Catches, canons and drinking songs

to your rude health,

Song: Have you observed the wench in the street? she’s...

by Thomas Holmes . A Catch for Three voices , in A minor

Text:

Have you observed the wench in the street?
she’s scarce any hose, or shoes to her feet,
yet she is very merry, and when she cries, she sings,
“I ha’ hot codlings!”
or have you ever seen or heard
the mortal with the lion tawny beard?
he lives as merrily as any heart can wish,
and still he cries, “Buy a brish!”
since these are so merry, why should we take care?
musicians, like chameleons, must live by the air,
then let’s be blith and bonny,
and no good meeting balk,
for when we have no money,
we shall find chalk.

This song in sources:

UofG Library ASC O.c.23

Images:

Edition:

Version 8e32e8d8d4ff87611fd1ef7b6f028a335f89012d (2021-10-22T17:00:34+01:00)