Merrie England in the Olden Time, Vol. 2

In Short

This volume is a festive, lighthearted exploration of traditional English popular culture, combining narrative sketches, historical commentary, and vintage songs. It follows a cheerful group of friends—including the theatrical Lauréat Mr. Benjamin Bosky and his venerable Uncle Timothy—as they wander through the taverns, fairs, and playhouses of historic London. Through their jovial encounters and historical digressions, the book captures the fading traditions of street minstrels, stage mimes, and public festivals, mounting a defense of innocent public merriment against the strict, utilitarian attitudes of the Victorian era.

The Story

The narrative begins with Mr. Benjamin Bosky and his companions enjoying a hearty drink while praising the humble ballad-singer, whose songs preserve the authentic history and humor of the common people. The group gathers at the London home of the Bosky family, where Uncle Timothy joins them to discuss local theatrical lore and historical oddities. Their quiet evening is interrupted by a bizarre invitation from Mr. Merripall, who invites them to dine with the "High Cockolorum Club" of associated undertakers at a tavern in Battersea Rise.

Accepting the invitation, the friends attend the undertakers' feast, where mutes, gravediggers, and medical men gather for a macabre yet hilarious evening. The members toast proprietary medicines like "Mulligrum's Pill" and sing dark, comical duets about their trade, celebrating winter fevers and fat churchyards. Leaving the feast, the companions encounter the darker realities of city life, hearing the mournful song of an impoverished outcast outside a gated pauper prison.

The book then transitions into rich historical accounts of London's famous gatherings, focusing heavily on Bartholomew Fair. The narrative details the colorful history of mimes, mountebanks, rope-walkers, and comedians who defined the fairgrounds in earlier centuries. Key theatrical figures like William Dogget, Will Pinkethman, and James Spiller are remembered for their stage antics, eating routines, and wild exploits in local taverns.

As the journey continues, the friends attend modern fairground performances, viewing wild animal exhibits, puppet shows, and outrageous melodramas featuring leather dragons and acrobats. The noise and spectacle of Smithfield Market eventually quiet down as the fair closes and the performers pack away their props.

The final section shifts to a peaceful rural setting at Uncle Timothy's flower-filled cottage. There, the companions meet a respected local pastor and a grieving widow, offering a gentle contrast to the urban revelry. The book closes with an extended historical appendix detailing the lost institution of the court-fool, celebrating famous royal jesters like Will Summers and Archee Armstrong who used wit to speak truth to power.

How It Unfolds

The journey begins Mr. Bosky and his companions toast the city's musical itinerants in a local tavern, arguing that popular ballads reveal the true spirit of the nation. They retire to the Bosky residence in Little Britain, where Uncle Timothy arrives to share warm conversation and trade humorous rhymes about city life.

The undertakers' banquet The group receives a curious invitation from the undertaker Mr. Merripall to attend the High Cockolorum Club dinner. At the gathering, mutes and gravediggers sing comical duets about their bleak trade while doctors raise toasts to patent medicines.

Night in the city Departing the rowdy tavern, the friends walk through the quiet night streets and encounter the grim reality of a local pauper prison. They listen to a tragic song sung by a destitute wanderer before heading home to rest.

Chronicles of the fair The narrative dives into the rich history of Bartholomew Fair, detailing the lives of famous actors, tricksters, and vaulters from bygone eras. Legends of stage comedians like Pinkethman and Spiller illustrate the rough, lively humor of old London.

The fairground spectacle The companions visit the modern fairgrounds to witness theatrical booths, rope-vaulting, and absurd melodramas featuring leather dragons and staged fires. When the church bells chime, the crowds disperse, leaving the quieted grounds to milkmaids and dustmen.

Retreat to the country Leaving the city behind, the friends travel to Uncle Timothy's rural cottage surrounded by blooming gardens. They spend a quiet afternoon with the parish pastor and a mourning widow, reflecting on charity, faith, and domestic virtue.

The royal jesters An historical appendix examines the tradition of the court-fool, praising figures like Will Summers and Archee Armstrong. The text highlights how these celebrated jesters used humor to deliver sharp, honest truths to monarchical courts.

The People

• Mr. Benjamin Bosky is a cheerful, verse-spouting gentleman and the "Lauréat of Little Britain." He wants nothing more than good fellowship, a filled glass, and an audience for his comic songs. Obstacles like dreary utilitarian attitudes never dampen his spirits, and he remains a devoted champion of innocent public revelry throughout.
• Uncle Timothy is a gentle, reflective old gentleman whose warmth and enthusiasm guide the group. He seeks to preserve the memory of old English customs and offer charity to those in distress. Though prone to occasional bouts of melancholy when contemplating the past, his generosity and quiet wisdom earn him the deep affection of all his companions.
• Mr. Merripall is a jovial undertaker and the host of the High Cockolorum Club. He desires to bring festive camaraderie to an otherwise dismal profession, orchestrating eccentric dinners filled with macabre toasts and theatrical humor.
• Archee Armstrong is the historical court jester to King Charles I featured in the book's appendix. He seeks to use his sharp wit to outsmart courtiers and speak frankly to power, but his irreverent jokes about Archbishop Laud ultimately lead to his exile from court.

In Its Own Voice

“Show me the popular ballads of the time, and I will show you the temper and taste of the people.”

An approving comment on a ballad-singer's drink introduces this core premise regarding the value of popular street songs.

“Winter to us is a jolly trump card, fine hot May makes a fat churchyard!”

Two mutes at the High Cockolorum Club sing this dark, satirical chorus during the undertakers' annual feast.

“There existed a jovial sympathy between the two estates, which was continually brought into action, and enjoyed with hearty good-will.”

The appendix opens with this reflection on the historical bond shared between the royal court and the common people during public pageants.

What It's Really About

Beneath its jovial songs and anecdotes, the book is an explicit defense of traditional leisure against the rising tide of Victorian utilitarianism and moral rigidity. The author argues that public merriment, theatrical silliness, and community festivals are essential to the human spirit, offering a necessary refuge from life's hardships. By contrasting the merry traditions of the past with the bleak realities of workhouses and pauper prisons, the text critiques a society that prioritizes efficiency over joy. The book suggests that true national health relies on preserving shared spaces of innocent amusement, charitable goodwill, and lighthearted humor.

Why Read It Today

This volume will deeply appeal to lovers of social history, classic theater, and British folklore. Reading it feels like sitting in a warm, wood-paneled tavern with an antiquarian friend who knows every obscure song, theatrical legend, and forgotten street corner in London. The prose rambles with infectious enthusiasm, blending theatrical playbills, rhyming couplets, and historical gossip into a vibrant tapestry.

The reader must navigate several era-specific hurdles, including dense literary references, long theatrical lists, archaic slang, and sudden shifts into phonetic dialect or period verse. Furthermore, modern readers will notice occasional 19th-century cultural biases and staging tropes in the descriptions of fairground spectacles. Yet for those willing to embrace its unhurried pace, the book provides a delightfully vivid window into the lost sights, sounds, and eccentric personalities of historical England.

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