Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BALLAD TO THE TUNE - 'THAT WE MAY ROW WITH MY P. OVER YE FERRY', by PATRICK CAREY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BALLAD TO THE TUNE - 'THAT WE MAY ROW WITH MY P. OVER YE FERRY', by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Good people of england! Come hear me relate
Last Line: Till claret be restor'd, let us drink sherry.
Subject(s): Cromwell, Oliver (1599-1658); Drinks & Drinking; England; Noses; Wine; English


I

GOOD people of England! come hear me relate
Some mysteries of our young purse-sucking state,
Whereby ev'ry man may conceive out of's pate
A reason for things here ordained of late.
Heigh down, down, derry derry down,
Heigh down, down derry!
What e'er the state resolves, let us be merry.

II

French claret was banish'd (as most do suppose)
'Cause Noll would have nought here so red as his nose;
Or else 'cause its crimson from thence first arose:
'T has took our wine from us, would 'twere in my hose.
Heigh down, down, &c.

III

Since that, he most bravely himself did entrench,
Beleaguer'd, and took (as he thought) a Scotch wench;
But by th' tott'ring of's toter, he has found she was French;
And therefore that tongue is now silenc'd at th' Bench.
Heigh down, down, &c.

IV

His wrath 'gainst th' whole nation I cannot much blame,
Since by't was endanger'd a nose of such fame;
That's England's great standard, and doth more inflame
You people, than e'er did that at Nottingham.
Heigh down, down, &c.

V

Noll! e'en turn to Hebrew the laws of our land,
For (howsoe'er) we never shall them understand;
But th' Act of forbidding French wines countermand,
Oddsniggs else we'll piss out thy fuming firebrand.
Heigh down, down, derry derry down!
Heigh down, down derry!
Till claret be restor'd, let us drink sherry.





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