A Jolly Company
OF
Joviall Blades
Who laugh and are as merry as the Maids;
They sing and roare and freely spend their Chink,
And to each other in full Bowls they drink
They scorn such puny pinch-guts as are saving,
They think good Sack is only worth the having,
And being fully bent to spend their store,
They drink their Liquor off and call for more;
Thus while they freely tope off Sack by quarts,
They drive away all sorrows from their hearts.
To the Tune of General Monk hath advancd himself
since he came from the Tower.
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IT was of late my happy fate,
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to meet with a joviall crew
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Of merry Blades and lively Lads;
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who drank till the Sky lookd blew:
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Being void of care, no money they spare,
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but all with free consent
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Drank Wine good store, and then calld for more
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so merrily they were bent.
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Hang sorrow quoth one, why should we make moan
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so long as our mony doth last
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Away with this sadness, tis folly and madnesse
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to think upon what is past,
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Lets drink and bouse and bravely carouse
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and lest that the time should seem long,
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Give ear unto mee, my task it shall be,
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to sing you a gallant new Song.
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Be merry my hearts and call for your quarts
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and let no liquor be lacking
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We have money good store and intend for to rore
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untill we have set all a packing,
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Come Drawer make hast let not the time waste
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let every man have his due,
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For to save shooes and trouble,
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Bring in a quart double,
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for he that made one, made two.
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Come take off your drink, and speak what you think,
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strong liquor will make you speak truely
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For certainly we, no drunkards can bee,
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so long as we are not unruly;
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Then drink and be civil, intending no evil
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and be not offended with mee,
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For what I had before, Ile have one quart more,
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for he that made two, made three.
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The Second Part, to the same Tune.
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THe greedy Curmudgin sits all the day grudging,
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at home with his bread and small beer,
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For to hold up base pelf, he starveth himself,
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scarce eats a good meal through the year,
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But weel not do so, how ere the world goe,
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so long as we have any store,
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I think weel not lack, go fill us more Sack,
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for he that made three, made four.
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Why sit you so sadly, since I call so madly,
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I scorn to leave you in the lurch,
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The reckoning Ile pay, ere I go away;
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else hang mee as high as the Church,
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Yet some men will say that is not the way,
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hee must pinch that intends for to thrive,
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Tis no matter for that, lets laugh and be fat,
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for he that made four, made five.
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Such love I intend, to my dearest Friend,
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that I cannot tell how to express it,
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When with them I meet their companys so sweet
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That I would not willingly miss it
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I scorn such a slave as his mony will save,
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or any that use such base tricks,
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Come on my brave Blades be as merry as the Maids
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for he that made five, made six.
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Now whilst I am here, Ile call for my Beer,
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and truely my money Ile spend,
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Let no man take care, for paying his share,
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If need bee, Ile pay for my friend,
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Pluck up a good heart let sorrow depart,
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with the Drawer I will make eaven,
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So with merry content, our time shall be spent;
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For he that made six, made seven.
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Drink off your cups round let sorrows bee drownd,
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in this same full cup off good sherry,
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I cannot indure, to sit thus demure,
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for hither we came to be merry,
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Then bee of good chear, the reckning Ile clear,
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and eke with the Drawer make streight,
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For now Ime set a madding I needs must be adding
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and he that made seven, made eight.
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Yet at home I confess, with my honest Besse,
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I practice good husbandry well,
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To maintain my calling and keep mee from falling
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as all my neighbours can tell,
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They plead mee at large, for maintaining my charge
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though sometimes to drink I incline,
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Yet I scorn for to shrink, go fill us more drink,
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for he that made eight, made nine.
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Heres a health to my friend, that hat a song pend
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in praise of good Liquour thats old,
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Drink off your cups round whilst Musick doth sound
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in hope it will keep you from cold,
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And now to conclude my verses so rude,
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you are all welcome Gentlemen:
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Yet ere we depart Ile give you a quart:
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for he that made nine, made ten.
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This being said the reckoning they paid,
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and in friendly manner departed,
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Theres none of them had any cause to be sad,
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but all went away merry hearted,
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And when they do meet again in the street,
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then, unto the Tavern theyl hye:
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And there they intend, their money to spend,
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which no body can deny.
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