This if you will rime dogrell call, (That you please you may name it), One of the loyall traytors here Did for a ballad frame it; Old Chevy Chace was in his minde, All thse concerned in the song Will kindly thank the setter. TRUTH FLATTERS NOT. PLAINE DEALING THE BEST, LIVELY DEMONSTRATING THE TRUE EFFIGIES, LIFE, AND HABITE OF A SELFE EXALTING CLERGIE, NOTED DOWN IN ENGLISH AND ROMAN CHARACTERS, EASILY SPELLED AND CONSTRUED BY A MEANE CAPACITY. The wise its truth well knowes, The ignorant may learne, The guilty snuffes his nose, And prickt thereat will spurne. [Oct. 12, 1647.] From the fifth volume of the folio broadsides, King's Pamphlets. It is aimed against the Presbyterians. POPE. WHO will honours and renown, resort to me; Riches and honour is my gown and livery. The world well know my servants grow great potentates, Though busie wights their force unites to work their fates. Who shall my holy lawes observe, and church obey, A dwelling place in heaven shall have, or hell for aye. PRELATE. Your proffers faire and promise large if they were true, Your oath and promise once discharge, give me my due, And helpe me now, who beares for you so much disgrace, Mock, scorn, and flout, yea casting out of name and place. If this be heaven, or entrance in Where they shall dwell, Who loves, obeyes, your church and lawes,— what place is hell? PRIEST. I hate the pope, his poysoned cup, and trinkets all; The bishops deeds, and romish weeds, to mee are gall. Yet well I know, what layickes owe unto our coat; Reverence all way, good livings pay, is our just lot. Sects and unlearned up-start jackes doth us defraud, Who, to our shame, our power and name have over-aw'd. TRUTH. Your bitter seeds, ambitious deeds, declares your heart; On such ill weedes eagerly feedes a spirit tart. Wealth, rule, and fame, hath such a name with you obtain'd, What's taught or worn, may well be borne, if those be gain'd. Throw off that cap, let drop that bagge, put up that sword; Learn of me to be meeke and low, preach free this word. By T. P. a Well-willer of Verity and honourer of Humility. Imprimatur G. M. London Printed by J. Coe, 1647. MAD TOM A BEDLAMS DESIRES OF PEACE: OR HIS BENEDICITIES FOR DISTRACTED ENGLAND'S RESTAURATION TO HER WITS AGAIN. By a constant, though unjust, sufferer (now in prison) for his Majesties just Regality, and his Countreys Liberty. SFW B. [June 27, 1648.] THE following ballad, as we learn from the initial letters in the title, was written by S[ir] F[rancis] W[ortley,] B[art.] (See before, pp. 30 and 46.) It is contained in the sixth volume of the folio broadsides, King's Pamphlets. During the first half of the seventeenth century there were many songs and ballads written under the title of, or tune of, "Tom of Bedlam," of which several have been printed by Percy and Ritson. The original idea of the name and subject was perhaps taken from the "poor Tom" of Shakespeare's “King Lear." See Chappell's "National Airs," p. 118. There is another ballad to the tune of "Tom of Bedlam" in the present volume; and in the Collection of Loyal Songs, 1731, ii. 272, is one entitled, "The Cock-Crowing at the approach of a Free Parliament: or, Good news in a ballat, More sweet to your pallat Than fig, raison, or stewed prune is: A country wit made it, Who ne'er got the trade yet; And mad Tom of Bedlam the tune is." POOR Tom hath been imprison'd, He dares boldly say, they try'd each way, Wherewith Job was perplexed. Yet still he cries for the king, for the good king, Tom loves brave confessors, But he curses those dare their king depose, Committees and oppressors. Tom prayes for good king Charles, The best of queens, queene Mary; Prayes the prince may advance in safety from France, Victorious as old Harry. Those have been false to the king, to the good king, All those durst dissemble, Tom smiles but to think, how the rogues will stink, And like stout Atkins tremble.* Next he prayes for him in Holland, Who his keeper so deceived,† Got the speakers passe for a pretty lasse, And so he was received. 'Twill be great joy to the king, to the good king, To hear of his safety; But he taught them a trick, at hide and seek, They think hee's plaguy crafty. Blesse the hopefull duke of Gloster, And the princesse royall Mary, May shee fruitfull prove, to increase his love, A Charles first, then a Harry: Blesse those have stood for the king, for the good king, And the off-spring royall: *Alderman Atkins had shown some want of courage in raising the trained bands, or reviewing them (perhaps at the time of the city tumults of the April of the year 1648), which became proverbial. In the Rump Songs, (ed. 1665) there is a poem, entitled "Upon Alderman Atkins bewraying his slops on the great Training day." And in a song of the same period we have the following lines: "When Alderman Atkins did bemar his hose through a panick fear, And captain Rea that man of war, oh, what a hogo was there!" Loyal Songs, i. 106 (ed. 1731.) The Duke of York made his escape in the summer of this year in the dress of a girl, and was carried to Dort, in Holland, to repair to his sister, the Princess of Orange. |