The book of Roxburghe ballads (Collier)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847 Excerpt: ... or wing, Who in their fashion al way sing Be merry, friends! If that thy doublet has a hole in, Why, it can keep the less thy soule in, Which rangeth foorth beyond controulling, Whilst thou hast nought to do, but trolling Be merry, friends! Be merry in God, St. Paule saith plaine: Be merry in God, I say again, And let not his advice be vain; Or if thou wilt, thou cannot complain. Be merry, friends! Let the world slide, let the world go: A fig for care, and a fig for woe! If I cant pay, why, I can owe; And death makes equall the high and low. Be merry, friends! John Heywood. Epitaph on Bishop Jewell. This broadside is in the form of a ballad, and it was the composition of one of the most notorious authors of such pieces: it relates, also, to an individual of the highest eminence in the Church, and until now it has never been re-printed from the old copy, nor mentioned in any list of Elderton's productions. These are the reasons which have led to its insertion here: the full title of the unique broadside is, "An Epitaphe uppon the Death of the Right Reverend and learned Father in God, I. Juell, Doctor of Divinitie, and Bishop of Sarifburie, whom God called to his marcie the 22 of September, 1571." Anthony Wood (Ath. Oxon. i. 395. edit. Bliss ) gives the day of Jewell's death 23 Sept. The colophon runs thus: " Imprynted at London in Fleete-streate, beneath the Conduit at the signe of S. John Evangelist by Thomas Colwell." HE Juell of our joye is gone! the happie heavens have wonne The greatest gift that ever was with us beneth the sonne: Which makes such weeping eyes in Sallefbury, they saye, As all the ronning streames thereof, can never washe awaye. Alas! is Juell dead, the folder of the flocke? If Death hath caught the diall up, then wh...