Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON LOYALTY IN THE CAVALIERS, by SAMUEL BUTLER (1612-1680)


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ON LOYALTY IN THE CAVALIERS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: He that is a clear / cavalier
Last Line: This is the life of an honest poor cavalier.
Subject(s): Cavaliers


1 HE that is a clear
Cavalier
Will not repine,
Although his fortune grow
So very low
That he cannot get wine.

Fortune is a Lass,
Will embrace,
And straight destroy;
Free-born loyalty
Will ever be,
Sing Vive le Roy!
Chorus: Virtue is her own reward, and fortune is a whore,
There's none but knaves and fools regard
Her, or do her power implore.
A real honest man,
Might a' been utterly undone,
To show his allegiance,
His love and obedience;
Honour will raise him up,
And still praise him up,
Virtue stays him up,
Whilst your loose courtiers dine
With their full bowls of wine,
Honour will stick to it fast;
And he that fights for love, doth in the way of honour move;
He that is a true Roger, and hath served his king,
Although he be a ragged soldier;
Whilst those that make sport of us,
May become short of us,
Fate will flatter'em, and will scatter 'em,
Whilst that loyalty
Waits on royalty,
He that waits peacefully,
May be successfully
Crowned with crowns at last.

2 Firmly let us then
Be honest men
And kick at fate,
We shall live to see
Loyalty
Valued at a high rate.
He that bears a word
Or a sword,
'Gainst the throne,
Or doth profanely prate
To wrong the State,
Hath but little for his own.

Chorus: What though the plumbers, painters, players,
Be the prosperous men,
Yet we'll attend our own affairs,
When we come to't again.
Treachery may be faced with light,
And vanity lined with fur,
A traitor may be made a Knight,
'Tis fortune de la guerre;
But what is that to us, boys,
That now are honest men?
We'll conquer and come again,
Beat up the drum again,
Hey for Cavaliers,
Joy for Cavaliers,
Pray for Cavaliers,
Dub a dub dub,
Have at old Belzebub,
Oliver stinks for fear.
Fifth-Monarchy must down, boys,
And every sect in town
We'll rally and to't again,
Give 'em the rout again,
When they come again,
Charge 'em home again,
Face to the right about, tantararara,
This is the life of an honest poor Cavalier.





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