1 With which old Noll's horns fhe did rub, When he was got drunk with falfe bumpers. Here's the purfe of the publique faith; Here's the model of the Sequeftration, When the old wives upon their good troth, And here is Hugh Peters his fcrip Cramm'd with the tumultuous Petitions. And here are old Noll's brewing veffels, And what is the price doth belong To all these matters before ye ? 99 95 100 195 XIX. OLD Yer. 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 faid to have been griginally a cobler. XIX. OLD TOM OF BEDLAM. MAD SONG THE FIRST. It is worth attention, that the English have more fongs 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 fubjects of this caft to our writers, the fact is inconteftible, 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 felected 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 confiderable intervals of time, but we have here grouped them togegether, that the reader may the better examine their comparative merits. He may confider them as fo many trials of Skill in a very peculiar fubject, as the conteft of fo many rivals to fhoot in the bow of Ulyffes. The two firft 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 prefent century. This is given from the editor's folio MS. compared with two or three old printed copies. ORTH from my fad and darkfome cell, Mad Tom is come into the world againe Feares and cares oppreffe my foule : Through the world I wander night and day In an angrye moode I mett old Time, With his pentarchye of tenses : When me he spyed, Away he hyed, For time will stay for no man : In vaine with cryes I rent the fkyes, For pity is not common. .Cold and comfortless I lye : Helpe, oh helpe or elfe dye! 20 Harke! I heare Apollo's teame, The boare begins to bristle. Come, Come, Vulcan, with tools and with tackles, To fetch me my fenfes againe. Laft night I heard the dog-ftar bark; Mars met Venus in the darke ; Limping Vulcan het an iron barr, And furiouslye made at the god of war : 25 30 Mars with his weapon laid about, But Vulcan's temples had the gout, For his broad horns did fo hang in his light, 35 He could not fee to aim his blowes aright: Harke, I hear Acteons horne! The huntsmen whoop and hallowe: The man in the moone drinkes clarret, Will fire the bufhe at his backe. 55 XX. THE DISTRACTED PURITAN, MAD SONG THE SECOND, was written about the beginning of the ferventeenth 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, Ọ 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 furplice, Miters, copes, and rochets ; Come hear me pray nine times a day, And fill your heads with crotchets. |