And that brave young Cavalier, ready to do and dare! THE SIEGE OF NEWARK: A SONG. This song is said to have been written during the siege of Newark, in order to cheer the garrison, by Cleveland, the Judge Advocate: Our braines are asleepe, then fyll us a cupp Of cappering sack and clarett; Here is a health to King Charles! then drink it all up His cause will fare better for itt. Did not an old arky save Noye in flood? Why may not a new arke to us be as good? We dread not their forces, they are all made of wood. Then wheele and turn about againe. Though all beyond Trent be sold to the Scott, If Sandye come here, 'twill to their Lott Here's a health to our garrison! drink it to them, I care not a figg what enemy comes, For we doe account them but hop-of-my-thumbes; THORNEY WOOD MOOR. In Thorney Moor Wood in Nottinghamshire, I went out with my dog one night, The moon shone clear and the stars gave light, Over hedges and ditches and rails, With my two dogs close at my heels, To catch a fine buck in Thorney Moor field. The very first night we had bad luck, He came to me both bloody and lame, I searched his wound and found it light, I will range the wood to find the man, I ranged the woods and groves all night, Was a good fat buck lay dead on the ground, I out with my knife, I cut the buck's throat, And you would have laugh'd to see limping Jacke, I hired a butcher to skin the game, The very first buck he offered for sale, Was to a woman that sold bad ale, And she sent us three poor lads to gaol, But the quarter sessions were drawing nigh at hand, At which we were all to be tried, The gentlemen laugh'd them all to scorn, That such an old woman should be foresworn, She all to pieces ought to be torn. The sessions are over and we are all clear, The sessions are over and we all sit here, The very best game I ever did see, THE THREE MEN OF GOTHAM. In the collection of ancient ballads and songs, written between 1560 and 1700, known as the Roxburghe Ballads, is preserved a ballad called "The choice of Inventions, or several sorts of the figure of three, That are newly compos'd as you may here see; Then lend your attention you shall hear anon; It goes to the tune of Rock the Cradle, sweet John."" The first of these " give: "figures" only relates to Gotham, which we "There were three men of Gotham, as I have heard men say, D That needs would ride a hunting Though all the day they hunting were, yet no sport could they see, Untill they spide an Owle, as she sate in a tree. The first man said it 'twas a Goose, the second man say nay, The third man said it was a Hawke, but his Bels were falne away: (Chorus.) There was an Ewe had three Lambes, There was a man had three sonnes, Jeffery, James, and Jacke; The one was hang'd, the other drowned, The old man he fell in a sownd: Come, fill us a cup of sack." FAIR MAID OF CLIFTON. This ballad will be found in the first series of this publication. NOTTINGHAM ALE. This Bacchanalian song was written by an officer of the Royal Navy, named Gunthorpe, in praise of a barrel of Nottingham ale which had been sent to him by his brother, who kept the Punch Bowl, in Peck Lane. Its first appearance in print, as far as we can learn, was in 1752, when it appeared anonymously in the Gentleman's Magazine (xxii., 38). It was sung to the tune of "Lillyburlero," a tune which was very popular in one of the James' time. "Nottingham Ale" was very popular about the close of the last and the commencement of the present century. Goldsmith was never tired of hearing this song sung, at the Globe, in Fleet Street. Blackner reprinted it in his history of the town, but omitted the last verse on account of its immodesty. Mr. (now the Rev.) W. H. Wylie, in his Old and New Nottingham, first edition, in addition to this elimination, altered a line, not desiring to perpetuate the improprieties of a licentious age. It also appears in Chappell's Popular Songs of the Olden Time, and in one of Such's broadsides. We now reprint it, although our sentiments are the the reverse of those expressed in these lines :- Fair Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, Minerva leapt out of the cranium of Jove, A coy sullen slut, as most authors agree: Bold Bacchus, they tell us, the prince of good fellows, But they that thus chatter, mistake quite the matter And having survey'd well the cask whence he sprung, And away to the gods and goddesses flew; Chorus. Nottingham ale, &c. Ye bishops and deacons, priests, curates, and vicars, Ye doctors, who do more execution With powder and bolus, with potion and pill; Ye poets, who brag of the Helicon brook, The friendly assistance of one of the nine- The nectar ambrosia, on which gods regale! Experience will show it, nought makes a good poet Chorus. Nottingham ale, &c. The immodesty of the last verse causes us to omit it. The song is given in its entirety in our copy. THE UNCONSCIONABLE BACHELORS OF DARBY; OR, THE YOUNG LASSES PAWN'D BY THEIR SWEETHEARTS FOR A LARGE RECKONING AT NOTTINGHAM GOOSE FAIR, WHERE POOR SUSAN WAS FORC'D TO PAY THE SHOT. This ballad, which is sung to the tune of "To thee, to thee, &c.," is reprinted from the collection in the British Museum, known as the Roxburghe Collection. It is in black-letter, and is "adorned" with three woodcuts, curious in execution. The imprint is"Printed for J. Bessel, in West-Smithfield." You lovers of mirth attend a while a merry new Ditty here I write I know it will make you laugh and smile for every line affords delight: The Lasses of Darby with young Men they went to Goose-fair for recreation But how these Sparkes did serve them then Truly, truly, worth your observation, The maids did complain they came there in vain So soon as they came into the Fair the Batchellers made them conlues low And bid them a thousand welcomes there this done to a tipling-school they go : How pleasant was honest Kate and Sue? believing they should be richly treated, But Neighbours and Friends as am true no lasses ever was (sic.) so cheated: Cheated, cheated, very farely cheated they were left alone to make their moan And was not, was not that a pity? The innocent Lasses fair and gay concluded the Men was (sic.) kind and free Because they passed the time away a plenty of cakes and ale they see; out of the money she had hoarded and was not that, was not that a pity? In compliments they did not stand nor did they admire their charming features |