With a flying book 2 between them.

I have been in despair

Five times in a year,

And been cur'd by reading Greenham.3

Boldly I preach, &c.

I observ'd in Perkins' tables 4
The black line of damnation ;
Those crooked veins
So stuck in my brains,
That I fear'd my reprobation.
Boldly I preach, &c.

In the holy tongue of Canaan
I plac'd my chiefest pleasure,
Till I prick'd my foot

With an Hebrew root

That I bled beyond all measure.
Boldly I preach, &c.

50

55

2 Alluding to some visionary exposition of Zech. ch. v. ver. 1; or, it 'he date of this song would permit, one might suppose it aimed at one oppe, a strange enthusiast, whose life may be seen in Wood's Athen. vol. ii. p. 501. He was author of a book entitled The Fiery Flying Roll; and afterwards published a recantation, part of whose title is, The Fiery Flyin Roll's Wings clipt, &c.

3 See Greenham's Works, fol. 1605, particularly the tract entitled A sweet Comfort for an Afflicted Conscience.

4 See Perkins's Works, fol. 1616, vol. i. p. 11; where is a large half sheet folded, containing, "A survey, or table, declaring the order of the causes of salvation and damnation, &c.," the pedigree of damnation being distinguished by a broad black zig-zag line.

I appear'd before the Archbishop 5
And all the high Commission;

I gave him no grace,

But told him to his face

That he favour'd superstition.

60

Boldly I preach, hate a cross, hate a surplice, 65
Mitres, copes, and rochets!

Come hear me pray nine times a day,

And fill your heads with crotchets.

5 Abq. Laud.

XIX.

The Lunatic Lover,

MAD SONG THE THIRD,

is given from an old printed copy in the British Museum, compared with another in the Pepys Collection: both in black-letter.

GRIM king of the ghosts, make haste,

And bring hither all your train ;

Come, you night-hags, with all your charms,

See how the pale moon does waste,
And just now is in the wane.

And revelling witches away,

And hug me close in your arms;

5

To you my respects I'll pay.

was orignally sung in one of Tom D'Urfey's comedies of Don Quixote, acted in 1694 and 1696; and probably composed by himself. In the several stanzas, the author represents his pretty Mad-woman as, 1, sullenly mad; 2, mirthfully mad; 3, melancholy mad; 4, fantastically mad; and 5, stark mad. But this and No. XXII. are printed from D Urfey's Pills to purge Melancholy, 1719, vol. i.

FROM rosie bowers where sleeps the god of love,
Hither, ye little wanton cupids, fly;
Teach me in soft melodious strains to move
With tender passion my heart's darling joy!
Ah! let the soul of musick tune my voice

To win dear Strephon, who my soul enjoys.

5

10

As once on Ida dancing

Were three celestial bodies,

With an air and a face,

And a shape and a grace,

I'll charm, like beauty's goddess.

Ah! 'tis in vain ! 'tis all, 'tis all in vain!

Death and despair must end the fatal pain:

Cold, cold despair, disguis'd like snow and rain,

15

Falls on my breast; bleak winds in tempests blow; 20
My veins all shiver and my fingers glow;

My pulse beats a dead march for lost repose,

And to a solid lump of ice my poor fond heart is froze.

Or say, ye powers, my peace to crown,
Shall I thaw myself and drown
Among the foaming billows?
Increasing all with tears I shed,

On beds of ooze and crystal pillows,
Lay down, lay down my love-sick head?

No, no, I'll strait run mad, mad, mad!
That soon my heart will warm;
When once the sense is fled, is fled,
Love has no power to charm.
Wild thro' the woods I'll fly, I'll fly,
Robes, locks-shall thus-be tore !

A thousand, thousand times I'll dye

Ere thus, thus, in vain,―ere thus in vain adore.

25

30

35

XXI.

The Distracted Lover,

MAD SONG THE FIFTH,

was written by Henry Carey, a celebrated composer of music at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and author of several little theatrical Entertainments, which the reader may find enumerated in the Companion to the Play-house, &c. The sprightliness of this songster's