W. T. Moncrieff Gipsy Jack, or, The Napoleon of humble life c.1834
Posted: April 20th, 2012 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: London, Londons Ordinary, derogatory, pubs | No Comments »
Ben Jonson The Staple Of News 1625
“I will take home the Lady to my Charge,
And these her Servants, and leave you my Cloke,
To travel in to Beggers Bush!”
Ben Jonson stood at the centre of the theatrical and literary life early modern England. He was connected with many writers who used the phrase Beggars Bush. Beggars Bush is mentioned in his late play when the character Peni-Boy senior reveals himself to his errant son, Peni-Boy junior. The usage is characteristic of the literary use of the phrase by Jane Anger and others. Peni-Boy junior, expecting an inheritance will instead fall into penury through his own folly. It is a state of being, not a geographical location.
Posted: April 9th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Ben Jonson, Dutch, Henry Chettle, Henry Porter, Izaak Walton, John Day, John Taylor, Literary, Londons Ordinary, Philip Henslowe, The Oath, The Play, Thomas Nashe, canting, pubs | No Comments »
Text of Londons Ordinarie
I have set out below the text of the ballad in full. For analysis of the origin, and the role of alehouses, inns and ordinaries see this link. See also the earlier version by Thomas Heywood. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 7th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Literary, Londons Ordinary, Thomas Heywood, pubs | No Comments »
Anon Twelve Ingenious Characters 1686
“He throws away his wealth as heartily as young heirs, or old philosophers, and is so eager of a goal, or a mumper’s wallet, that he will not wait fortune’s leisure to undo him, but rides post to beggar’s bush, and then takes more pains to spend money than day-labourers to get it.”
A “mumper’s wallet” was a beggars bag, another symbol commonly associated with beggars. Thomas Blount (1656) Glossographia or a Dictionary has “To Dun, is a word lately taken up by fancy, and signifies to demand earnestly, or press a man to pay for commodities taken up on trust, or other debt”. The usage is typical of the standard literary usage. Specifically it refers to being brought to poverty by one’s own folly. It also refers to heirs throwing away their inheritances, as did Jane Anger almost one hundred years earlier.
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Posted: April 7th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Jane Anger, Literary, Londons Ordinary, Thomas Heywood, Twelve Ingenious Characters | No Comments »
John Fletcher & Philip Massinger The Beggars Bush 1622
“The Beggars Bush” is a play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1622, but commonly included in the “Beaumont and Fletcher” canon. Through performance, print, characters and development of the original text it was likely to have made a substantial contribution to the survival and distribution of the literary phrase. As to the eponymous Beggars Bush itself the play is vague. It is a meeting place for the beggar characters, some of whom, it is revealed, are not beggars at all. It does not attempt to portray a real location – the play is not set in England but in and around Bruges.
Posted: March 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers, The Play | Tags: Ben Jonson, Clause, Dutch, Francis Beaumont, Francis Kirkman, Henry Chettle, Izaak Walton, John Day, John Fl, John Taylor, Literary, Londons Ordinary, Performance Chronology, Philip Henslowe, Philip Massinger, Publishing Chronology, The Lame Commonwealth, The Play, beggars, geuzen | No Comments »
Anon Londons Ordinarie 1629 ?
This broadside ballad “To a pleasant new tune” survives in a variety of editions. The English Broadside Ballad Archive has two dated from 1619-1629 and 1630, while the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads lists three further versions dated between 1674 and 1679. All of these include similar text which lists places, mainly hostelries (ordinaries) linked with the characters of the people who used them. Notably it is the spendthrifts who go to Beggars Bush – which is consistent with the literary usage of the phrase. It is sometimes connected to a song by Thomas Heywood, first published in 1608. For the full text see Londons Ordinarie.
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Posted: March 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Ballads, John Taylor, London, Londons Ordinary, Robert Greene, Southwark, St Giles, The Oath, The Play, Thomas Heywood, derogatory, pubs | No Comments »
Sticky: Southwark, Surrey Beggars Bush c.17-c.18
There seem to have been at least two Beggars Bush pubs in London; one in St Giles north of the Thames and one in Southwark south of the river. Beyond that little can be reliably said about the Southwark example. It was probably in Gravel Lane near Paris Garden. It was there in the reign of William III (1688-1702). It may have been in existence earlier during the period that Southwark was the centre of theatrical activity in London, and the home of writers such as John Fletcher. It is likely to be the inn referred to in the ballad London’s Ordinarie c.1685.
Posted: March 19th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: John Fletcher, London, Londons Ordinary, Mockbeggars, Southwark, St Giles, pubs | No Comments »
Thomas Heywood The Rape of Lucrece 1608
Thomas Heywood is significant because he does not use Beggars Bush when he might have done, but he does associate beggars with bushes. This song appears to be the source or have a common source with, a later ballad Londons Ordinary which does refer to Beggars Bush.
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Posted: March 19th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Cambridge, Coldharbour, Francis Beaumont, Francis Kirkman, John Taylor, London, Londons Ordinary, Saxton, Southwark, St Giles, derogatory, pubs | No Comments »
St Giles, London Beggars Bush c.1660
A disreputable inn known as The Beggars Bush or The Beggar in the Bush is reputed to have operated until the reign of Charles II during which the name was changed to Hare and Hounds. Although the old name was replaced it was remembered. The history of this pub seems to have been confused with another in Southwark, south of the Thames. It may be the inn was referred to in the ballad London’s Ordinarie. It was indirectly, through a book, the source of the name of the pub in Ubud, Bali, and (possibly) through that a restaurant in Manchester. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 19th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: London, Londons Ordinary, Manchester, Southwark, Ubud, pubs | No Comments »
Robert Greene A Quip for an Upstart Courtier 1592
“These with Syrenlike allurement so entised these quaint squires, that they bestowed al their flowers vpon them for fauours, they themselues walking home by Beggar’s Bush for a penance.”
Usage
This is earliest mention of Beggar’s Bush recorded in the OED. It is characteristic of the literary usages. The phrase is clearly a literary one, involving the fall of the favoured through their own foolishness. Elsewhere in the same work Greene uses the term Weeping Cross in the same context, which was earlier used by William Bullein.
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Posted: March 12th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Christopher Marlowe, Henry Chettle, Londons Ordinary, Martin Marprelate, Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe, William Bullein, canting | No Comments »