The mercenary souldier.

The mercenary souldier.

Table of contents

THE MERCENARY SOVLDIER.

[Page]

THE MERCENARY SOVLDIER.

[figure]

I

NO money yet, why then let's pawn our swords,

And drinke an health to their confusion,

Who doe instead of money send us words?

Let's not be subject to the vain delusion

Of those would have us fight without our pay,

While money chinks my Captain 'Ile obey.

II

'Ile not be slave to any servile Groom,

Let's to the Sutlers and there drink and sing,

My Captain for a while shall have my room,

Come hither Tom, of Ale two douzen bring,

Plac'd Ranke and File, Tobacco bring us store,

And as the pots doe empty, fill us more.

III

Let the Drum cease, and never murmure more,

Untill it beat, warning us to repair,

Each man for to receive of Cash good store,

Let not the Trumpet shril, ere rend the ayre,

Untill it cite us to the place where we

May heaps of silver for our payment see.

IV

I came not forth to doe my Countrey good,

I came to rob; and take my fill of pleasure,

Let fools repell their foes with angry mood,

Let those doe service while I share the treasure:

I doe not mean my body ere shall swing

Between a pare of crutches, tottering,

V

Let thousands fall, it nee'r shall trouble me,

Those puling fools deserve no better fate,

They mirths Apposers were, and still would be,

Did they survive, let me participate,

Of pleasures, gifts, while here I live, and I

Care not, although I mourne eternally.

VI

I laugh to think how many times I have

Whiles others fighting were against the foe,

Within some Thicket croucht my self to save,

Yet taken for a valiant Souldier tho,

When I amongst them come, for I with words

Can terrifie, as others can with swords.

VII

Damne me you Rogue, if thou provoke my wrath,

Canes qui multum latrant raro mordent.

'Ile carve thee up, and spit thee, joynt by joynt,

There's none that tasted of my fury hath,

But fear and tremble least I should appoint

A second penance for them, when my brow

Is bent, marke how the rascalls to me bow.

VIII

Thus menacing I'm taken for to be

A man indeed, when I should fear to fight

With coward Thersites, and if that he

Were my Antagonist, but I delight

To fight, and to pash dame

All manner of Victuals.

Ceres treasure,

To quaffe

Wine

Lyens bloud I take great pleasure.

IX

Proceed yee brethren, doe each other hate,

And fight it to the last, I wish the Wars

May ever untill doomsday properate,

And time nee'r see a period of the jars:

For I before like to a slave did live,

Now like unto a

An ignominious name given the Danes, by English men, for their slothfull and lasic living.

Lurdain doe I thrive.

X

Fill us more Alc, me thinks thy lazie gate

Is slower then the Tortoise, make more speed,

An tha'st a Female of an easie rate

Let's see her, for my flesh doth tumults breed:

Run on, thoul't wish when that day comes thou must

Give an account, that thou hadst been more just.

Information about this book

Title statement

The mercenary souldier.

Edition statement

1646

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A89055

ID [STC]

Wing M1731

ID [STC]

Thomason 669.f.10[49]

ID [STC]

ESTC R210444

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99869244

ID [PROQUEST]

99869244

ID [VID]

162589

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A89055)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 162589)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 246:669f10[49])

Source

— The mercenary souldier.,

Extent

1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill.

s.n.,. [London :: 1646]. (In verse -- "No money yet, why then let's pawn our swords,".) (With engraved border.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "Aprill 16th London 1646".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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