Cavalier Songs and Ballads of England from 1642 to 1684 Part 2

For there are agents sent abroad Most humbly for to crave Our alms; but if they are denied, And of us nothing have,

Then by a vote EX TEMPORE We are to prison sent, Mark'd with the name of enemy, To King and Parliament:

And during our imprisonment, Their lawless bulls do plunder A license to their soldiers, Our houses for to plunder.

And if their hounds do chance to smell A man whose fortunes are Of some account, whose purse is full, Which now is somewhat rare;

A MONSTER now, DELINQUENT term'd, He is declared to be, And that his lands, as well as goods, Sequester'd ought to be.

As if our prisons were too good, He is to Yarmouth sent, By virtue of a warrant from The King and Parliament.

Thus in our royal sovereign's name, And eke his power infused, And by the virtue of the same, He and all his abused.

For by this means his castles now Are in the power of those Who treach'rously, with might and main, Do strive him to depose.

Arise, therefore, brave British men, Fight for your King and State, Against those trait'rous men that strive This realm to ruinate.

'Tis Pym, 'tis Pym and his colleagues, That did our woe engender; Nought but their lives can end our woes, And us in safety render.

Ballad: The Man O' The Moon

Hogg, in his second series of Jacobite Relics, states that he "got this song among some old papers belonging to Mr Orr of Alloa," and that he never met with it elsewhere. In his first series he printed a Scottish song beginning, -

"Then was a man came fron the moon And landed in our town, sir, And he has sworn a solemn oath That all but knaves must down, sir."

In Martin Parker's foregoing ballad, "When the King enjoys his own again," there is also an allusion to the man in the moon:-

"The Man in the Moon May wear out his shoon By running after Charles his wain;"

as it would appear that the "Man in the Moon," was the t.i.tle a.s.sumed by an almanack-maker of the time of the Commonwealth, who, like other astronomers and astrologers, predicted the King's restoration. In this song the "Man o' the Moon" clearly signifies King Charles.

The man o' the moon for ever!

The man o' the moon for ever!

We'll drink to him still In a merry cup of ale, - Here's the man o' the moon for ever!

The man o' the moon, here's to him!

How few there be that know him!

But we'll drink to him still In a merry cup of ale, - The man o' the moon, here's to him!

Brave man o' the moon, we hail thee, The true heart ne'er shall fail thee; For the day that's gone And the day that's our own - Brave man o' the moon, we hail thee.

We have seen the bear bestride thee, And the clouds of winter hide thee, But the moon is changed And here we are ranged, - Brave man o' the moon, we bide thee.

The man o' the moon for ever!

The man o' the moon for ever!

We'll drink to him still In a merry cup of ale, - Here's the man o' the moon for ever!

We have grieved the land should shun thee, And have never ceased to mourn thee, But for all our grief There was no relief, - Now, man o' the moon, return thee.

There's Orion with his golden belt, And Mars, that burning mover, But of all the lights That rule the nights, The man o' the moon for ever!

Ballad: The Tub-Preacher

By Samuel Butler (Author of Hudibras). To the tune of "The Old Courtier of the Queen's."

With face and fas.h.i.+on to be known, With eyes all white, and many a groan, With neck awry and snivelling tone, And handkerchief from nose new-blown, And loving cant to sister Joan; 'Tis a new teacher about the town, Oh! the town's new teacher!

With cozening laugh, and hollow cheek, To get new gatherings every week, With paltry sense as man can speak, With some small Hebrew, and no Greek, With hums and haws when stuff's to seek; 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

With hair cut shorter than the brow, With little band, as you know how, With cloak like Paul, no coat I trow, With surplice none, nor girdle now, With hands to thump, nor knees to bow; 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

With shop-board breeding and intrusion, By some outlandish inst.i.tution, With Calvin's method and conclusion, To bring all things into confusion, And far-stretched sighs for mere illusion; 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

With threats of absolute d.a.m.nation, But certainty of some salvation To his new sect, not every nation, With election and reprobation, And with some use of consolation; 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

With troops expecting him at door To hear a sermon and no more, And women follow him good store, And with great Bibles to turn o'er, Whilst Tom writes notes, as bar-boys score, 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

With double cap to put his head in, That looks like a black pot tipp'd with tin; While with antic gestures he doth gape and grin; The sisters admire, and he wheedles them in, Who to cheat their husbands think no sin; 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

With great pretended spiritual motions, And many fine whimsical notions, With blind zeal and large devotions, With broaching rebellion and raising commotions, And poisoning the people with Geneva potions; 'Tis a new teacher, etc.

Ballad: The New Litany

From the King's pamphlets, British Museum. Satires in the form of a litany were common from 1646 to 1746, and even later.

From an extempore prayer and a G.o.dly ditty, From the churlish government of a city, From the power of a country committee, Libera nos, Domine.

From the Turk, the Pope, and the Scottish nation, From being govern'd by proclamation, And from an old Protestant, quite out of fas.h.i.+on, Libera, etc.

From meddling with those that are out of our reaches, From a fighting priest, and a soldier that preaches, From an ignoramus that writes, and a woman that teaches, Libera, etc.

From the doctrine of deposing of a king, From the DIRECTORY, (2) or any such thing, From a fine new marriage without a ring, Libera, etc.