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EBBA 34258

National Library of Scotland - Rosebery
Ballad XSLT Template
Containing ane Encomaistick Character of the Famous City
OF
DUMBRITTAIN.

THat noble and that ancient Town
Dumbrittain glorious for renown,
That stands upon the Silver sides,
Of Clyde and Leven wash't with Tydes:
Two Rivers scorning to change names,
With Tweed, or Forth, nay not with Thames;
More venerable none can be,
If we respect antiquity:
Or if we look to Situation,
She is the pride of all the Nation;
Her port, so safe, so calm, so fair,
Sole object of the Seaman's pray'r;
Her Fort of such magnificence,
Is boasted Scotlands chiefe defence;
Environ'd with the scalie legions,
The Burgers of the brinnie regions;
Her Buildings Graceful, and her Fields
Pleasure and profit jointly yields:
All these are worthy of great praise,
For which this Town deserves the bayes;
But in this one She doth excell,
And from all others bears the BELL,
That in these awless Lawless times,
Famous for Faction and for Crimes,
She and She only strives to be,
Famous for pious Loyalty.
Therefore Commissioners has sent,
Indulged Traitours to prevent.
Her very common Bells do ring,
Obedience unto the KING,
That nothing in the Town may be,
But what may sound their Loyalty,
Ev'n just like A'rons Bells of Gold,
That did both sound and teach of old.
Dumbrittans Bell as ye shall hear,
Can charm the Heart, and Chim the eare,
An instance whereof ye may mark,
In honest Thomas Walker Clerk,
A Man who from this very story,
May reckon'd be Dumbrittains Glory;
Just like the Town Clerk in the Acts,
That was made Famous by such Facts;
Tho he did but appease a strife,
But Thomas did convert his Wife,
And therefore in records of Fame,
Deserves a farr more noble Name;
This was the way he her converted,
To Conventicles She had started,
Wherefore he vow'd Her to divorse,
And would admitt of no remorse,
And that all men might clearly see,
How Zealous he resolv'd to bee,
He for the skillet Bell doth call,
To roap what was in House or Hall;
That so She might for ay despair
His person, or his goods to share.
The Bell doth clank, the Rogue doth cry,
Who'le Thomas Walkers Goods, come buy;

For Thomas he his Wife will banish,
And his whole House he will displenish,
And teach all Husbands to their shame,
A Wife's ane easie thing to tame.
The Woman come of ancient race,
The Watsons chief Men of that place,
Who for their valiant Loyalty,
Were gifted with the Sacred Tree.
Then which their's no Tree unto fate,
A Tennant of a longer date;
The Watson for his Manly stroake,
Doth in his Arms bear the Oake.
Gentle She, and melting hearted,
At the first noise of this She started,
And ay the more the Bell it sounded,
The more, the more She was confounded,
And now She thought the time was come
That She would get Queen Vashties Doom
And did begin to fear the worst,
And in Her Heart Phanaticks curst,
And their debausht and lawless Meetings,
That are Prophane and Godless Cheatings,
That discord make in Church and State,
And in all Families debate.
But chiefly thought Herself accurst,
That from Her dear must be divorc't:
Her head was full of dolefull notions:
Her Heart with melancholy motions:
Her words with sighs all chequered are,
And with Her hair Her hands made Warr[?]
But still the Bells most shamefull sound;
Her heart with grief did most confound,
And had not Friends by Intercession,
Caus'd Thomas pardon Her Trangres[?]
Then suddenly Her fatal Breath
Had pay'd it's last arrears to Death [?]
But now all Persons Her do see
A Zealot in Conformity.
Who Poyson in Her Meat would d[?]
Far sooner then offend a Bishop,
And with impatience doth endure it [?]
To hear ane ill word of a Curate [?]
When primrose in December gr[?]
And Rivers over Mountains flo[?]
And when the Load-stone hats[?]
And when the Sun goes no m[?]
When night turns day, and [?]
In motion grows Irregular;
And when the good Men g[?]
And when a Poor Man's not [?]
And when a Whigg endue'd w[?]
With courage or with courtesie;
Then shall our convert grow so [?]
Once more to try a Conventicle.
Sure this would bring us all to e[?]
And free us of our miseries,
If King and Counsel kent the kne[?]
Of honest Thomas Walker's Bell.


Printed Anno 1685.

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