The Cavalier Songs and Ballads of England from 1642 to 1684
History
The Cavalier Songs and Ballads of England from 1642 to 1684
Ballads, English; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
The twenty-second of lovely May
At Dover arrived, fame doth say,
Where our most noble generall
Did on his knees before him fall,
Craving to kiss his hand,
So soon as he did land.
Royally they did him entertain,
With all their pow’r and might,
To bring him to his right,
And place him in his own again.
Then the King, I understand,
Did kindly take him by the hand
And lovingly did him embrace,
Rejoycing for to see his face.
Hee lift him from the ground
With joy that did abound,
And graciously did him entertain;
Rejoycing that once more
He was o’ th’ English shore,
To enjoy his own in peace again.
From Dover to Canterbury they past,
And so to Cobham-hall at last;
From thence to London march amain,
With a triumphant and glorious train,
Where he was received with joy,
His sorrow to destroy,
In England once more for to raign;
Now all men do sing,
God save Charles our King,
That now enjoyes his own again.
At Deptford the maidens they
Stood all in white by the high-way
Their loyalty to Charles to show,
They with sweet flowers his way to strew.
Each wore a ribbin blew,
They were of comely hue,
With joy they did him entertain,
With acclamations to the skye
As the King passed by,
For joy that he receives his own again.
In Wallworth-fields a gallant band
Of London ’prentices did stand,
All in white dublets very gay,
To entertain King Charles that day,
With muskets, swords, and pike;
I never saw the like,
Nor a more youthfull gallant train;
They up their hats did fling,
And cry, “God save the King!
Now he enjoys his own again.”
At Newington-Buts the Lord Mayor willed
A famous booth for to be builded,
Where King Charles did make a stand,
And received the sword into his hand;
Which his Majesty did take,
And then returned back
Unto the Mayor with love again.
A banquet they him make,
He doth thereof partake,
Then marcht his triumphant train.
The King with all his noblemen,
Through Southwark they marched then;
First marched Major Generall Brown, {106}
Then Norwich Earle of great renown, {107}
With many a valiant knight
And gallant men of might,
Richly attired, marching amain,
There Lords Mordin, Gerard, and
The good Earle of Cleavland, {108}
To bring the King to his own again.
Near sixty flags and streamers then
Was born before a thousand men,
In plush coats and chaines of gold,
These were most rich for to behold;
With every man his page,
The glory of his age;
With courage bold they marcht amain,
Then with gladnesse they
Brought the King on his way
For to enjoy his own again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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