prince, for that is contrary to the nature of a Witch, which in

some respects thou unjustly doest assume, but in other conditions most

fitly, for a Witch will dine or suppe with a roasted crab squittering

in the fire, or with a few boild Onions and a draught of Buttermilke

which one of her neighbours gave her for fear more than for love, but

thou doest fare most deliciously of the rumps and wings of Capons, and

Kidneys, and art indeed better fed than taught. Besides a Witch will

lie upon an old straw bed with her house Cat which seems instead of

her bed fellow. But the Kings chair of state and all the embroydered

velvet stools are thy day couches, where thou lyest and sleepest

with thy malignant eyes half open, and canst winke at small and great

faults as thou doest for occasion. But then thou art a Witch again

in some conditions, for they are overgrown with ugly gray hair which

hangs down about their shoulders, and so art thou, _Boy_. Witches are

ready to doe mischief, but can do no good, and such are thy malignant

qualities, _Boy_; Pardon me, for though our gracious King loves thee,

it is not as thou art a Witch but as thou art Prince _Robert's_

dog." And this attack on poor _Boy_ winds up with calling him "a very

cowardly malignant cur," though he look like a lion.

 

 

Another tract [40] talks of "her cousen Prince _Ruperts_ with her

white Tog, which as her Moderns hold is a Prince disguis'd." And

Cleveland [41] in his ode "to Prince Rupert" sings to poor _Boy's_

disadvantage, and holds him up as a bugbear.

 

"They fear the Giblets of his Train, they fear

Even his Dog, that four legg-d Cavalier:

He that devours the Scraps which _Lunsford_ makes,

Whose Picture feeds upon a Child in Stakes.

Who name but _Charles_ he comes aloft for him,

But holds up his Malignant Leg at _Pym_.

'Gainst whom they've several Articles in Souse;

First that he barks against the Sense o' th' House.

_Resolv'd Delinquent_, to the Tower straight;

Either to th' Lyons, or the Bishops Grate.

Next, for his Ceremonious Wag o' th' Tail;

But there the Sisterhood will be his Bail,

At least the Countess will, _Lust's Amsterdam_,

That lets in all Religions of the Game.

Thirdly, he smells Intelligence, that's better,

And cheaper too, than _Pym_ from his own Letter:

Who's doubly pay'd (Fortune or we the blinder?)

For making Plots, and then for Fox the Finder.

Lastly he is a Devil without doubt;

For when he would lie down, he wheels about;

Makes Circles and is Couchant in a Ring,

And therefore score up one for Conjuring."

 

In a contemporary tract [36] _Boy_ is accredited with being

invulnerable, and he had escaped the chances of war in a remarkable

manner. It would be a pity to curtail the extract, as it shows well

the political amenities of that age. "The Challenge which Prince

_Griffins_ Dogge called _Towzer_ hath sent to Prince _Rupert's_ Dog

whose name is _Puddle_, daring him to meet him at the Parish Garden

this present Lent to try a combate before the Worship full the Beares,

who are appointed to be their Judges in that Case.----Thou worme of

Wickednesse, fritter of Folly, spawne of doggednesse, and piece of

mungrele stuffe; in regard of thy base grumbling words and bawling

against thy betters. Besides that, is honest _Pepper_. Tobies _Dogge_

your match, no he is too milde for thee; thou should have given notice

of your Treaty and discourse to me who am thy equall, thou shouldst

have found enough of me, for I will have thee know, that I eate as

good Rumps and Kidneyes as ever thou, base Cur, dost; when I have you

at the place appointed I will so rump you, and so frump you, that I

will leave you never a rumpe nor yet a kidney, no, not with a heart as

big as a hen or chickins: I doe now with open mouth defie thee and all

thy proceedings, and doe challenge thee to meet me at the place before

mentioned, there will I fight, tug and teare thee in a single combate,

where I mean to rend thee in pieces, and be revenged on thee, base

cur. _And[F. 66] although I hear thou art impenitrable and likewise

besmeared over with inchaunted oyle, so that no weapon, bullet nor

sword can enter thee to make thee bleed_; yet I have teeth which I

have newly whetted shall so fasten and teare your German or Finland

hide limb meale, and then flea thy skin and hang it on the hedg, and

give thy pomperd flesh to those Iudges which we are to fight before,

(namely the Worshipfull the Bears), to satisfie their hungry mawes

this Lent; let me hear your dogged answer, or else I will proclaim

thee Coward in print, and set thy name upon every whipping post

&c.... Expect no favour from mee, nor will I from you; I will end the

difference. I will have no Outlandish cur domineer in our Land. _So

saith your Surley foe_ Towzer, and servant to Prince Griffin."

 

[Illustration]

 

Long after poor _Boy's_ death he was associated with Prince Rupert,

for instance [42]--

 

"See how the Sectists bustle now,

The Independents sturre.

London is tam'd say they; as once

Prince _Rupert_ with his curre."