With which old Noll's horns she did rub,
When he was got drunk with falfe bumpers.

Says old Simon, &e.

Here's the purse of the publique faith ;

Here's the model of the Sequestration,
When the old wives upon their good troth,

Lent thimbles to ruine the nation.
Here's Dick Cromwell's Protectorship,

And here are Lambert's commiflions,
And here is Hugh Peters his fcrip
Cramm'd with the tumultuous Petitions.

Says old Simon, &c.

95

100

And here are old Noll's brewing vessels,

And here are his dray, and his flings ;
Here are Hewson's awl, and his bristles ;

With diverse other odd things :
And what is the price doth belong

To all these matters before ye?
I'll sell them all for an old song,
And so I do end my story.

Says old Simon, &c.

XIX. OLD

Yor. 94. See Grey's Hudibras Pt. 1. Cant. 2. ver. 570. &c.

Ver. 100. 102. Cromwell had in his younger years followed the brewing trade at Huntingdon. Col. Hewson is said to bave been griginally a cobler.

XIX.

OLD TOM OF B E D L A M.

MAD SONG

THE

FIRST.

It is worth attention, that the English have more songs and ballads on the subject of madness, than any of their neighbours. Whether it is that we are more liable to this calamity than other nations, or whether our native gloominess hath peculiarly recommended subjects of this caft to our writers, the fact is incontestible, as any one may be satisfied, who will compare the printed collections of French, Italian Songs, &c. with those in our language.

Out of a much larger quantity, we have selected half a dozen MAD Songs for these volumes. The three first are originals in their respective kinds : the merit of the three laft is chiefly that of imitation. They were written as considerable intervals of time, but we have here grouped them togegether, that the reader may the better examine their comparative merits. He may consider them as so many trials of skill in a very peculiar subject, as the contest of so many rivals to shoot in the bow of Ulysses. The two first were probably written about the beginning of the last century ; the third about the middle of it; the fourth towards the end; and the two laft within this present century.

This is given from the editor's folio MS. compared with. two or three old printed copies.

PORTH from my fad and darksome cell,

Or from the deepe abyffe of hell,
Mad Tom is come into the world againe
To see if he can cure his diftempered braine.

5

Feares and cares oppresse my soule :
Harke, howe the angrye furyes houle !
Pluto laughes, and Proserpine is gladd
To see poore naked Tom of Bedlam madd.

Through the world I wander night and day

To seeke my ftraggling fenfes,
In an angrye moode I mett old Time,

With his pentarchye of tenses :

25

Come, Vulcan, with tools and with tackles,
To knocke off my troublesome shackles ;
Bid Charles make ready his waine
To fetch me my senses againe.

30

Last night I heard the dog-star bark ;
Mars met Venus in the darke ;
Limping Vulcan het an iron barr,
And furiouslye made at the god of war :

Mars with his weapon laid about,
But Vulcan's temples had the gout,
For his broad horns did so hang in his light,
He could not see to aim his blowes aright:

35

Harke, I hear Acteons horne!

The huntsmen whoop and hallowe :
Ringwood, Royster, Bowman, Jowler,

All the chase do followe.

The man in the moone drinkes clarret,
Eates powder'd beefe, turnip, and carret,
But

cup of old Malaga facke
Will fire the bushe at his backe.

a

was written about the beginning of the seventeenth century by the witty bishop Corbet, and is printed from the 3d edition of his poems, 12mo. 1672, compared with a more ancient copy in the editor's folio MS.

A

M I mad, O noble Feftus,

When zeal and godly knowledge
Have put me in hope
To deal with the

pope,
As well as the best in the college ?

Boldly I preach, hate a cross, hate a surplice,

Miters, copes, and rochets ;
Come hear me pray nine times a day,
And fill

your
heads with crotchets.