Latine Songs :: :: University of Virginia Library

Good your Worship, cast your Eye
Upon a Souldiers misery,
And let not these lean Cheeks (I pray)
Your Bounty from a Souldier fray.
But like a noble Friend,
Some Silver lend,
And Jove shall pay you in the End.
And I will pray to Fate
To make you Fortunate
In Heavenly and in Earthly State.

II

I never was wont to beg (Good Sir)
Which makes me Blush to keep this Stir,
I never went from place to place,
For to make known my woful Case:

Oh I am none of those,
A Roguing goes,
And Maundring shew their Drunken-Blows,
Which they have only got,
By banging of the Pot,
And Quarelling to pay the Shot.

III

But I who Limp thus Wars have seen,
And in brave Battles have I been;
Still where the Cannons Us'd to Roar,
My proper Sphear was Evermore.
Once at a Barricado,
In Bravado
Tossing of the Hand-Granado,
Death was very near,
For it took away mine Ear,
And yet (thank God) Ch'am here, Ch'am here.

IV

I have at least a dozen times
Been blown up by these Roguish mines,
Thrice through the head I have been shot
My Brains have boyl'd up like a Pot,
And being left for Dead
When all were Fled,
They sent me back again to Bed.
Those dangers I have past
From First to Last
Would make your Worship sore agast.

V

At push of Pike I lost this Eye,
At Bergen Seig I broke my Thigh:
At Brussels, (though a very Lad)
I laid about as I were Mad.
Oh little would you Ween
That I have been
Such an old Souldier of the Queen;
But if Sr. Francis Vere
Were living now and here
He'd tell you how I Slash'd them there.

VI

The Zealanders my Fury know,
I oft with them have Chang'd a blow,
From whence we led a Warlike dance
Out of Spain and into France,
Where we have spent a Flood
Of very noble Blood,
And did but very little Good;
And now I am come Home
With Rags about my Bum,
To beg of you for this small Sum.

VII

And now my case you Understand,
Good Sir lend me your helping Hand;
A little thing would pleasure me,
To keep in Ure your Charity,

Oh! 'tis not bread and cheese
Or Barly leese
Or any such like Scraps as these
That I do ask of you,
But Shillings one or two,
Therefore your purse-strings straight undo.