The Cavalier Songs and Ballads of England from 1642 to 1684 · Chapter 105Canary’s Coronation
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From the Loyal Garland.
Come, let’s purge our brains From ale and grains, That do smell of anarchy; Let’s chuse a King From whose blood may spring Such a sparkling progeny; It will be fit, strew mine in it, Whose flames are bright and clear; We’ll not bind our hands with drayman’s bands, When as we may be freer; Why should we droop, or basely stoop To popular ale or beer?
Who shall be King? how comes the thing For which we all are met? Claret is a prince that hath long since In the royal order set: His face is spread with a warlike seed, And so he loves to see men; When he bears the sway, his subjects they Shall be as good as freemen; But here’s the plot, almost forgot, ’Tis too much burnt with women.
By the river of Rhine is a valiant wine That can all other replenish; Let’s then consent to the government And the royal rule of Rhenish: The German wine will warm the chine, And frisk in every vein; ’Twill make the bride forget to chide, And call him to’t again: But that’s not all, he is too small To be our sovereign.
Let us never think of a noble drink, But with notes advance on high, Let’s proclaim good Canary’s name,— Heaven bless his Majesty! He is a King in everything, Whose nature doth renounce all, He’ll make us skip and nimbly trip From ceiling to the groundsil; Especially when poets be Lords of the Privy Council.
But a vintner will his taster be, Here’s nothing that can him let; A drawer that hath a good palat Shall be squire of the gimblet. The bar-boys shall be pages all, A tavern well-prepared, And nothing shall be spared; In jovial sort shall be the court, Wine-porters that are soldiers tall Be yeomen of the guard.
But if a cooper we with a red nose see In any part of the town; The cooper shall, with his aids-royal, Bear the sceptre of the crown; Young wits that wash away their cash In wine and recreation, Who hates ale and beer, shall be welcome here To give their approbation; So shall all you that will allow Canary’s recreation.