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EBBA 34520

Houghton Library - EB65
Ballad XSLT Template
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THE
NARRATIVE.

COme prick up your Ears, if they are not gone
For this Deponent has lost his own;
His Neck goes next tis Forty to one.
Which nobody can deny.

Now this Deponent doth depose,
That he was once, one of the Kings Foes.
But now, he thanks God, hes none of those,
Sure our Deponent will lye.

Next he swears there was Harry the Eight,
Who was divorcd froms first Wife Kate,
And that he cut off anothers Pate,
Which nobody can deny.

Even so, quoth he, I can witness bring,
That the Queen did consent to the death of the King,
But we are informd, there was no such thing,
Sure our Deponent will lye.

He swears that before the Tower of Babel,
Cain knockd on the head his brother Abel;
Here he swears to a Truth and not to a Fable;
Which nobody can deny,

Even so, quoth he, this bloody work,
Was carryd on by his Brother of York,
But his Highness is neither a Jew nor a Turk,
For our Deponent will lye.

He swears that once in Noahs time,
There was a great Flood which brought a great, stream
And all were drownd that could not swim,
Which nobody can deny.

And now, (God help us) were all in a Fright,
He swears we might have been ruind quite,
Our throats should all have been cut in the night.
Sure our Deponent will lye.

Farther he swears, that St. Peter from Heaven
Had such an absolute power given,
That who he pleasd were condemd or forgiven;
Which nobody can deny.

Even so, he swears that Commissions went out
From the Pope, to raise both Horse and Foot,
That whom they pleasd they might slash and cut,
Sure our Deponent will lye.

Somewhere or other St. Paul does aver,
That an Oath puts an end to all bustle and strir,
By which he confirms, that tis lawful to swear,
Which nobody can deny.

There was foolish swearing in former days,
But our Deponent hath alterd the case,
For has made more mischief than ever there was,
Sure our Deponent will lye.


LONDON:
Printed for Anthony Jackson, 1681.

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