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

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.
@3Heigh down, down, derry derry down,
Heigh down, down derry!
What e'er the state resolves, let us be merry.@1

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.
@3Heigh down, down, &c.@1

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.
@3Heigh down, down, &c.@1

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.
@3Heigh down, down, &c.@1

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.
@3Heigh down, down, derry derry down!
Heigh down, down derry!
Till claret be restor'd, let us drink sherry.@1

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

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

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