III. Jephthah Judge of Israel.......................................................................................
In Shakspeare'sHamlet, act ii. the hero of the play takes occasion to banter
Polonius with some scraps of an old ballad, which has never yet appeared in any
collection: for which reason, as it is but short, it will not perhaps be unacceptable to
the reader; who will also be diverted with the pleasant absurdities of the composition.
It was retrieved from utter oblivion by a lady, who wrote it down from memory as she
had formerly heard it sung by her father. I am indebted for it to the friendship of Mr.
Steevens.
It has been said, that the original ballad, in black-letter, is among Anthony à
Wood's Collections in the Ashmolean Museum. But, upon application lately made,
the volume which contained this song was missing, so that it can only now be given
as in the former edition.
The banter of Hamlet is as follows:
"Hamlet. 'O Jeptha, Judge of Israel,' what a treasure hadst thou!
Polonius. What a treasure had he, my Lord?
Ham. Why, 'One faire daughter and no more, The which he loved passing well.'
Pol. Still on my daughter.
Ham. Am not I i' th' right, old Jeptha?
Pol. If you call me Jeptha, my lord, I have a daughter, that I love passing well.
Ham. Nay, that follows not.
Pol. What follows then, my lord?
Ham. Why, 'As by lot, God wot:' and then you know, 'It came to passe, As most like it was.'
The first row of the pious chanson will shew you more."-- Edit. 1793, vol. xv. p. 133HAVE you not heard these many years ago,
Jeptha was judge of Israel?
He had one only daughter and no mo,
The which he loved passing well:
And, as by lott,
God wot,
It so came to pass,
As Gods will was,
That great wars there should be,
And none should be chosen chief but he.
And when he was appointed judge,
And chieftain of the company,
A solemn vow to God he made;
If he returned with victory,
At his return
To burn
The first live thing,
That should meet with him then,
Off his house when he should return agen.
It came to pass, the wars was o'er,
And he returned with victory;
His dear and only daughter first of all
Came to meet her father foremostly: