CAVALIER TUNES°
Reading edition
CAVALIER TUNES°
I. MARCHING ALONG
°1Kentish Sir Byng° stood for his King, °2Bidding the crop-headed° Parliament swing: And, pressing a troop unable to stoop And see the rogues flourish and honest folk droop, Marched them along, fifty score strong, Great-hearted gentlemen, singing this song. °7God for King Charles!° Pym° and such carles To the Devil that prompts 'em their treasonous parles! Cavaliers, up! Lips from the cup, 10Hands from the pasty, nor bite take nor sup Till you're— CHORUS.—Marching along, fifty score strong, Great-hearted gentlemen, singing this song. °13Hampden° to hell, and his obsequies knell. °14Serve Hazelrig,° Fiennes,° and young Harry° as well! °15England, good cheer! Rupert° is near! Kentish and loyalists, keep we not here, CHO.—Marching along, fifty score strong, Great-hearted gentlemen, singing this song. 20Then, God for King Charles! Pym and his snarls[page 68] To the Devil that pricks on such pestilent carles! Hold by the right, you double your might; °23So, onward to Nottingham,° fresh for the fight, CHO.—March we along, fifty score strong, Great-hearted gentlemen, singing this song!
II. GIVE A ROUSE
I
King Charles, and who'll do him right now? King Charles, and who's ripe for fight now? Give a rouse; here's, in hell's despite now, King Charles!
II
Who gave me the goods that went since? Who raised me the house that sank once? Who helped me to gold I spent since? Who found me in wine you drank once? CHO.—King Charles, and who'll do him right now? 10 King Charles, and who's ripe for fight now? Give a rouse; here's, in hell's despite now, King Charles!
III
[page 69]
To whom used my boy George quaff else, By the old fool's side that begot him? For whom did he cheer and laugh else, °16While Noll's° damned troopers shot him? CHO.—King Charles, and who'll do him right now? King Charles, and who's ripe for fight now? Give a rouse: here's, in hell's despite now, 20 King Charles!
III. BOOT AND SADDLE
I
Boot, saddle, to horse, and away! Rescue my castle before the hot day Brightens to blue from its silvery gray, CHO.—Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!
II
Ride past the suburbs, asleep as you'd say; Many's the friend there, will listen and pray "God's luck to gallants that strike up the lay— CHO.—Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!"
III
[page 70]
Forty miles off, like a roebuck at bay, 10Flouts castle Brancepeth the Roundheads' array: Who laughs, "Good fellows ere this, by my fay, CHO.—Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!"
IV
Who? My wife Gertrude; that, honest and gay, Laughs when you talk of surrendering, "Nay! I've better counsellors; what counsel they? CHO.— Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!"