Till the fire burn'd in each brain; May we soon see the like again! In the second part of Henry IV., Act v. Scene 3, occur these lines:- For women are shrews, both short and tall, 'Tis merry in hall when Beards wag all And welcome merry Shrove-tide. Mr. Warton in his "History of English Poetry" observes that this rhyme is found in poem by Adam Davie, called the "Life of Alexander" Merry swithe it is in halle, When the beards waveth alle. In the "Briefe Conceipts of English Pollicye," by William Stafford, 1581, it is asserted that it is a common proverb, " 'Tis merry in hall when Beards wag all." In the "Serving Man's Comfort, 1598," occurs the passage "which done, grace said and the table taken up, a song is sung, the under-song, or holding whereof, is 'It is merry in haull, where beards wag all.'" The song as now given is modern, and was introduced to the public by Mr. Murray, of the Edinburgh Theatre, who sang it in the character of Sir Mark Chase, in "A Roland for an Oliver." THE GOOD TIME COMING. CHARLES MACKAY. THERE's a good time coming, boys, We may not live to see the day, But thought's a weapon stronger; There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming : The pen shall supersede the sword, And Right, not Might, shall be the lord, In the good time coming. Worth, not Birth, shall rule mankind, And be acknowledg'd stronger; There's a good time coming, boys, In the good time coming. To prove which is the stronger; Nor slaughter men for glory's sake;— Wait a little longer. There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming: Shall not make their martyrs bleed There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming: And a poor man's family In the good time coming. To make his right arm stronger; The happier he, the more he has ;-Wait a little longer. There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming: Little children shall not toil, Under, or above, the soil, In the good time coming; But shall play in healthful fields Till limbs and mind grow stronger; And every one shall read and write ; Wait a little longer. There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming : The people shall be temperate, There's a good time coming, boys, Every woman, every man, The good time coming. Smallest helps, if rightly given, Make the impulse stronger; "Twill be strong enough one day ; Wait a little longer. These verses-for it is doubtful whether they can strictly be called a song-appeared originally in the second number of the "Daily News," as one of the series entitled Voices from the Crowd." 66 KING DEATH. BARRY CORNWALL. From " English Songs," 1884. KING DEATH was a rare old fellow- And he lifted his hand so yellow, There came to him many a maiden And widows with grief o'erladen, For a draught of his coal black wine. J The scholar left all his learning, Hurrah! for the coal black wine! All came to the rare old fellow, Who laugh'd till his eyes dropp'd brine, LITTLE FOOLS AND GREAT ONES. CHARLES MACKAY. From "Legends of the Isles and other Poems," 1845. And pass around the wine, That Heaven in kindness gave the grape And when in youth's too fleeting hours And have not sought some loving heart, And think, when pleasures pall— And if a friend deceived you once, That little fools confide too much, In weal or woe, be truthful still, Let work and hope go hand in hand, In work or pleasure, love or drink, Your drink not maddening, but to cheer: |