Mark Noble's Frollick;
Who Being Stopp'd by the Constable near the Tower, was examin'd where he had been; whither he was going; and his Name and Place where he dwelt: to which he answered, where the Constable would have been glad to have been, and where he was going he dare not go for his Ears; as likewise his Name, which he called Twenty Shillings; with an Account of what followed, and how he came off.
To the Tune of
The New Rant.
Licensed according to Order.
ONe night at a very late hour,
a Watch maker home did repair;
When coming along by the Tower,
was stopp'd by the Constable there.
Friend, come before Mr. Constable,
to see what his Worship will say;
You'd have me do more than I'm able,
I fear I shall fall by the way.
Sir, tell me, and do not deceive me,
where have you been playing your part?
Kind Mr. Constable believe me,
where you'd have been with all your Heart.
Sweet
Bacchus in Bumpers were flowing,
which Liquor all mortal Men cheers,
And now after all I am going,
where you dare not come for your Ears.
Your Words they are sawcy and evil,
this may be a Charge to your Purse:
For why? you are something uncivil,
to answer a Constable thus.
Oh, where do you dwell with a whennion?
cross Humours we will not allow,
Sir, out of the King's own Dominion,
pray, what can you say to me now?
Pray what is your Name, you cross Villain;
be sure that you answer me true;
Why Sir, It is just
Twenty Shilling,
I think I have satisfyed you.
What Trade are you, Brewer or Baker?
or do you a Waterman ply?
No Sir, I'm an honest Watch-maker,
my Trade I will never deny.
Have you e'er a Watch you can show, Sir?
we'll see how it sutes with our Clocks;
Yes, Faith and a Constable too, Sir,
I wish you were all in the Stocks.
You Sawcy impertinent Fellow,
because you have answer'd me so,
Although your mad Brains they be mellow,
this Night to a Prison you go.
Therefore without any more dodging,
the Lanthorns was lighted streightway;
They guarded him to his strong Lodging,
to lye there while Nine the next day.
Next Morning the Constable brought him
before a Iustice to appear,
And earnestly then he besought him,
a Sorrowfull Story to hear.
[...] all the Transactions he told him,
to which the good Iustice reply'd,
From Liberty he would withold him,
till the Naked Truth should be cry'd.
The Tradesman returned this Answer,
the Truth I will never deny;
If I may speak without Offence, Sir,
I scorn'd to be catch'd in a Lye.
I said nothing which was unfitting,
as solemnly here I profess;
The King he is King of Great
Britain,
and I live in
Britain the less.
The next thing that causes the Trouble,
my Name he would have me to show,
The which is right honest
Mark-Noble,
and that's Twenty Shillings you know.
Then asking me where I was going,
and I being void of all Fears,
Right readily made him this Answer,
where he dare not go for his Ears.
I rambl'd all day, yet the Centre,
at night was to lye by my Wife,
Instead of his Ears should he venture,
I' Faith it might cost him his Life.
Now when he had given this Relation,
of all that had past in the night,
It yielded most pleasant Diversion,
the Iustice he laughed outright.
It seems that a Glass of Canary
conducted the Gallant along;
I find that he's nothing but merry,
intending no manner of wrong.
Therefore I will free him from Prison,
without any Charges or F
[...]
It being no more than right
[...]
you watch not for such M
[...]
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Printed for B. D [...], at the [...] [...]n Gilt-spur-stree [...]