30 From tender friendship, and endearing love. We'll try the empire you so long have boasted; Or every mortal woman here shall write; We'll write to you, and make you write in rhyme; up all your time. Your time, poor souls! we'll take your very money; 40 50 50 THE THIEF AND THE CORDELIER, A BALLAD. TO THE TUNE OF KING JOHN AND 1 WHо has e'er been at Paris must needs know the Greve, The fatal retreat of th' unfortunate brave; Where honour and justice most oddly contribute, To ease heroes' pains by a halter and gibbet; Derry down, down, hey derry down. 2 There death breaks the shackles which force had put on; And the hangman completes what the judge but begun ; There the squire of the pad, and the knight of the post, Find their pains no more balked, and their hopes no more crossed. Derry down, etc. 3 Great claims are there made, and great secrets are known; And the king, and the law, and the thief has his own; But my hearers cry out; What a deuce dost thou ail? Cut off thy reflections, and give us thy tale. Derry down, etc. 4 'Twas there then, in civil respect to harsh laws, And for want of false witness, to back a bad cause, A Norman, though late, was obliged to appear; And who to assist, but a grave Cordelier? Derry down, etc. 5 The squire, whose good grace was to open the scene, Derry down, etc. 6 What frightens you thus, my good son, says the priest; You murdered, are sorry, and have been confessed. O father! my sorrow will scarce save my bacon; For 'twas not that I murdered, but that I was taken. Derry down, etc. 7 Pugh! pr'ythee ne'er trouble thy head with such fancies; Rely on the aid you shall have from Saint Francis; 8 And what will folks say, if they see you afraid; 9 To-morrow? our hero replied in a fright: He that's hanged before noon, ought to think of tonight: Tell your beads, quoth the priest, and be fairly For you surely to-night shall in paradise sup. Derry down, etc. 10 Alas! quoth the squire, howe'er sumptuous the treat, Parbleu, I shall have little stomach to eat; I should therefore esteem it great favour and grace, in my place. Derry down, etc. 11 That I would, quoth the father, and thank you to boot; But our actions, you know, with our duty must suit. 12 Then turning about to the hangman, he said; Dispatch me, I pr'ythee, this troublesome blade: For thy cord, and my cord both equally tie; And we live by the gold for which other men die. Derry down, etc. AN EPITAPH. Stet quicunque volet potens SENECA. INTERRED beneath this marble stone They walked and eat, good folks, what then? 10 They soundly slept the night away; Most perfectly they made agree; Slothful disorder filled his stable; They paid the church and parish rate; No man's defects sought they to know; They neither added nor confounded; When bells were rung, and bonfires made, Nor good, nor bad, nor fools, nor wise; 27 40 50 1 Scott, in his 'Bride of Lammermoor,' borrows this. Johnnie Girder says, 'If there is onything totally uneatable, let it be gien to the puir folk.' N |