Curtois Collection Broadsheet
http://www.contemplator.com/history/broadside.html
Ref: Curtois 1/15
Although Blackletter was popular for broadsides until 1700, white-letter took over from thereon.
This Broadsheet comes from the Curtois collection and the period the collection spans ends in 1809. So the song is somewhere between 1700 and 1809. How can we date it more accurately?
Description
The paper is cheap, thin and floppy. There is a woodcut at the top of page approx 1.5 inches high and 3 inches wide, with the royal coat of arms, including the lion and unicorn supporters. Beside this is the Three Feathers Coat of Arms of the Prince of Wales.
10 verses.
Within the woodcut, beneath the Coats of Arms is this text:
King, Liberty, Laws;
A New SONG, to the Tune of HEARTS OF OAK.
Sung at the Rein-Deer Inn, City of LINCOLN.
1.
Ye Britons fo brave, fo bold, and fo free,
Come lend your attention, and liften to me,
Ill fhow you moft clearly the plots that are laid,
To fteal all your comforts your bleffings invade;
But to join in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are ready,
And fteady, boys, fteady,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
2.
The French moft prefidious are now to their crown,
Old England they hate, and would fain pull her down,
Our glory they envy our happinefs too,
And would change our old gold for their tinsel fo new;
But well fhew in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are fteady,
And ready, boys, ready,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
3.
Afraid that the Lion of England fhould wake,
They try to fteal what they dare not take,
They pay wicked men to feduce you with lies,
And to rob you fecurely, throw duft in your eyes;
But theyll find in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are fteady,
And ready, boys, ready,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
4.
No Religion or Laws the vile Jacobins own,
Their God they deny, and their King they dethrone;
To gain their own ends, the poor people they cheat,
Then leave them, alas, not a morsel to eat!
Then let us in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Be ever moft fteady,
And ready, boys, ready,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
5.
Their trade is all gone there is none now to buy,
The Rich are all banifhd the Poor left to die!
No Corn in their markets no Coin in their ftates;
No Ships in their ports no Faith in their gates;
But theyll find in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are fteady,
And ready, boys, ready,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
6.
But look, ye bold Britons, around you and fee,
The contraft how great ye are happy and free:
Here Peace fpreads her olive, and Plenty her ftore,
And Justice alike guard the rich and the poor:
Then fhew in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are ready,
And fteady, boys, fteady,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
7.
Our commerce is great manufat-rers well paid,
The world is our mart, fo extenfive our trade;
All, all have employment the idle alone
Have caufe to complain but the fault is their own.
Then firm in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are ready,
And fteady, boys, fteady,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
8.
Our Nobles for Liberty freely will bleed,
Since they planted her firft in the famd Runnymead;
Moft facred our Gentry her boughs will fuftain,
From the blows of vile France or their engine Tom Paine.
Then firm in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are ready,
And fteady, boys, fteady,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
Tom Paine, rebel. Born in NORFOLK.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRpaine.htm
Website says he worked as an exciseman in LINCOLNSHIRE.
In 1776 he published Common Sense, a pamphlet that attacked the British Monarchy and argued for American independence. The song seems contemporary to Paine being associated with France? As Paine became a French citizen in 1792, but moved back to America in 1804, does this put the song between those two dates?
9.
Our Soldiers are loyal, brave, honeft and true,
And our Sailors unmatchd fhould you fearch the world throo;
The Poor, when induftrious, have plenty and eafe,
And Charity fhelters old age and difeafe.
Then firm in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Ye always are ready,
And fteady, boys, fteady,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!
10.
Great George is our Father, Protector, and Friend,
And firmly our Rights and his own will defend;
Then, uniting our hearts and our voices, well fing,
And pray for long life and long reign to our King:
And ftaunch in the caufe
Of King, Liberty, Laws,
Be ever moft fteady,
And ready, boys, ready,
To defend our Old England, huzza, boys, huzza!