A New SONG, In Praise of the Loyal Company of STATIONERS, Who (after the general forfeit,) for Their singular Loyalty, obtain'd the first CHARTER of LONDON, Anno 1684.

To the Tune of, Winchester Wedding.

[...]

1.
IN London was such a Quarter,
The like was never known,
About the forfeited CHARTER
Betwixt the Court and the Town;
The Masters went crouding before,
The Prentices i'th' Rear did fall,
There were ten thousand and more,
Attended to lead up the Brawl:
Kit Arm'd with a Fork and a Spade,
And Bob with a Shovel and Fork,
But Tender was for a surrender,
And now it began to work.
2.
Quoth Willy what lose the CHARTER?
I'll sooner lose my Head;
Quoth Robin I'll die a Martyr
Before that shall ever be said:
Quoth John you may shut up your Shop­ping,
Your CHARTER was all your Shield,
For every Sea-man of Wapping,
May be Freeman now of the Guield;
Quoth a Butcher; the Beggerly French
Will out of our Mouths cat the Bread;
But the Weaver, he cock'd up his Beaver,
And valiantly march'd at the Head.
3
But Stationers Hall so Loyal,
The CHARTER by which they meet,
The gift of his Ancesters Royal,
Did humbly lay at His Feet:
Whose Suit he so far befriendeth,
Their Liberties know no bound,
Their CHARTER her wings extendeth
through London, and many miles round.
And now from the Bigot and Whig,
(To distinguish the good men, and true)
The Table is purg'd, and the Rabble
With the Members excluded withdrew.
4
With limping Dick, the Zealou [...],
Went doating yea, and nay,
And squinting Jack so Jealous.
Lest Loyalty got the day.
With these Jack Thumb was reckon'd;
And hungry Will of the wood;
And I rank the first, and the second,
And George that will never be good,
And thus they did trip it along,
Whilst William led up the Brawl,
But Jonny did storm above any,
To be turn'd out of the Hall.
5.
Jack gave his right hand to Harry,
VVho now his place had lost,
And swore if the day they carry,
The Loyal shou'd pay for the Rost.
But Robin who made a tryal,
And found how the Jig wou'd go,
Resolv'd to change sides, and be Loyal,
But all the Dissenters said no;
Thus whilst to the CHARTER or Law,
They would no obedience yield,
The glory was still True Tory,
Is Master of the Field.
6.
Now to the Stationers Honour,
The CHARTER is on Record;
Great CHARLES the Bountiful Donor,
Their Franchises has restor'd;
To whose everlasting Glory,
Thy Honour will still redound;
That they are the first in story,
VVho London's CHARTER did found;
Then to the brave Founder a Health,
VVho first did our Freedom create,
A Bumper to CHARLES; to the Rumper
A Halter, and Armstrong's Fate.

Printed by N. T. at the entrance into the Old-Spring-Garden, 1684.

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