The famous Ratketcher, with his travels
into France, and of his returne to London.
To the tune of the joviall Tinker.
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T Here was a rare Rat-catcher,
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Did about the Country wander,
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The soundest blade of all his trade,
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Or I should him deepely slaunder:
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For still would he cry, a Ratt tat tat,
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tara rat, ever:
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To catch a Mouse, or to carouse.
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such a Ratter I saw never.
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Upon a Poale he carryed
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Full fourty fulsome Vermine:
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Whose cursed lives without any Knives,
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To take he did determine.
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And still would he cry, a Rat tat tat,
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tara Rat, ever, etc.
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His talke was all of India ,
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The Voyage and the Navie:
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What Mise or Rattes, or wild Polcats:
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What Stoates or Weesels have yee:
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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He knew the Nut of India ,
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That makes the Magpie stagger:
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The Mercuries , and Cantharies ,
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With Arsnicke , and Roseaker .
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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Full often with a Negro ,
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The Juice of Poppies drunke hee:
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Eate Poyson franke with a Mountebanke,
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And Spiders with a Monkie.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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In London he was well knowne:
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In many a stately House
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He lays a Bayte; whose deadly fate,
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Did kill both Ratte and Mouse.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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But on a time, a Damosell,
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did him so farre intice,
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That for her, a Baite he layd straight,
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would kill no Rats nor Mice.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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And on the Baite she nibled,
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so pleasing in her taste,
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She lickt so long, that the Poyson strong,
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did make her swell i'th waste.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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H[e] ebtilely this perceiving,
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to the Country straight doth hie him:
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Where by his skill, he poysoneth still,
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such Vermine as come nie him.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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He never careth whether
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he be sober, lame, or tipsie:
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He can Collogue with any Rogue,
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and Cant with any Gipsie.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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He was so brave a bowzer,
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that it was doubtfull whether
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He taught the Rats, or the Rats taught him
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to be druncke as Rats, togeather.
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And still would he cry, a Rat, etc.
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When he had tript this Iland,
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from Bristow unto Dover ,
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With painefull Bagge and painted Flagge,
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to France he sayled over.
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Yet still would he cry, a Rat tat tat,
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tara rat, ever, etc.
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FINIS.
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The Ratketchers returne out of France
to London. To the same tune.
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I N France when he arived,
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the heat so much perplext him,
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That all his Pouch did swell so much,
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and Poyson so had vext him.
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That scarce could he cry, a Rat tat tat,
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tara Rat, ever:
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To catch a Mouse, or to carouse,
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Such a Ratter I saw never.
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At last, as Witches common,
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must use anothers ayding:
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So did this Ratter, tell the matter
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to another of's owne trading.
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And then did he cry, a Rat tat tat. etc.
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Who using many Simples,
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to quench his fiery burning:
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Did make him daunce cleane out of France ,
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And home hee's now returning.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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At Dover he arived,
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and Kent hath had his cunning:
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The Maydens Lappes like poysoned Rattes
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repent his backe-home comming.
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For still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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At Gravesend 'mongst the Maydens,
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Greene sicknesse reign'd so briefly,
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None could have cure, but such as sure
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would take his Potions chiefly.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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The Shippe wherein he sayled,
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ere he on shore arived,
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Reports him that he kild a Ratte,
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that nere will be revived.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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And to the Fayre in Smithfield ,
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he now is gon and paced:
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To search with Pole for the Rat-knawne hole
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that him so much outfaced.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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Now to the Tipling houses,
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to kill the Vermine featly:
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French Rats and Mice all in a trice,
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he will destroy full neatly.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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An ugly Wench to see-to,
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whose Nose was knawne with Vermin,
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The Ratte to kill, that usd her ill,
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to use him doth determine.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat. etc.
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If any other Maydens,
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or Female kinds, will use him,
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Come call him quicke, for with a tricke
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hee's gone, if you refuse him.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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To Sturbridge Fayre his journy
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is plotted, and appoynted:
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Approch with speed, you that have need
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with Poyson to be noynted.
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And still doth he cry, a Rat, etc.
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When backe he commeth home-ward,
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observe his Flagge bepainted
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With Mice and Rattes, and with Poulcats,
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if you will be acquainted,
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And heare him to cry, a Rat tat tat,
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tara Rat, ever:
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To catch a Mouse, or to carouse,
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such a Ratter I saw never.
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FINIS.
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