Though some churls at our mirth repine, And let us all be merry. Now all our neighbours' chimneys smoke, Their ovens they with baked meat choke, We'll bury't in a Christmas pie, Now every lad is wondrous trim, And no man minds his labour; Our lasses have provided them A bagpipe and a tabor; Young men and maids, and girls and boys, Give life to one another's joys; And you anon shall by their noise Perceive that they are merry. Rank misers now do sparing shun; Their hall of music soundeth; And dogs thence with whole shoulders run, So all things there aboundeth. The country folks themselves advance, With crowdy-muttons out of France; And Jack shall pipe and Gill shall dance, And all the town be merry. Ned Squash hath fetcht his bands from pawn, And all his best apparel; Brisk Nell hath bought a ruff of lawn With dropping off the barrel. And those that hardly all the year Had bread to eat, or rags to wear, Will have both clothes and dainty fare, Now poor men to the justices With capons make their errants; And if they hap to fail of these, They plague them with their warrants : But now they feed them with good cheer, And what they want they take in beer, For Christmas comes but once a year, And then they shall be merry. Good farmers in the country nurse The poor, that else were undone ; Some landlords spend their money worse On lust and pride at London. с с With a good old fashion, when Christmas was come, With an old falconer, huntsmen, and a kennel of hounds, But to his eldest son his house and lands he assign'd, To be good to his old tenants, and to his neighbours be kind : And the king's young courtier. Like a flourishing young gallant, newly come to his land, With a newfangled lady, that is dainty, nice, and spare, Like a young courtier, &c. With a new-fashion'd hall, built where the old one stood, With a fine marble chimney, wherein burns neither coal nor wood, Like a young courtier, &c. With a new study, stuff'd full of pamphlets and plays, And a new chaplain, that swears faster than he prays, With a new buttery hatch, that opens once in four or five days, And a new French cook, to devise fine kickshaws and toys: Like a young courtier, &c. With a new fashion, when Christmas is drawing on, On a new journey to London straight we all must begone, Who relieves the poor with a thump on the back with a stone; Like a young courtier, &c. With a new gentleman usher, whose carriage is complete, With a new coachman, footmen, and pages to carry up the meat, With a waiting gentlewoman, whose dressing is very neat, Who, when her lady has dined, lets the servants not eat; Like a young courtier, &c. With new titles of honour, bought with his father's old gold, Or the king's young courtiers. BB TIME'S ALTERATION. ANONYMOUS. WHEN this old cap was new, 'Tis since two hundred years; No malice then we knew, But all things plenty were: All friendship now decays (Believe me this is true); Which was not in those days, When this old cap was new. The nobles of our land Were much delighted then, To have at their command A crew of lusty men, Who by their coats were known, Of tawny, red, or blue, With crests on their sleeves shown, When this old cap was new. Now pride hath banish'd all, Unto our land's reproach, When he whose means is small Maintains both horse and coach: Instead of a hundred men, The coach allows but two; This was not thought on then, When this old cap was new. |