It does not
occur in any of the local histories of the Isle of Wight which I have
been able to consult of a date previous to Elder's book--_e.g._, J.
Hassel, _Tour of the Isle of Wight_, 1790. Mr. Shore, in his _History of
Hampshire_, 1891, p. 185, refers to the legend, but evidently bases his
reference on Elder, and so with all the modern references I have seen.
Now Elder himself quotes Verstegan in his comments on the legend, pp.
168-9 and note, and it is impossible to avoid conjecturing that he
adapted Verstegan to the locality. Newtown, when Hassel visited it in
1790, had only six or seven houses (_l.c._, i., 137-8), though it had
the privilege of returning two members to Parliament; it had been a
populous town by the name of Franchville before the French invasion of
the island of _temp._ Ric. II. It is just possible that there may have
been a local legend to account for the depopulation by an exodus of the
children. But the expression "pied piper" which Elder used clearly came
from Verstegan, and until evidence is shown to the contrary the whole
of the legend was adapted from him.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266