Chorus.

A council of war let's call,
Look either to stand or fall;
If our weak army stands,

Thank all these noble hands;

Whose gates of love being open thrown,
We enter, and then the town's our own.

TH

GIPSY RITES.

HY best hand lay on this turf of grass,
There thy heart lies, vow not to pass
From us two years for sun nor snow,
For hill nor dale, howe'er winds blow;
Vow the hard earth to be thy bed,
With her green cushions under thy head;
Flower-banks or moss to be thy board,
Water thy wine—and drink like a lord.
Kings can have but coronations;
We are as proud of gipsy fashions;
Dance, sing, and in a well-mixed border,
Close this new brother of our order.

What we get with us come share,
You to get must vow to care;
Nor strike gispy, nor stand by

When strangers strike, but fight or die;
Our gipsy-wenches are not common,

You must not kiss a fellow's leman;
Nor to your own, for one you must,
In songs send errands of base lust.

*

Dance, sing, and in a well-mixed border,
Close this new brother of our order.
*
*

*

*

*

Set foot to foot; those garlands hold,
Now mark [well] what more is told;
By cross arms, the lover's sign,

Vow as these flowers themselves entwine,
Of April's wealth building a throne
Round, so your love to one or none ;
By those touches of your feet,
You must each night embracing meet,
Chaste, howe'er disjoined by day;
You the sun with her must play,
She to you the marigold,

To none but you her leaves unfold ;
Wake she or sleep, your eyes so charm,
Want, woe, nor weather do her harm.

This is your market now of kisses,
Buy and sell free each other blisses.
Holidays, high days, gipsy-fairs,

When kisses are fairings, and hearts meet in
pairs.

Did Jove see this wanton eye,
Ganymede must wait no longer;
Phoebe 1 here one night did lie,

Would change her face and look much younger.

But they shall not so ;

Hey nonny, nonny no!

None but I this lip must owe;'

Hey nonny, nonny no!

2

From THOMAS MIDDLETON'S A
Mad World, my Masters, 1608.

O FOR A BOWL OF FAT CANARY.

FOR a bowl of fat canaing

Rich Aristippus, sparkling sherry!
Some nectar else from Juno's dairy;
O these draughts would make us merry!

O for a wench! I deal in faces,
And in other daintier things ;
Tickled am I with her embraces;
Fine dancing in such fairy rings !

O for a plump, fat leg of mutton,
Veal, lamb, capon, pig, and coney!
None is happy but a glutton,
None an ass, but who wants money.

Wines, indeed, and girls are good;
But brave victuals feast the blood;
For wenches, wine, and lusty cheer,
Jove would come down to surfeit here.

1 i.e. did Phoebe here," &c.

M

2 Own.

From THOMAS MIDDLETON'S A
Chaste Maid in Cheapside,1

1630.

MY LOVE AND I MUST PART.

EEP eyes, break heart!

WE

My love and I must part.

Cruel fates true love do soonest sever;
O, I shall see thee never, never, never!

O, happy is the maid whose life takes end
Ere it knows parent's frown or loss of friend!
Weep eyes, break heart!

My love and I must part.

From THOMAS

MIDDLETON'S

The Witch, 16..?

MAID, WIFE, AND WIDOW.

N a maiden-time professed,

IN

Then we say that life is blessed;

Tasting once the married life,
Then we only praise the wife ;

There's but one state more to try,
Which makes women laugh or cry--

Widow, widow of these three
The middle's best, and that give me.

1 Produced circ. 1613.

Voices above.

HECATE AND THE WITCHES.

'OME away, come away,

COME

Hecate, Hecate, come away.

Hecate. I come, I come, I come,

With all the speed I may,

come,

With all the speed I may.

And Hoppo too, and Hellwain too;
We lack but you, we lack but you;
Come away, make up the count.

Hecate. I will but 'noint, and then I mount.

[A spirit like a cat descends.

Voice above. There's one comes down to fetch his dues,
A kiss, a coll, a sip of blood ;
And why thou stayest so long
I muse, I muse,

Hecate.

Since the air's so sweet and good.
O, art thou come?

What news, what news?

Spirit. All goes still to our delight:

Either come, or else

Refuse, refuse.

Hecate. Now I'm furnished for the flight.
Now I go, now I fly,

Malkin my sweet spirit and I
O what a dainty pleasure 'tis