The Nursery Rhymes of England

								


    Oxford, Ashmole, No. 36, fol. 113.]


As I was going by Charing Cross,
I saw a black man upon a black horse;
They told me it was King Charles the First;
Oh dear! my heart was ready to burst!

XIX.


High diddle ding,
Did you hear the bells ring?
The parliament soldiers are gone to the king!
Some they did laugh, some they did cry,
To see the parliament soldiers pass by.

XX.


High ding a ding, and ho ding a ding,
The parliament soldiers are gone to the king;
Some with new beavers, some with new bands,
The parliament soldiers are all to be hang'd.

XXI.


Hector Protector was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him,
Nor more did the King:
So Hector Protector was sent back again.

XXII.



    [The following is a fragment of a song on the subject, which

    was introduced by Russell in the character of Jerry Sneak.]


Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
They made him a coat
Of an old nanny goat,

    I wonder how they could do so!
With a ring a ting tang,
And a ring a ting tang,

    Poor old Robinson Crusoe!

XXIII.



    [Written on occasion of the marriage of Mary, the daughter of

    James duke of York, afterwards James II, with the young Prince

    of Orange. The song from which these lines are taken may be

    seen in 'The Jacobite Minstrelsy,' 12mo, Glasgow, 1828, p.

    28.]


What is the rhyme for poringer?
The king he had a daughter fair,
And gave the Prince of Orange her.

XXIV.



    [The following nursery song alludes to William III and George

    prince of Denmark.]


William and Mary, George and Anne,
Four such children had never a man:
They put their father to flight and shame,
And call'd their brother a shocking bad name.

XXV.



    [A song on King William the Third.]


As I walk'd by myself,
And talked to myself,

    Myself said unto me,
Look to thyself,
Take care of thyself,

    For nobody cares for thee.


I answer'd myself,
And said to myself

    In the self-same repartee,
Look to thyself,
Or not look to thyself,

    The self-same thing will be.

XXVI.



    [From MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 19, written in the time of

    Charles I. It appears from MS. Harl. 390, fol. 85, that these

    verses were written in 1626, against the Duke of Buckingham.]


There was a monkey climb'd up a tree,
When he fell down, then down fell he.


There was a crow sat on a stone,
When he was gone, then there was none.


There was an old wife did eat an apple,
When she had eat two, she had eat a couple.


There was a horse going to the mill,
When he went on, he stood not still.


There was a butcher cut his thumb,
When it did bleed, then blood did come.


There was a lackey ran a race,
When he ran fast, he ran apace.


There was a cobbler clowting shoon,
When they were mended, they were done.