---

There was a Munkye clumbe up a tree

When he fell downe then downe fell hee

There was a crow sat on a stone

When he was gone, then was there none

There was an old wyfe, did eate an apple

5

When she had eat two, she had eat a cupple

There was a mayde that they cald Cisse

When she made water, she did pisse

There was a horse, going to the mill

When he went on he stood not still.

10

There was a butcher cut his thombe

When it did bleed, then blood did come

There was a lackye, runne a race

When he ran fast, he ran a pace

There was a Cobler clowting shoone1

15

When they were mended, they were done

There was a Chandler making candle

When he them shipte, he did them handle

There was a Navye went into Spayne

When it returnd it came againe.2

20

---

Source. BL MS Sloane 1489, fol. 19v

Other known sources. Court and Times of Charles I 1.118; BL MS Harley 6383, fol. 63v; CCRO MS CR 63/2/19, fol. 41v

Oi7

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here O0. Introduction Oi1. The Parliament sitts Oi2. Oh honoured England Oi3. Our digby digd’e Oi4. The base on which Oi5. There was a man Oi6. There was a great fleete Oi7. There was a Munkye Oi8. Yee Spanyards Oi9. There was some policye Oi10. The Kinge and his wyfe Oi11. Why did the fond Oi12. Fower Cheyffe Justices Oi13. Justice of late hath Oi14. Ould Ned Cooke Oi15. Rex and Grex Oi16. Come heare, Lady Muses Oi17. There is a man Oii1. when the uncivill civill Oii2. It makes mee to muse Oii3. Great Buckinghame Oii4. In reading these Oii5. And wilt thou goe Oii6. Charles would yee Prevaile Oii7. Rejoice, brave English Oii8. Why was the varlett Oii9. One askte me Oii10. Oure crossrow’s turnd Oii11. The noblest brave Oii12. And art return’d againe Oii13. All you that will goe Oii14. As sick men feare Oiii1. O Admirall! Oiii2. The wisest King Oiii3. The warrlike King Oiii4. Excuse me Eliott Oiii5. Avaunt you giddie Oiii6. Here Dr Lambe Oiii7. If heav’n rejoyce Oiii8. For Lambe go ringe Oiii9. Heare lyes the Impostar Oiii10. Our state’s a Game Oiii11. When onely one doth Oiii12. Of Brittish Beasts Oiii13. To hunt the Doe Oiii14. The Parliament of late Oiii15. A thinge gott by candle

¹   clowting shoone: patching shoes. <back>

²   There was a Navye...it came againe: although this couplet is slightly opaque, it depends on a calculated sense of anti-climax as it refers to the return of Wimbledon’s fleet from Spain. The phrase “it came again” may refer to the fact that the fleet returned in groups. <back>