The four-legg'd elder, or, A true relation of a dog and an elder's maid to the tune of The lady's fall, or, Gather your rosebuds, and fourty other tunes.

The four-legg'd elder, or, A true relation of a dog and an elder's maid to the tune of The lady's fall, or, Gather your rosebuds, and fourty other tunes.

Table of contents

THE FOUR-LEGG'D ELDER, OR, A true RELATION OF A DOG and an ELDER'S Maid.

§

[Page]

THE FOUR-LEGG'D ELDER,
OR, A true RELATION OF A DOG and an ELDER'S Maid.

To the Tune of The Lady's Fall, or Gather your Rose-buds; and Fourty other Tunes.

1.

ALl Christians and Lay-Elders too,

For shame amend your Lives;

I'll tell you of a Dog-trick now,

Which much concerns your Wives.

An Elder's Maid neer Temple-bar,

(O what a Quean was she!)

Did take an ugly Mastive Cur

Where Christians use to be.

Help House of Commons, House of Peers!

O now or never help!

Th' Assembly having sate four years

Has now brought forth a Whelp.

2.

One evening late she stepp'd aside,

Pretending to fetch Eggs;

And there she made her self a Bride

To one that had four leggs.

Her Master heard a Rumblement,

And wondred she did tarry,

Not dreaming, without his consent,

His Dog would ever marry.

3.

Her Master peep'd, but was afraid,

And hastily did run

To fetch a staff, to help his Maid,

Not knowing what was done.

He took his Ruling-Elder's Cane,

And cri'd out, Help, help here!

For Swash our Mastiff and poor Jane

Are now Fight Dog fight Bear.

4.

But when he came, he was full sorry,

For he perceiv'd their strife,

That, according to the Directory,

They two were Dog and Wife.

Ah then, said he, thou cruel Quean,

Why hast thou me beguil'd?

I wonder'd Swash was grown so lean;

Poor Dog! he's almost spoil'd.

5.

I thought thou hadst no carnal sence

But what's in other Lasses,

And couldst have quench'd thy 'cupiscence

According to the Classes.

But all the Parish sees it plain

Since thou art in this pickle,

Thou art an Independent Quean,

And lov'st a Conventicle.

6.

Alas! now each Malignant Rogue

Will all the world perswade

That she that's Spouse unto a Dog

May be an Elder's Maid:

They'll jeer us if abroad we stir,

Good Master Elder, stay,

Sir, of what Classis is your Cur?

And then what can we say?

7.

They'll many graceless Ballads sing

Of a Presbyterian,

That a Lay-Elder is a thing

Made up half-Dog, half-Man.

Out, out, said he, and smote her down;

Was Mankind grown so scant?

There's scarce another Dog i'th' Town

Had took the Covenant.

8.

Then Swash began to look full grim,

And Jane did thus reply,

Sir, you thought nought too good for him.

You fed your Dog too high:

'Tis true, he took me in the lurch

And leap'd into mine Arm,

But as I hope to go to Church,

I did your Dog no harm.

9.

Then she was led to Newgate Jail,

Where she was naked stript;

They whipt her 'till the Cord did fail,

As Doggs us'd to be whipt.

Poor City-Maids shed many a tear

When she was lash'd and bang'd:

But had she been a Cavalier

Surely she had been hang'd.

10.

Her's was but Fornication found,

For which she felt the lash;

But his was Buggery presum'd,

Therefore they hanged Swash.

What will become of Bishops then

Or Independency?

For now we find both Doggs and Men

Stand for Presbytery.

11.

She might have took a Sow-gelder,

With Synod-men good store;

But she would have a Lay-Elder

With two leggs and two more.

Go tell th' Assembly of Divines,

Tell Adoniram blue,

Tell Burgess, Marshal, Case, and Vines;

Tell Now-and-anon-too.

12.

Some say she was a Scottish Girl,

Or else, at least a Witch;

But she was born in Colchester:

Was ever such a Bitch!

Take heed, all Christian Virgins now,

The Dog-star now prevails;

Ladies, beware your Monkies too,

For Monkies have long tails.

13.

Bless King and Queen, and send us Peace

As we had seven years since:

For we remember no Dog-days

While we enjoy'd our Prince.

Bless sweet Prince Charles, two Dukes, three Girls;

Lord save his Majesty!

Grant that his Commons, Bishops, Earls,

May lead such lives as He.

Help House of Commons, House of Peers!

O now or never help!

Th' Assembly having sate four years

Has now brought forth a whelp.

§

§

Printed in the year 1647. And Reprinted 1677. for D. Mallet.

Information about this book

Title statement

The four-legg'd elder, or, A true relation of a dog and an elder's maid to the tune of The lady's fall, or, Gather your rosebuds, and fourty other tunes.

Birkenhead, John, Sir, 1616-1679.

Edition statement

1647

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A28207

ID [STC]

Wing B2965B

ID [STC]

ESTC R35764

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

15558716

ID [OCLC]

ocm 15558716

ID [VID]

103728

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A28207)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 103728)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1585:13)

Source

— The four-legg'd elder, or, A true relation of a dog and an elder's maid to the tune of The lady's fall, or, Gather your rosebuds, and fourty other tunes., Birkenhead, John, Sir, 1616-1679..

Extent

1 broadside.

Printed in the year 1647 and reprinted 1677 for D. Mallet,. [S.l.] :: [1677]. (Attributed to Birkenhead by Wing and NUC pre-1956 imprints.) (Reproduction of the original in the Harvard University Library.)

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