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EBBA 36600

British Library - Luttrell Ballads
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TOM and WILL:
OR,
News from the Country.
Being a further NARRATIVE of the late POPISH PLOT.
TOM and WILL, (Two Country-Fellows)
Meeting by Chance one Day at Ale-House;
They sit them down, and o're a Pot,
They Learnedly discourse the PLOT.
Each vents his Thoughts, and tells his Story;
Little to POPE, or PAPISTS Glory.
And though they now and then Dis-joint
A Word or two, What's that to th'Point?
No Man, I guess, will at it grutch,
Since Doctors Grave have done as much.
But why should I fore-stall the Market?
Read it but or'e, and do but mark it:
The Truth of All, you'll plainly see.
The Tune is ---------
Whoop Sir Domine.

Tom.
HEark thee Will, I'le tell thee some News;
it is so Good, I cannot chuse:
Do'st thou not hear the work on foot,
with long-look'd for, it is come to't?

Papists, they are all in a Net,
thanks to the Man that made the set:
We need not fear to cut their Throats;
the PLOTs made out by Dr. Oates.

For he doth swear this very thing,
that they design'd to Kill the KING,
And to Convert the Government:
a heinous, base, and vile Intent.

And Bedlow, Praunce, and Dugdale bould,
the same by Oaths do plain unfould;
That is to say, the dismal Thing
Oates swore before, to Slay the KING.

And sundry Insults Jezazets had,
to find out Men good KING to Stab:
Then Ruffians Four, of Irish Breed,
to Windsor went, to make KING Bleed.

And Pickering was to lye aloof,
with a gay Gun of Mettle-proof;
To shoot KING through, as he past by,
in any Part, to make KING Dye.

Then George Sir Wakeman Hired was,
to Poyson dead our Leige-Lords Grace;
And for his Pains (they said) he should
have Fifteen Thousand Pounds in Gold.

KING being Kill'd, What next I trow?
it is but meet, that thou should'st know:
Although the Matter be so Derne,
It makes my very Bowels yerne.

Hundreds, Thousands Men were to come,
at Sound of Trump, and Beat of Drum,
Out of Utope, to cut and slice
Protestant Guggles all in a Trice.

And after that all Us were slain,
Pope was to come a twhart the Main:
And here to hold up his Left Hand,
and solve the Cut-Throats of this Land.

Then in order to his expence,
before the Gray Beard went from hence;
They all should swear for Recompence,
yearly to pay him Peter-pence.

Thus much and more, the Learned say,
they practized Us to Destroy;
From which foul Deed, Great Jove fore-fend;
better the World were at an End.

The Second Part, To the same Tune.
Will.

VErily Tom, you well do show,
what I long time before did know;
Yet what I learn't from Maister's mind,
the work's undone, that was design'd.

For when at first, Grave Oates did swear,
how Protestants were like to fare;
We should have rose up ev'rywhere,
and cut Papists Throats, in ev'ry Sheir.

How pure a Charr had it been there,
they not one, to Ten times Ten;
Scarce half a Meal to Feed the Jawes
of such as are for the Good Old Cause.

That done the work had been dispatch'd,
and all made good, which R------ had hatch'd;
But, hanging now so long i'th wind,
go, I fear, against our mind.

For though Coleman be put to Death,
and Ireland hath lost his Breath;
And many more for Treason grand,
at Tybourn, lately have been Hang'd.

Yet all do swear, vow, and protest,
as they expect Eternal rest;
They know no Plot, but Guiltless are
of all that Oates, and Bedlow swear.

And dying Men's words, Wise folk say,
ought to bear a far greater sway:
Then those are thought, who swear for gain,
and were before of no good Fame.

If Papists Arms had but been found
in House, in Barn, or under Ground:
Then we had had a fair pretence,
to spoil their plea of Innocence.

But no such matter yet appears,
and now they ding it in our Ears:
How we promote more Rebel Jiggs,
than Forty one, from Scottish whiggs.

Besides, the Knight hath broke a Mash;
who lay long time under the Lash:
And now away from Us is got;
whom all Men thought would go to pot.

And three or four, then under pole,
did flirt away through Doctor's hole,
And all the rest, I am in doubt,
now Net is burst, will soon get out.

Again, that Berry, Hill, and Green;
as in some Writing may be seen,
Concerning Godfrey's base Trapan,
were not the Men that spoil'd that Man.

Therefore Tom, what to say or do,
I do not know, I tell thee true;
Swearing, and Lying, I espy,
will not confound old Popery.


FINIS.
Printed in the YEAR, 1680.

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