%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A Merry Discourse between / Billy and his Mistris. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 07/09/2021 37499

The University of California makes a claim of copyright only to original contributions made by Early Modern Center participants and other members of the university community. The University of California makes no claim of copyright to the original text. Permission is granted to download, transmit or otherwise reproduce, distribute or display the contributions to this work claimed by The University of California for non-profit educational purposes, provided that this header is included in its entirety. For inquiries about commercial uses, please contact:

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

R180551 1 Lye still my dear Shepherd [unknown] Lie Still My Dear Shepherd COme sit thee down Billy, I have something to say, / In my mind have I kept it this many a day; And if they pursue us, to the Gazette we'l flye, / I'le pull off my Pattens, and on my back lye. British Library - Bagford Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 144 2: 145 A Merry Discourse between / Billy and his Mistris. A Merry Discourse between Billy and his Mistress. ?-? J. Jordan

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 7/9/2021 7:21:45 PM Using EMC

XBallad Parsing Engine developed by Carl G Stahmer.

TEI Template developed by Gerald Egan and Modified by Carl Stahmer

All apostrophes are encoded as '.

Any dashs occurring in line breaks have been removed;

All dashs are encoded as ‐ and all em dashes as —.

 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction / health alcohol Americas animals / nature Bible / biblical figures buildings / architecture catastrophe children class clothing / appearance country / nation crime death economics / commerce entertainments family Featured 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 groups royalty rural life servitude sex / sexuality supernatural / magic travel trickery / deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth / age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 7/9/2021 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 7/9/2021 7:21:45 PM XBallad Henderson, Olivia Created XML Version of Ballad 7/9/2021 7:21:45 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/9/2021 7:21:45 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Stark, Nicole Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/9/2021 7:21:45 PM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/9/2021 7:21:45 PM Transcriptionist One Messner, Milena Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/11/2019 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A Merry Discourse between</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Billy and his Mistris.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">Lye still my dear Shepherd.</hi></hi></seg>
COme sit thee down Billy, I have something to say, In my mind have I kept it this many a day; Your Master you know is a Fool and Sot, And nothing he minds but the Pipe and the Pot: And if they pursue us, to the Gazette we'l flye, I'le pull off my Pattens, and on my back lye. Till twelve or till one he seldom comes home, And then he's so Drunk that he lyes like a Droan; Such usage as this would make anyone mad, And a Woman must have it where 'tis to be had: And if they pursue us, etc. O my dearest Mistris, this never can be, That you should affect such a Fellow as me; But Heaven forbid, though I am but your Man, That I should refuse to do all that I can: And if they pursue us, etc. You Master's diseased with Gout and with Stiches, And nothing he can do but pull down his Breeches; And then he stands shaking as though he was dead, And so like a Woodcock he hangs down his head: And if they pursue us, etc.
O my dearest Mistris, I cannot deny, For I find myself able your wants to supply; And if you'l support me with Coin and with Cash, We'l drink while my Master shall bray like an Ass: And if they pursue us, etc. Prithee my Billy now do not mistrust, In Pocket and Placket to thee I'le be just; Keep touch with your Master, and then you shall see, We'l make his baggs flye all whereever he be: And if they pursue us, etc. O my dearest Mistris, but here lies the touch, My Wife at our pleasure will grumble and grutch; She hath a quick eye, and her passion is strong, She'l shake our foundation or e're it be long: And if they pursue us, etc. O my dearest Billy, why dost thou love she, If thou dost Billy, thou canst not love me; For I never knew it all days of my life, That any man lov'd both his Whore and his Wife: And if they pursue us, etc.
To make him a Cuckold none's fitter than thee, For the fool won't believe it although he doth see; A pint of burnt Brandy, a Pipe, and a Cole, Here's a good health to Billy and to Billys Hole: And if they, etc. What though I do fight and endeavour to kill, Yet my brave Billy will take my part still; And I will do with him as long as I can, So long as I know he's a lusty young man: And if they, etc. I thank thee now Billy for my flat Fish, And long did I think it e're I had my wish; And if we do meet at the Bird in hand door, We'l call for a Room, and we'l dance on the floor: And if they, etc. Then Billys Wife she lookt in at the door, What a Devil, quoth she, do you down on the floor? A dressing of Flounders which you sent me last, What a Devil, quoth she, do you make sauce with your arse And if they, etc. As for our Neighbours they are but all fools, To meddle or make, because we use our own Tools; Pray then will you tell me wherefore they were made, And if to use 'um we should be afraid: And if they, etc. As for the small Hob-Nails, I have had none of those, To spoil my cold face, nor to hurt my red Nose; The great ones are they which I most do fear, If they come below they will spoil my best Ware: And if they, etc. And still we'l be merry, and leave off all passion, I had rather be dead than to live out of fashion; My Father and Mother they were of that Trade, And I for that purpose so Brazen was made: And if they, etc. But as for the Gazette, we'l come no more there, For why? they do keep an old screeking Chair; Beside that, the Woman's a blab of her tongue, And we'l find out another place e're it be long: And if they pursue us they shall ne'r find us out, And yet we are resolv'd to have the other bout.
FINIS. Printed for J. Jordan, at the Angel in Guiltspur-street, without Newgate.