%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Begger-Boy of the North: / Whose linage and calling to th' world is proclaim'd, / Which is to be sung to a Tune so nam'd. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1624-1624 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/25/2011 30359

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

S117324 18 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN a Tune so nam'd Beggar Boy, The A Tune So Named the same Tune Beggar Boy, The The Same Tune FRom ancient pedigree by due descent, / I well can deriue my generation, THe Crow her own bird doth deem the most faire, / and so doe I of my profession; and cry, Good your worship bestow one token. [with variation] but still I must cry, good your worship one token. [with variation] Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 542 1: 543 The Begger-Boy of the North: / Whose linage and calling to th' world is proclaim'd, / Which is to be sung to a Tune so nam'd. The Begger-Boy of the North: Whose linage and calling to th' world is proclaim'd, Which is to be sung to a Tune so nam'd. The Beggar Boy of the North: Whose lineage and calling to the world is proclaimed, Which is to be sung to a Tune so named. 1624-1624 F. Grove

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic The New World travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/ crass humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/25/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America class travel trickery/ deceit Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/25/2011 3:47:21 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 4/25/2011 3:47:21 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/25/2011 3:47:21 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/25/2011 3:47:21 PM Transcriptionist Two Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/25/2011 3:47:21 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/22/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 2/19/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/7/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/29/2010 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Begger-Boy of the North:</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Whose linage and calling to th world is proclaimd,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Which is to be sung to a Tune so namd.</hi></seg>
FRom ancient pedigree by due descent, I well can derive my generation, Throughout all Christendome and also Kent: my calling is known both in Terme and Vacation, My Parents old taught me to be bold, Ile never be daunted what ever is spoken, Where ere I come my custome I hold, and cry, Good your worship bestow one token. In ragged rayments I wander about, both hot and cold weather Im armd to endure, Though but a Boy I am sturdy and stout, a living by begging I easily procure: My skin is made like armour of proofe, by Sun nor by frost twill never be broken, No threatning s[quir]es shall keep me aloofe, but still I will cry, Good your worship one token. My Father, my Mother, my Gransire and Grannum, my Uncles, my Aunts, and all my kindred, Did maund for Loure, casum and pannum, then wherefore should I from the Trade be hindred Cat will to kind, the Proverbe doth say, tis pitty old customes should be broken, Still as I wander along on the way, Ile cry, good your worship bestow one token.
Although in the Quier-ken I have been off, and by the Rumcoe and the Harmanbecke frighted, Yet my old Trade I will set aloft, wherein all my linage have chiefly delighted, I have eat shame, and drunke after the same, I little regard what to me is spoken, Loud in the streets my mind I proclaime, and cry, good your worship bestow one token. To whet your charity, I have a tricke, a tricke said I, nay I have a hundred, With a Cap on my head, I can faine to be sicke, to see my strange gestures the people have wondred I can counterfeit a lame arme or a legge, and sometimes Ile seeme like one that is broken, This must he doe that exactly will begge, and cry, good your worship bestow one token. I can hold my fingers as though they were lame, lest people should say I were able to labour, And under a hedge along I can frame, as though it were writ by the Justices favour, From Parish to Parish along as I rome, my wants in blacke and white are spoken, Goe where I will I am alwayes at home; and still I doe cry, good your worship one token.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part. To the same Tune.</hi></seg>
THe Crow her own bird doth deem the most faire, and so doe I of my profession; If I were adopted a rich mans Heire, this life of my heart hath tane such possession, That I should leave my livings and lands, and flee like a Citizen when he is broken, I cannot abide to worke with my hands, but still I must cry, good your worship one token. The richest Miser that liveth this day, hath not so much ground as I at disposing, My fields lye open as the high way. I wrong not the Country by greedy inclosing, I spend what I get, and get what I spend, all this for certaine which I have spoken, I am no other than what I pretend, for still doe I cry, good your worship one token. I am not in debt, theres good reason therefore, for no man will credit me with halfe a shilling, And yet if I chance to runne on the skore, to pay for my booze of all things I am willing, When I with my Mates at the bouzing ken meet, our braines with strong liquor soundly are soken, And when I want lowre then I step into th street, and cry, good your worship bestow one token.
Ith heat of the Summer I lend a fine life, to walke the green medowes for my recreation, And when I am old enough to have a wife, Ile joyne with my doxie on the wandring fashion, Under a hedge I can lye and snort, by no worldly cares my sleepe is broken, And now and then I repaire to the Court, where I doe beg greater gifts than a token. All the cold winter I keepe rendevouse; in an old spacious barne by beggers frequented, Or else in the bouzing ken I doe carouse, and to lib in strummell I am well contented, I am not proud nor high in conceit, though some beggers are so as it is spoken; I care more for drinke than for cloathing or meat, which makes me cry, good your worship one token. In the North Countrey I first had my birth: from whence I came naked unto London City, Where a good fellow composd all of mirth, upon the poore Boy did take some pitty, And now he hath cloathd me in blacke and white, and mended my rags which before were broken: If this my Ditty will yeeld you delight, I shall thanke you more than I would for a token.
London, printed for F. Grove. FINIS.