Merry Drollery Compleat (1875)

For other versions of this work, see Merry Drollery, Complete.

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Merry Drollery
Compleat.

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Merry
Drollery
Compleat
Being
Jovial Poems, Merry Songs,
&c.,
Collected by W.N., C.B., R.S., & J.G.,
Lovers of Wit,
Both Parts; 1661, 1670, 1691.

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Now First Reprinted from the Final Edition, 1691.

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Edited,
With a Special Introduction,
An Appendix of
Notes, Illustrations, and Emendations of Text;
And Frontispiece;
By J. Woodfall Ebsworth, M.A., Cantab.

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Boston, Lincolnshire:
Printed by Robert Roberts, Strait Bar-Gate.
M,DCCCLXXV.

To Those
Students of History
Who Desire to Learn
The True State of England,
At the Close of the Civil Wars;
This Exact Reprint
Of the
Merry Drollery, Complete,
(First Collected in 1661,)
Is
Dedicated.

May, 1875.

Contents.

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Dedication
Prelude
Introduction to “Merry Drollery:”—		i.
	§ 1. Merry Drollery, 1661,—2. The Ballads and the Commonwealth,—3. The Writers of the Songs.
Original Address to the Reader		3
Merry Drollery, Complete, Part I.		5
Merry„ Drollery,„ Complete,„ Part„ II.		209
Original Table of Contents		351
Original List of Books		358
Appendix of Notes to Merry D. C.		363
Appendix„ of Notes„ to„ Westm. D.		405
Finale		403

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Merry Drollery,
Compleat.

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Merry
Drollery
Compleat:
Or, A
Collection

Of $\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$

Jovial Poems, Merry Songs, Witty Drolleries,

Intermixed with Pleasant Catches.

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The First Part.

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Collected by W.N. C.B. R.S. J.G.
Lovers of Wit.

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London

Printed for William Miller, at the Gilded Acorn, in St. Paul’s Church-yard, where Gentlemen and others may be furnished with most sorts of Acts of Parliament, Kings, Lord Chancellors, Lord Keepers, and Speakers Speeches, and other sorts of Speeches, and State Matters; as also Books of Divinity, Church-Government, Humanity, Sermons on most Occasions, &c. 1691.

To the
Reader:

Courteous Reader,

We do here present thee with a Choice Collection of Wit and Ingenuity, many of which were obtained with much difficulty, and at a Chargeable Rate; It is Composed so as to please all Complexions, Ages, and Constitutions of either Sexes, and is now Completed.

Farewel.

The Contents of the first Part.

	[Edition 1691,]	Page
Now I confess I am in Love	[7]	5
Be merry in sorrow, why are you so sad	[9]	7
Amerillis told her swaine	[10]	8
Call for the Master oh this is fine	[11]	9
Once I was sad till I grew to be mad	[12]	10
When first Mardike was made a Prey	[14]	12
Of all the Crafts that I do know	17
The thirsty Earth drinks up the Rain	22
To friend and to foe	23
The Fashions [: The Turk in linen, &c.]	25
Tobacco that is withered quite	26
There was a Jovial Tinker	27
Now Gentlemen if you will hear	29
The Hunt is up	30
Of an old souldier of the Queen	31
If thou will know how to chuse a shrew	32
Come my delicate bonny sweet Betty	34
Nay, prethee don’t fly me, &c.	36
A fox a fox up Gallant to the field	38
Ah Ah come see what’s here	40
Let dogs and divells dye	41
A young man that in Love &c,	42
There dwelt a maid &c.	46
The spring is coming on and our bloud &c,	47
Doctors lay by your Irksome books	48
There was an old man &c.	52
Come Jack let’s drink, or the Cavaleers complaint	52
The Answer to it [: I marvel, Dick, &c.]	54
All in the Land of Essex	56
My Mistris is a Shittle-Cock	60
Will you hear a strange thing &c	62
Of nothing a new song [: I’le sing you a Sonnet]	66
Bacchus I am come from &c.	69
Be not thou so foolish nice	69
Aske me no more [why there appears] &c.	70
A Sessions was held the other day	72
I came unto a Puritan to woe	77
Good Lord what a pass is this world &c	81
Walking abroad in a morning	81
In Eighty Eight &c.	82
Nay out upon this fooling for shame	84
If every woman was serv’d in her kind	85
Some Christian People all give ear	87
Come my Daphne come away	91
Cast your Caps and cares away	92
When first the Scottish war began	93
My Brethren all attend	95
Come let’s drink the time invites	97
In the merry month of May	99
Roome for the best of Poets Heroick	100
I tell thee Dick where I have been	101
How happy is the prisoner &c.	107
I met with the divel in the shape of a Ram	109
The world’s a bubble &c	110
The Proctors are two and no more	111
My Mistris whom in heart &c.	113
Tis not the Silver nor Gold	115
After so many sad mishaps	118
Come lets purge our brains	121
What though the [ill] times	124
Lay by your pleading [Law lies, &c.]	125
I am a bonny scot	127
I’ll tell thee a story &c.	131
I’ll go no more to the old Exchange	134
Lets call and drink the Celler [dry]	138
There is [a] lusty Liquor	140
Three merry lads met at the Rose	143
Of all the Recreations which	[146]	130
Tom and Will were shepherds	149
Wake all you dead what O	[151]	131
There [is] a certain idle kind of creature	[152]	155
The Bow Goose[: The best of Poets, &c.]	153
News[:] White Bears, &c	[159]	153
We seamen are the bonny boys	162
My Mistris is in Musick passing, &c	163
When the Chill charakoe blows	164
Now thanks to the powers below	166
A maiden of late &c	170
After the pains of a desperate Lover	171
Blind fortune if thou want s[t]	172
From Mahomet and Paganisme	174
God bless my good Lord [Bishop]	177
Of all the rare sciences	178
Heard you not lately of a man	180
The Medly of the Country man Citizen and souldier	182
No man loves fiery passion can approve	187
When blind God Cupid &c.	188
Come Drawer come fill us &c.	190
Lay by your pleading [Love lies, &c.]	191
Bring forth your Cunny skin	196
From hunger and cold &c.	197
Roome for a Gamester	197
Gather your Rose buds	199
A story strange I will you tell	200
I am a Rogue and a stout one	204
Stay shut the Gate	207

Merry
Drollery,
Complete.
Or,
A Collection

Of $\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$

Jovial Poems, Merry Songs, Witty Drolleries,

Intermixed with Pleasant Catches.

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The Second Part.

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The Second Part.

Hold quaffe no more	210
Had she not care enough	211
Here’s a Health to his Majesty	212
But since it was [lately] enacted high Treason	212
Cock Laurel [would needs have:] by Ben Johnson	214
A fig for care [why should we spare]	217
Let Souldiers fight for praise, &c.	218
Ne’er trouble thy self at the times	219
Three merry boys came out of the West	220
Calm was the Evening	220
There’s many a blinking Verse &c	221
The Blacksmith[: Of all the Trades]	225
Come my dainty doxes	230
Come Imp Royal &c.	231
The Wisemen [were but seven]	232
How poor is his spirit, &c	232
[Am] I am mad O noble Festus	234
I dote I dote but am a fool &c.	237
Ladies I do here present	240
The Combate of Cocks[: Go you tame Gallants]	242
Come let’s frolick fill some Sack	246
What is that you call a Maidenhead	249
When Phœbus addrest &c.	250
A Brewer may be a Burgess grave	252
Oliver Oliver [take up thy crown]	254
When I do travell in the night.	255
Sir Eglamore [that valiant Knight]	257
If none be offended &c	259
Come drawer and fill us &c	263
The Bulls feather[: It chanced not long ago]	264
You talk of new England	266
Come drawer turn about the Bowle	268
Pray why should any man complain	270
What an ass is he	273
My masters give audience	275
The Aphorismes of Galen	277
Now I am merrier [i.e. married] Sir John	280
I have reason to fly thee	281
I have the fairest Non-perel	283
Are you grown so melancholly	286
Sublimest discretions have climb’d &c	288
A pox on the Jaylor	289
My lodging is on the cold ground	290
From the fair Lavinian shore	291
Fetch me Ben Johnsons scull &c.	293
Now that the spring &c.	296
Of all the sports in the world	296
The wily wily Fox	300
She lay all naked &c	300
Some wives are good &c	301
Call George again	304
Pox take your Mistris	304
The Answer[: I pray thee, Drunkard,]	306
She that will eat her breakfast	308
St. George for England [: Why should we, &c.]	309
Arthur of Bradley [Saw you not Pierce]	312
On the Oxford Jeasts [: I tell thee, Kit,]	317
There were three Cooks in Colebrook	318
The Blacksmith [: Of all the Sciences]	319
When Ise came first to London Town	323
The merry good fellow [: Why should we not laugh]	326
The Rebels Reign [: Now we are met]	326
Have you observ’d the wench in the street	332
A new Medley [: Let the trumpet sound]	333
Shew a Room shew a Room &c.	339
Why should a man care or be in despair		ibid
He that a happy life would lead		339
What fortune had I, poor maid that I am		341
He that intends to take a wife		342
If any so wise is, that Sack he despises		347
A mock Song [: When I a Lady, &c.]		348

 

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[The Editor felt compelled to retain the present Table of Contents, since it appeared in the original, although it is less convenient than A Table of First Lines alphabetically arranged. But such a table (marking, by distinct class of type, which songs appeared only in the 1661 edition) will be given in the next volume, for the present work inclusive.]