MERRYTHOUGHT

When it was grown to dark midnight, And all were fast asleep, In came Margarets grimely Ghost, And stood at Williams feet. I have money, and meat and drink before hand, till to morrow at noon, why should I be sad? me thinks I have half a dozen Jovial spirits within me, I am three merry men, and three merry men, To what end should any man be sad in this world? give me a man that when he goes to han ging cries, troule the black bowl to me: and a woman that will sing a cath in her Travel. I have seen a man come by my door, with a serious face, in a black cloak, without a hatband, carrying his head as if he looked for pins in the street, I have looked out of my window half a year after, and have spied that men head upon Londonbridge: it's vile, never trust a Tailor that does not sing at his work, his mind is of nothing but filching. As you came from Uvalsingham, from ̄ that holy land, there met you not with my truelove by the way as you came He set her on a milkwhite steed, & himself upon ̄ a grey, He never turned his face again, but he boar her quite away. Your daughter, what a stur's here we year daugh ter? Let her go, think no more on her, but sing loud. If both my sons were on the gallows, I would sing, down, down, down: they fallen down, and arise they never shall. I come not hither for thee to teach, I have no pulpit for thee to preach, I would thou hadst kissed me under the breech, As thou art a Lady gay. Play me a light Laualto: come, be frolic, fill the good fellows wine. Good woman if you will sing Il'e give you some thing, if not- Will they not? let am choose, the best is I have mirth at home, and need not send abroad for that, let them keep their drink to themselves. For Iillian of Berry she dwells on a Hill, And she hath good Beer and Ale to fell. And of good fellows she thinks no ill, And thither will we go now, now, now, now, and thither Will we go now. And when you have made a little stay, You needs not ask what is to pay, But kiss your Hostess and go your way, And thither, &c. Hang bred and supper, let's preserve our mirth, and we shall never feel hunger, I'll warrant you, let's have a Càtch, boy follow me, come sing this Catch. Ho, ho, no body at home, meat, nor drink, nor money would we none, fill the pot Eedy, never more needs I. So boys enough, follow me, let's change our place and we shall laugh afresh. Yet I thank God, I break not a rinkle more then I had, not a stoop boyce: Care live with Cats, I defy thee, my heart is as found as and Oak; and though I want drink to wet my whistle, I can sing: Come no more there boys, come no more there: For we shall never while we live, come any more there. Come no more there boys, come no more there: For we shall never while we live, come any more there. Oh the Mimon round, full long long I have thee sought, And now I have thee found, & what hast thou here brought? Dead? why farewell he: Thou wast a bonny boy, and I did love thee. Jaspers ghost? thou art welcome from Stygian lake so soon, Declare to me what wondrous things in Pluto's court are done. A merry ghost, a very merry ghost. And where is your truelove? o where is yours? Ah would! Art thou good at that I faith? With heigh trixie terlery-whiskin, the world it runs on wheels, When the young men—up goes the maidens heals. What voice is that that calls at our door? And some they whistled, and some they sung, Heigh down, down: and some did loudly say, ever as the Lord Bar nets horn blue, away Musgraue, away. What are you? are you merry? you must be very merry if you enter. Sing then. Sing, I say, or by the merry heart you come not in. You are welcome sir, you are welcome, you see your entertainment, pray you be merry. Why sir, I do forgive you, and be merry, And if the wag, in's life time, played the knave, Can you forgive him too? Speak it again, and heartily. With that came out his Paramour, She was as white as the Lily flower, Heigh troule trolly lolly. With that came out her own deer Knight, He was as true as ever did fight. &c. Sir, if you will forgive ham, clap their hands together, there's no more to be sad i'th' matter. Me thinks all we, thus kindly and unexpectedly reconciled should not depart without a song. Strike up then. Nutmegs and Ginger, Cinnamon and Cloves, And they gave me this jolly read Nose. It should never be considered while it were and estate, if I thought it would spoil my singing. And will do. How? why how have I done hitherto this forty years? I never came into my dining room, but at eleven & six a clock, I found excellent meat and drink a'th table, my clothes were never worn out, but next morning a Taylor brought me a new suit; and without question it will be so e ver: use makes perfectness. If all should fail, it is but a little straining my self extraordinary, & laugh my self to death. Where is Jasper, he's welcome how ever, call him in, he shall have his portion, is he merry? Welcome Jasper, though thou runnest away, welcome, God bless thee: it's thy mother's mind thou shouldst receive thy portion; thou hast been abroad, and I hope hast learned experience enough to govern it, thou art of sufficient years, hold thy hand: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, there's ten shillings for thee, thrust thy self into the world with that, and take some settled course, if fortune cross thee, thou hast a retiring place, come home to me, I have twenty shillings left, be a good husband, that is, wear ordinary clothes, eat the best meat, and drink the best drink, be merry, and give to the poor, and believe me, thou hast no end of thy goods. No more words Jasper, get thee gone, thou hast my blessing, thy father's spirit upon thee. Farewell Jas per, but yet or ere you partly (o cruel!) kiss me, kiss me sweating, mine own deer jewel: So, now begone; no words. What you will not. Heigh ho, farewell Nan, Il'e never trust wench more again, if I can. Farewell good wife, I expect it not; all I have to do in this world, is to be merry: which I shall, if the ground be not taken from me: and if it be, When earth and seas from me are rest, The skies aloft for me are left. When earth and seas from me are rest, The skies aloft for me are left. Why and if she be, what care I? Or let her come or go, or tarry. Fie, how scurvily this goes: and she once more embrace her aged sire? you'll make a dog on her, will ye? she cares much for her aged sire I warrant you. She cares cares not for her daddy, nor she cares not for her mammy, For she is, she is, she is, she is my Lord of Low-gaues Lassie. Do, and when you would killed him, Give him flowers i'now Palmer: give him flowers i'now, Give him read, and white, and blue, green, and yellow. Il'e hear no more a your daughter, it spoils my mirth. Was never man for Ladies sake, down, down, Tormented as I poor sir Guy? de derry down, For Lucy's sake, that Lady bright, down, down, As ever men beheld with eye? de derry down. Sing we, and chant it, while love does grant it. Go from my window, love, go; Go from my window my deer, The wind and the rain will driven you back again, You cannot he lodged here. Hark you Mistress Merrithought, you that walk upon and ventures, and forsake your husband, because he sings with never a penny in his purse; What shall I think my self the worse? Faith no, Il'e be merry. You come not here, here's none but lads of mettle, lives of a hundred years, and upwards, care never drunk their bloods, nor want made they warble. Hey-ho, my heart is heavy. Who can sing a merrier noate, Then he that cannot change a groat? Not a Denier left, and yet my heart leaps, I do wonder yet, as old as I am, that any man will follow a Trade, or serve, that may sing and laugh, and walk the streets, my wife and both my sons are I know not where, I have no thing left, nor know I how to come by meat to supper, yet am I merry still; for I know I shall find it upon the Table at six a clock, therefore hang Thought. I would not be a Scruigman to carry the cloak-bag still, Nor would I be a Fawleconer the greedy Hawlkes to fill. But I would be in a good house, & have a good Master too. But I would eat & drink of the best, & no work would I do. This is it that keeps life and soul together, mirth, this is the Philosophers stone that they write so much on, that keeps a man ever young. It's mirth that fills the veins with blood, More then wine, or sleep, or food. Let each man keep his heart at ease, No man die of that disease. He that would his body keep From diseases, must not weep, But who ever laughs and sings, Never he his body brings Into fevers, gouts, or rheums, Or lingeringly his longs consumes: Or meets with aches in the bone, Or Catharhes, or gripping stone: But contented lives for aye, The more he laughs, the more he may. Nose, nose, jolly read nose, and who gave thee this jolly read nose? If you will sing and dance, and laugh, and hollow, and laugh again, and then cry there boys, there: why then One, two, three, and four, We shall be merry within this hour. One, two, three, and four, We shall be merry within this hour. Woman I take you to my love again, but you shall sing before you enter: therefore dispatch your song, and so come in. Come, you're welcome home again. If such danger be in playing, and jest must to earnest turn, You shall go no more a maying. Begone, begone, my Iuggy, my puggy, be gone my love, my deer. The weather is warm, 'twill do thee no harm, thou canst not be lodged here. Be merry boys, some light music, and more wine. It's a brave boy: canst thou sing? Strike up lively lads.