12  The True LOYALIST/; OR,/ The Obedient SUBJECT,/ A Loyal SONG [Pepys 2.223]

To the tune of ‘Let Caesar live long’ (standard name)

The purpose of this section is to provide brief notes on the melody followed by detailed evidence relating to  its career, paying particular attention to the ‘echoes’ (inter-song associations and connections) that may have been set up if it was nominated for the singing of more than one ballad. In the list presented in the ‘Songs and Summaries’ section below, we have endeavoured to include as many of the black-letter ballads that used the tune as possible, under any of its variant names. Titles from our chart of best-sellers are presented in bold type (these are also in colour when there is a link to the relevant ballad page on the website). It should be noted that it is extremely difficult to date many ballads precisely and the chronological order in which the songs are listed is therefore very approximate (we have drawn on previous attempts to date the ballads, making adjustments when additional evidence can be brought into play).  In most cases, we list the earliest surviving edition of a ballad, though in many instances there may have been earlier versions, now lost.

Versions and variation

‘Let Caesar live long’ was a highly successful tune that probably took its name from the first line of a lost version of the current song, perhaps in circulation by c. 1680 (the tune name was already known by this date: see below, and Song history). Notation was not recorded with any regularity but there are good versions in Nathaniel Thompson’s Choice Collection of 180 Loyal Songs (1685) and on a white-letter edition of the song that was collected by Anthony Wood. These are very obviously versions of the same tune, though they differ in numerous small details. Our recording draws upon both of them. The list below shows that the tune was nominated on numerous ballads, and it was sometimes apparently referred to under the alternative title, 'Long live our great Caesar'.

 Echoes (an overview)

This tune may have been specially composed for an earlier and now lost version of The True LOYALIST, in the late 1670s or early 1680s. This was a melody that proved exceptionally popular during the last two decades of the century. It was associated overwhelmingly with vigorous statements of loyalty to a succession of monarchs - first Charles II, then James II, and finally William III (black-letter songs in praise of William were the most prominent in statistical terms).

The role of the melody in promoting a sense of continuity through the extraordinarily disruptive years between 1685 and 1688 is not to be underestimated. The succession of James was anticipated happily in The True LOYALIST, and a short version of the song was published in a pamphlet of c. 1685 under the title ‘An Excellent New Song on King Charles II and King James’ (see also Song history). In later ballads, however, James was rarely mentioned and usually only as King William’s hapless victim in the wars that followed the Revolution of 1688. Indeed, most of the black-letter loyalist songs to the tune were issued between 1688 and 1692, and it is clear that the tune played a very significant role in propagandist efforts to popularise the new king and encourage the nation to get behind him, ideally by joining his army.

The songs took several forms: statements of devotion that were reminiscent of the original song (see, for example, ENGLANDS Happiness In the Crowning of WILLIAM and MARY); tales of defeated Jacobites, Irish soldiers and Frenchmen (THE Broken VINTNER of London and A DIALOGUE between a French and Irish Officer); accounts of sad but necessary farewells between the king and his queen, as the former prepared to go away to war (King WILLIAMS Courage); and many texts that either anticipate or celebrate William’s military triumphs in Ireland and Flanders (The Joy of Protestants and ENGLANDS Triumph).

Several songs expressed their loyalty in a different manner, reporting on humorous and heart-warming encounters between King William and representatives of the common people as he travelled back into England following his military exploits (The Royal Recreation; OR, King WILLIAM’s Merriment and The Royal Frolick). Other ballads aimed to popularise Queen Mary in comparable fashion, though in her case the interactions with ordinary people were characterised, not surprisingly, by extraordinary charity rather than by valour (The Distressed MOTHER and The Bedford-shire Widow; OR, The Poor in Distress Reliev’d).

Occasionally, composers aimed to cash in on the popularity of the melody by nominating it for less political ballads, particularly those connected with courtship, sex and marriage. Most memorable is THE Wanton Widows pleasant Mistake, about a grieving widow who sleeps with a wooden replica of her husband. One wonders whether the loyal associations of the tune contributed to the humour of this number (another song to the tune bore the title The Two Loyal LOVERS). 

The political songs in particular are connected to one another not only by their melody but by numerous textual cross-references. Singers and listeners must have experienced a remarkable sense of familiarity as they encountered successive ballads to the tune. Most strikingly, the publications present a whole series of highly repetitive and politically resonant rhymes: throne/own, king/ring, reign/again, yield/field, crown/renown, and so on. A comparison of five couplets from different songs demonstrates the extent to which these ballads are interwoven:

‘Long, long may he Reign here, whose Vertues we sing,/ And now, now Boyes, your Bonnets all, God save the King’ (The True LOYALIST).

‘Her Fame through all Cities and Counties did ring,/ As having the Honour to wait on the King’ (The Countrey Lasses good Fortune).

‘Let Healths fairly pass now, and Bells sweetly ring,/ To welcome, in triumph, Great William our King’ (The Joy of Protestants).

‘Then let Healths go round, and the Bells sweetly ring/ For the safe return of Great William our King’ (The Protestants JOY).

‘Her Glory and Fame through the Nation doth ring,/ She having the Honour to wait on the King’ (The Royal Recreation).

The fact that these words are sung to the last two lines of the tune in every case, forming the repetitive refrain in some instances, adds further force to the effect. There are many similar examples, and in a couple of cases songs with different titles overlap to such an extent that the second is essentially a re-write of the first (compare, for example, THE Countrey Lasses good Fortune and The Royal Recreation).

[See 'Postscript', below, for additional notes on the melody].

Songs and Summaries

The True LOYALIST; OR, The Obedient SUBJECT... To the Tune of, Let Caesar live long (original version, c. 1680; updated, c. 1685; J. Back, 1686-88). Pepys 2.223; EBBA 20835. Royalty – praise; Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist, obedience; Emotions – love, joy, hope, patriotism; Environment – flowers/trees, season, weather; Recreation – music; Religion – angels/devils; Violence – between states. A song in praise of Charles II and James II, thanking them for their protection and the consequent security of their loyal subjects.

HERE IS Incouragement to Loyalty... To the Tune of, Let Coesar live long (F. Coles, T. Vere, J. Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinge[r], 1680-81). Pepys 2.126; EBBA 20827. Politics – domestic, Royalist, plots; Death – execution; Emotions – patriotism, relief, suspicion. This urges loyalty to the monarch, expressing anxious satisfaction that the recent plot has been uncovered. NB the words of this song are metrically unsuitable to the nominated melody.

The Claret-Drinkers Song; OR, THE GOOD-FELLOWS DESIGN...To the Tune of, Let Coesar Live long (J. Jordan, 1680-84). Roxburghe 3.82-83; EBBA 30416. Recreation – alcohol; Politics – plots, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist, parliament, obedience; Royalty – praise;Emotions – contentment, patriotism; Morality – political; Religion – ancient Gods, Catholic/Protestant; Violence – between states. A celebration of the wonders of wine, arguing that it is strongly connected to personal satisfaction and loyalty to the crown.

THE Countrey Lasses good Fortune... To the Tune of Let Cesar live Long (J. Millet, 1680-92).  Pepys 3.299; EBBA 21314. Gender – courtship; Recreation – food, alcohol; Bodies – nourishment; Economy – money; Emotions – excitement, longing, hope; Politics – Royalist; Employment – female, agrarian; Society – rural life, rich/poor. A young woman provides King William with a meal and is rewarded with ten guineas, at which point all the single men in the locality decide to court her (she eventually chooses a wealthy yeoman).

The Country Squire Deceiv’d; OR, The Welsh-man’s Invention for a New Set of Cloaths. To the Tune of, Let Caesar live long (J. Millet, 1680-92). Pepys 4.361; EBBA 22025. Bodies – clothing; Family – pregnancy/childbirth; Gender – marriage; Humour – deceit/disguise, mockery. A Welshman is promised a new set of clothes if he brings word to a squire that his wife has given birth to a son; when a daughter is born instead, the ‘honest true Taff’ decides to deliver fake news rather than lose his reward.

THE Wanton Widows pleasant Mistake, Or, A Wooden Image turn’d to Flesh and Blood. To the Tune of, Let Caesar Live Long (J. Millet, 1680-92). Pepys 3.306; EBBA 21322. Gender – courtship, marriage, femininity, masculinity, sex; Humour – extreme situations/surprises, deceit/disguise, bawdry; Bodies – clothing, looks/physique, general; Death – old age, grief. A grieving widow pays a carver to create a wooden replica of her late husband and refuses to receive any suitors, so an ingenious individual hides in her bed, dressed as the dummy, and manages to persuade her that a man with moving parts offers certain advantages.

The Royal Character: OR, The Mirror of Majesty... To a pleasant New Tune of, Long Live our Great Cesar; Or, Now, now the Fight's done (J. Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passenger, 1682-84). Pepys 4.227; EBBA 21887. Politics - celebration, foreign affairs, obedience, Royalist; Royalty - praise; Emotions - love; Places - European, extra-European. A song in praise of Charles II, commending in particular his merciful and peaceable nature.

The Two Loyal LOVERS, Sweet William and Coy Susan... To the Tune of, Let Ceasar live long (J. Blare, 1682-1706). Roxburghe 2.479; EBBA 30961. Gender – courtship; Emotions – love, longing; Economy – hardship/prosperity, livings; Employment – general. William declares his devotion to Susan and eventually persuades her to abandon the argument that marriage leads inevitably to ‘trouble and charge’.

The Sorrowful BRIDE; OR, The London Lasses Lamentation for her Husbands Insufficiency. Tune of, Let Caesar Live long (R. Kell, 1684-94).  Pepys 3.244; EBBA 21258. Gender – marriage, sex, masculinity, femininity; Bodies – looks/physique; Emotions – despair, longing; Family – pregnancy/childbirth; Recreation – food. A young wife laments that fact that she remains a virgin after a full year of marriage, and she wonders why her husband has no interest in sex.

The FEMALE RAMBLERS. OR, The Three Buxome Lasses of Northampton-shire... Tune is, Let Cesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1688-96). Roxburghe 2.164; EBBA 30641. Gender – femininity, sex, singles; Humour –bawdry; Morality – romantic/sexual; Bodies – clothing, looks/physique; Family – pregnancy/childbirth; Places – English. This uses the example of three loose-living lasses in order to persuade others of the need to live with virtue and avoid losing their maidenheads ‘by surprize’.

The Miser mump’d of his Gold... To the Tune of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1688-96). Pepys 4.360; EBBA 22024. Recreation – food, alcohol; Humour – deceit/disguise, extreme situations/surprises, mockery; Bodies – clothing, adornment, nourishment; Crime – robbery/theft; Economy – money, credit/debt; Morality – social/economic; Gender – femininity. A miser is tricked by a ‘lady of pleasure’ who supplies him with so much food and drink that he falls fast asleep, at which point she steals a huge sum of money and sends him home to his wife in a chest.

The Somersetshire Wonder... To the Tune of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1688-96). Pepys 4.362; EBBA 22026. Bodies – adornment, clothing; Recreation – fashion; Gender – femininity;  Emotions – wonder; Morality – general; Religion – divine intervention; Places – English. A calf in Somerset, born with a deformity that closely resembles a woman’s tower or top-knot (forms of head-dress) is here interpreted as a warning against female vanity.

THE Broken VINTNER of London: With a Brief Account of his Flight into the Country to Chouse His Creditors… Tune of, Let Caeser live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1688-96).  Pepys 4.291; EBBA 21953.  Politics – controversy, domestic, foreign affairs; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Employment – crafts/trades; Gender – masculinity; Violence – interpersonal; Places – English, travel; Recreation – alcohol; Emotions – anger, patriotism; Economy – hardship.  A Jacobite vintner flees London to avoid paying certain debts, but makes the mistake of engaging a patriotic countryman in political debate when he stops in a tavern.

The Bedford-shire Widow; OR, The Poor in Distress Reliev’d... To the Tune of, Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1688-96). Pepys 2.75; EBBA 20699. Royalty – praise; Society – rich/poor; Employment – begging; Family – children/parents, siblings; Gender – femininity; Morality – social/economic, familial, general; Emotions – despair, wonder, joy; Religion – charity, Christ/God. Bible; Bodies – nourishment; Environment – garden, flowers/trees; Places – English; Politics – Royalist; Recreation – walking. Queen Mary encounters a begging woman with three small children and intervenes to provide a nurse, a house and pension.

ENGLANDS Happiness In the Crowning of WILLIAM and MARY... Tune of, Let Cesar live long, and his temper abide; or, my Life and my Death (A. Milbourn, 1689). Pepys 2.267; EBBA 20880. Politics – celebration, domestic, Royalist; Religion – Catholic/Protestant, God/Christ, heroism, church, clergy, prayer; Royalty – praise; Emotion – joy, patriotism; Recreation – public festitivity. This celebrates the coronation of William and Mary, saviours of England and Protestantism.

Englands Holiday, OR, The Nations Joy for the happy Coronation of, WILLIAM, and his Royal Consort Queen MARY... Tune, Let Caeser live long, Now now the Fights done, The Plow-mans Health, Joy to the Bridegroom Or, My Life and my Death (J. Conyers, 1689). Pepys 5.35; EBBA 22252. Politics – celebration, domestic, Royalist, court; Recreation – public celebration; Religion – Catholic/Protestant, Christ/God, prayer; Royalty – praise; Emotions – joy, patriotism. This calls for public celebration of the coronation, and praises William and Mary for their excellence on all fronts.

A Brief Touch of the Irish Wars... To the Tune of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690). Pepys 2.310; EBBA 20927. Politics – domestic, foreign affiars, Royalist, Tories/Whigs; Royalty – praise; Violence – between states, civil war; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Emotions – joy, pride; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Death – warfare; Places – Irish; Gender – masculinity; Recreation – music; Environment – seasons, weather. A triumphalist account, purportedly written by an eye-witness, of King William’s successive victories in Ireland.

The Couragious Commander: OR, A Brief Relation of that most Noble adventure of Sir Cloudesly Shovell... Tune of, Let Caesar live long (R. Kell, 1690). Pepys 4.219; EBBA 21881. Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs; Employment – sailors/soldiers;  Death – warfare; Violence – between states, civil war; Emotions – excitement, pride; Gender – masculinity; News – political; Places – Irish, travel/transport; Religion – Catholic/Protestant. This describes a naval operation in Dublin Bay where Sir Cloudsley Shovell and his brave men captured an enemy frigate.

IRELANDS Happiness. OR, King WILLIAMS Safe Arrival at Carigfergus... Tune of, Let Cesar Live long, &c (W. Thackeray, 1690). Pepys 2.352; EBBA 20971. Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist, Tories/Whigs; Royalty – praise; Emotions – hope, joy, excitement; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Gender – masculinity; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; News – domestic, international; Places – Irish; Recreation – music, alcohol. This describes the optimistic mood surrounding the King’s arrival in Carrickfergus and looks forward to the defeat of ‘the French and the Irish Crew’.

The Joy of Protestants For King William’s safe Arrival from the Wars of Ireland… Tune is, Let Caesar live long (J. Millet, 1690). Pepys 2.336; EBBA 20955. Emotions – joy, patriotism; Royalty – praise; Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Religion – Catholic/Protestant, divine intervention, angels/devils; Recreation – music, public festivity, alcohol; Gender – masculinity, marriage; Places – travel/transport; Environment – weather; King William is welcomed home to England in spectacular style following the success of his brave military exploits in Ireland.

King WILLIAMS Courage... To the Tune of, Let Caesar Live Long (W. Thackeray, J. Millet, and A. Milbourn, 1690). Pepys 2.335; EBBA 20954. Emotions – love, hope; Gender – marriage; Politics – domestic, foreign affairs; Royalty – praise; Religion – Catholic/Protestant. King William bids a fond farewell to Queen Mary, whom he leaves in charge of the nation while he goes off ‘To head a vast Army of Protestant boys’ in Ireland.

K. William’s March to Ireland... To the Tune of, Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690). Pepys 2.317; EBBA 20936. Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Royalty – praise; Emotions – hope, patriotism, pride; Places – travel/transport. This looks forward optimistically to great successes for King William, now that he has arrived in Ireland to conquer his foes.

LONDONS TRIUMPH: OR, The Magnificant Glory at the head of Cheapside, on the Kings Birth-Day... Tune is, Let Cesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690). Pepys 2.253; EBBA 20972. Royalty – praise; Politics – celebration, Royalist, plots; Recreation – public festivity; Emotions – joy, love, patriotism, pride; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Places – English, Irish. This describes the elaborate entertainments staged to celebrate the king’s birthday, complete with figures representing William himself, the wicked Louis XIV and Guy Fawkes.

The Protestant Soldiers Resolution to Fight for KING WILLIAM... Tune, My life and my death: Or, Let Cesar live long (James Bissel, 1690). Pepys 2.299; EBBA 20916. Emotions – excitement, patriotism, pride; Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Royalty – praise, criticism; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Gender – masculinity; Death – warfare; Violence – between states, civil war; Places – nationalities. Tub-thumping encouragement is here offered to all men to fight with King William against England’s Catholic foes in Ireland.

The Protestants JOY For the King’s safe Arrival from the bloudy Scene of Ireland... To the Tune of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690). Pepys 2.328; EBBA 20947. Emotions – joy, patriotism; Royalty – praise; Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Religion – Catholic/Protestant, divine intervention, angels/devils; Recreation – music, public festivity, alcohol; Gender – masculinity, marriage; Places – travel/transport; Environment – weather. King William is welcomed home to England in spectacular style following the success of his brave military exploits in Ireland. NB this is a slightly re-written version of The Joy of Protestants, above.

The Royal Farewel... Tune, Let Caesar live long (Robert Hayhurst, 1690). Pepys 2.327; EBBA 20946. Gender – femininity, masculinity, marriage; Emotions – fear, anxiety, love; Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Royalty – praise, authority. Queen Mary begs King William not to depart for Ireland, arguing that she is a feeble woman and cannot bear the pain of parting (he leaves anyway).

The Royal Recreation; OR, King WILLIAM’s Merriment... Tue of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690). Pepys 2.312; EBBA 20929. Gender – courtship, femininity; Politics – domestic, Royalist; Recreation – food, hospitality, weddings; Royalty – praise; Employment – female; Bodies – nourishment; Society – rich/poor. King William, on his way back from Ireland, is fed by a farmer’s daughter, and she is subsequently courted by a wide array of local men. NB this song is closely related to THE Countrey Lasses good Fortune, above.

The Souldiers Prayers for King WILLIAMS Good Success in Ireland Over His Enemies. Tune, Let Caesary Live long, &c (James Bissel, 1690). Pepys 2.305; EBBA 20922.  Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Royalty – praise; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Emotions – hope; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Violence – between states, civil war.  A song expressing the hope that King William will succeed against his enemies in Ireland and urging brave action upon all Englishmen.

The Triumph of Ireland: OR King William’s safe Arrival at Carrickfergus... To the Tune of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690). Pepys 2.276; EBBA 20890. Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Emotions – joy, excitement, pride, patriotism; Royalty – praise; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Gender – masculinity; Recreation – music, alcohol; History – ancient/mythological; Places – Irish. This celebrates the arrival of the King in Ireland, and looks forward to great Protestant victories.

The Distressed MOTHER... To the Tune of, Let Cesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1690-92). Pepys 2.319; EBBA 20938. Family – children/parents; Gender – femininity; Royalty – praise; Death – warfare; Crime – prison; Economy – credit/debt; Emotions – despair, sympathy; Politics – court; Religion – charity; Employment – female. A distraught mother – her husband dead and her father in gaol – leaves her infant daughter at court with a note asking Queen Mary to help, and the gracious lady duly obliges.

A DIALOGUE between a French and Irish Officer, Concerning their Leaving LIMERICK... Tune, Let Caesar Live Long (J. Bisse[l], 1691). Pepys 2.363; EBBA 20982. Politics – domestic, foreign affairs; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Places – nationalities, Irish; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Emotions – anxiety; Gender – masculinity; Royalty – praise. Defeated officers from France and Ireland marvel at the might of King William’s army and wonder whether to flee for France or plead for a pardon.

ENGLANDS Triumph: OR, The COURT and COUNTRYS Joy FOR THE Kings Safe Return from Flanders... To the Tune of, Let Caesar Live Long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1691). Pepys 2.333; EBBA 20952. Politics – foreign affairs, domestic, Royalist, Jacobite; Royalty – praise; Emotions – joy, pride, patriotism; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Gender – masculinity; Recreation – music, alcohol, public festivity; Places – European, travel/transport. This celebrates King William’s return from Flanders, where he has been busy ‘Making the proud Frenchmen flye from him for fear’.

The Loyal Subjects Prayers for King WILLIAMS Good Success Over His Enemies in Flanders. Tune, Let Caesar Live long, &c. (James Bissel, 1691). Pepys 2.318; EBBA 20937. Politics – foreign affairs, Royalist; Religion –Catholic/Protestant; Royalty – praise; Emotions – hope, pride, patriotism; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Gender – masculinity; Violence – between states; Places – European. King William is in Flanders to fight the French, and this song hopes he will achieve great success there and return home safely.

Teague, the Irish Trooper: BEING His Sorrowful Lamentation to his Cousin Agra... To the Tune of the Old Siege of Limerick: Or, Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1691). Pepys 2.360; EBBA 20979. Politics – satire, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Places – Irish, nationalities; Royalty – praise; Death – warfare; Violence – between states; Emotion – sorrow; Employment – agrarian, sailors/soldiers; Environment – landscape. An Irish soldier marvels at the strength and the many recent military successes of William’s forces, concluding that the only sensible decision is to yield to them in everything.

The Royal Frolick: OR, King WILLIAM and his Nobles Entertainment at the Farmers House, in his Return from the Irish Wars. To the Tune of, Let Caesar Live long (J. Millet, 1692).  Pepys 2.313; EBBA 20930. Politics – court, celebration, foreign affairs, Royalist; Humour – misunderstanding; Royalty – praise, incognito; Recreation – hospitality, food, alcohol; Employment – female/male, agrarian; Family – children/parents; Gender – femininity; History – medieval; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Places – English, Irish, travel.  King William and his retinue turn up at the home of a country farmer, and the daughter of the house serves them bacon, eggs and beer, innocently unaware that she is waiting on royalty.

An ANSWER to The Royal Frollick... Tune of, Let Caesar live long (A. Milbourn, 1692). Pepys 2.326; EBBA 20945.Royalty – praise; Politics – celebration, domestic, Royalist; Humour – extreme situations, misunderstanding; Family – children/parents; Gender – marriage; Employment – agrarian; Recreation – food.  A farmer and his family are pleasantly surprised when King William and his entourage happen to stop in for a meal.

A New Ballad: GIVING A True Account of the late Victory obtained at Sea... To the Tune of Let Ceasar live long (J. Bissel, 1692). Pepys 4.215; EBBA 21877. Politics – foreign affairs, Royalist, Jacobite; Royalty – praise; Emotions – joy, pride, patriotism; Violence – at sea; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Bodies – injury; Death – warfare; Gender – masculinity; History – recent; News – international. This gives details of a naval victory over the French which, in the author’s estimation, has given William and his forces mastery at sea.

SPORT upon SPORT; Or, The JACOBITE toss’d in a Blanket... To the Tune of Let Caesar live long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1692). Pepys 2.294; EBBA 20910. Politics – Jacobite, domestic, foreign affairs, obedience, plots; Emotions – anxiety; Humour – extreme situations/surprises. A Jacobite, while being tossed in a blanket, admits that hopes of a French invasion have been dashed and that the time has therefore come to declare loyalty to King William.

Ungrateful LEWIS, Who Fought against his Old Friend… To an Excellent New Tune; Or, Let Cesar Live Long (P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, 1692).  Pepys 2.347; EBBA 20966.  Politics – celebration, foreign affairs, satire; Royalty – criticism; Humour – mockery, satire; Religion – angels/Devils, Catholic/Protestant; Violence – at sea, between states; Emotions – anger.  Louis XIV of France believes that the Devil, his old ally, has let him down by allowing his enemies to fire his fleet at sea, and he determines to take revenge

Postscript

The True LOYALIST was also issued in a white-letter edition, but very few subsequent ballads in this format called for it. The contrast with black-letter balladry is striking. White-letter ballads that nominated the tune tended to avoid political comment, concentrating instead on sexual shenanigans (see, for example, The Frolicksome Bricklayer and The Wheel-Wrights Huy-and-Cry After his WIFE, both of which indulge in rude talk about the tools of artisans). Songs in this format were often more sophisticated than black-letter ballads in that they assumed a high degree of political knowledge. It seems possible, therefore, that the immense success of the tune in black-letter balladry somehow tarnished it for those who considered themselves a cut above the commoners. Under this interpretation, the use of the tune for bawdy songs was a way of poking fun at it.

Christopher Marsh

References

Nathaniel Thompson, A Choice Collection of 180 Loyal Songs (1685), p. 326.

Claude Simpson, The British broadside ballad and its music (New Brunswick, 1966), pp. 434-37.

The True LOYALIST; OR, The Obedient SUBJECT (c. 1683), Bodleian Ballads, Wood 417(115).

Standard woodcut name: Townscape with label

The purpose of this section is to provide evidence relating to  the career of the image under discussion, paying particular attention to the ‘reflections’ (inter-song associations and connections) that may have been set up if it was chosen to illustrate more than one ballad. The list given below includes all ballads from the Pepys and Roxburghe collections that feature this woodcut or a close variant (these are the two largest collections, including approximately 3300 sheets, in total). References to ballads from other collections occur only when the featured edition of the song under consideration here (or the featured edition of another song from our list) comes from such a source. Ballads from our chart of best-sellers are presented in bold type, and they also appear in colour where there is a link to another song in the database. Please note, however, that the editions of hit songs listed below are not necessarily those for which digital images are presented on this website. Cross-references to other examples of our featured woodcuts are also presented in bold. It is extremely difficult to date many ballads precisely and the chronological order in which the songs are listed is therefore very approximate (we have drawn on previous attempts to date the ballads, making adjustments when additional evidence can be brought into play).

Reflections (an overview)

This was a readily re-usable image that was labelled with at least eight different place-names. Precise locations were often vague in seventeenth-century ballads, and this picture probably served to indicate that the songs upon which it appeared were geographically specific.

The image was used regularly between the 1670s and 1690s, and it may have acquired a particular association with loyalty to the monarchy during the contrasting reigns of Charles II, James II and William III. On The True LOYALIST, its placement alongside a picture of James II, who looks ready and willing to protect his beloved ‘England’, is particularly effective (the only other extant edition was in white-letter and displayed musical notation rather than a picture).

The fact that the woodcut served for all three monarchs demonstrates its transferability. In 1690, it was used particularly on ballads celebrating William’s military progress in Ireland and was re-labelled accordingly (‘Dublin’, ‘Ireland’, ‘L. Derry’). There were several different wood-blocks in existence and the subtle differences between them can be detected in the resultant images. More than one printer clearly perceived the value in holding a copy of the block in stock. At least fourteen publishers, often in alliance, issued ballads bearing the woodcut, and it must have been a familiar one during the relatively short period of its prominence.

Songs and summaries:

The Soldiers Fortune: OR The Taking of MARDIKE (P. Brooksby, 1670-98).  Roxburghe 2.431; EBBA 30897. Employment – sailors/soldiers; Gender – masculinity; Politics – foreign affairs; Violence – between states; History – ancient/mythological, recent; Death – warfare; Recreation – alcohol. This urges English men to become soldiers and argues that warfare is the best route to personal fulfilment (picture placement: the townscape, labelled ‘Mardike’, appears beneath the title, next to a soldier with sword and spear).

Protestant Unity, The best Policy to defeat Popery, and all its Bloody Practices (F. Coles, T. Vere, J. Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger, 1680-81).  Roxburghe 2.249; EBBA 30706.  Religion – Catholic/Protestant, Protestant nonconformity, church, Bible; Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist, plots, obedience; Emotions – anxiety, anger, patriotism; Royalty – praise, authority; History – recent.  This argues that the threat from Catholicism can only be defeated if English Protestants of all sorts come together in loyalty to the crown and the established church (picture placement: the townscape, labelled ‘London’, appears beneath the title, to the right of two images depicting a man in a long cloak and Charles II respectively).

OXFORD in Mourning, For the Loss of the Parliament. OR, London's loud Laughter at her late flattering her self with Excessive Trading (no imprint, 1681).  Roxburghe 2.384; EBBA 30819. Politics – domestic; Places – English; Economy – hardship/prosperity, prices/wages, money; Employment – crafts/trades, female/male, alehouses/inns; Recreation – alcohol, hospitality, music, coffee; Emotions – joy, sorrow.  Oxford’s fortunes, boosted by the Parliament recently held there, are now cast low by its termination, and London gloats to see all the associated commerce return to the capital (picture placement: the image, labelled ‘London’, appears beneath the title, to the left of three kings and another townscape).

The Matchless Murder.  Given an Account of the most horrible and bloody murthering of the most worthy Gentlemen Thomas Thin Esq… To the Tune of Troy Town ((J. Conyers, c. 1682).  Roxburghe 4.60; EBBA 31359.  Crime – murder, prison; Death – unlawful killing; Violence – interpersonal; Emotions – anger, sorrow; Morality – general; News – convicts/crimes; Society – friendship; Places – English.  This describes the callous murder of a much-loved gentleman as he travelled in his coach, and the efforts made to find the killers by his friend, the Duke of Monmouth (picture placement: the image appears, with a label that is barely legible, on the right side of the sheet, alongside a curious picture of a man against a dark background – perhaps a prisoner?). 

Englands Present State (J. Wright, J. Clark, W. Thackery, and T. Passenger, 1682-84).  Pepys 2.10; EBBA 21667. Politics – domestic, plots, controversy, Royalist, Tories/Whigs; Society – criticism; Emotions – sorrow, anger; Morality – general. A comprehensive expression of dismay at all aspects of contemporary life, drawing particular attention to political disunity, plots against the crown and the decline in standards of honesty, hospitality and masculinity (picture placement: the image, labelled ‘London’, appears beneath the title, with a serious-looking man on either side).

The Lamentable and Tragical History of Titus Andronicus (J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger, 1684-86). Pepys 2.184-85; EBBA 20800.  History – ancienct/mythological, heroism, villainy; Death – unlawful killing, warfare, general; Crime – murder, rape; Family – children/parents, siblings; Gender – sexual violence; Society – race relations; Politics – power, plots, controversy; Violence – interpersonal, between states; Emotions – anger, hatred, sorrow.  The warrior, Titus Andronicus, returns to Rome with his prisoner, the Queen of Goths, and the subsequent conflict between the two claims numerous lives (picture placement: the townscape, unlabelled, appears on the far right, next to a knight on horseback).

The True LOYALIST; OR, The Obedient SUBJECT, A Loyal SONG (J. Back, 1686-88). Pepys 2.223; EBBA 20835. Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist, obedience; Royalty – praise; Emotions – joy, patriotism; Environment – flowers/trees, weather; Gender – masculinity. A song of praise to the new king James II, commending him for the protection he offers to England and urging obedience upon all his subjects (picture placement: the townscape, labelled ‘England’, appears beneath the title, next to a large picture of a king).

The Western-TRIUMPH: OR, The ROYAL PROGRESS of Our Gracious King James the II. into the West of England (P. Brooksby, 1687).  Pepys 2.246; EBBA 20860.  Politics – celebratoin domestic, Royalist; Royalty – praise; Emotions – joy, patriotism; Recreation – hospitality, music; Places – English.  This describes the king’s tour of western England, ending in Bristol, and the rapturous receptions that greeted him at every location (picture placement: the town, labelled ‘Bristow’, appears beneath the title and is being approached by a king and a group of well-dressed men and women).

The Prince of ORANGE Welcome to LONDON (G. J., 1688).  Pepys 2.255; EBBA 20868.  Politics – celebration, domestic, controversy, Royalist; Royalty – praise; Emotions – joy; News – political; Religion – Catholic/Protestant, church. This celebrates the arrival of William of Orange and the consequent defeat of those who hoped to establish Catholicism in England (picture placement: the town, labeled ‘London’, appears beneath the title and next to an image of two men greeting, one of whom is designated ‘P. of Orange’).

A Full Description of these Times, Or The Prince of ORANGE's March from EXETER to LONDON (A. B., 1689).  Pepys 2.257; EBBA 20870.  Politics – celebration, domestic, controversy, Royalist; Royalty – praise; Religion – Catholic/Protestant, church, heroism, Bible; Emotions – joy, patriotism; News - political.  This celebrates William of Orange’s arrival and the saving of England from popery, but actually says very little about his journey to the capital (picture placement: the town, labelled ‘Exeter’, appears beneath the title and is being approached by soldiers on horseback).

Major General Kirks Happy Arrival, To the Relief of London-Derry (A. Milbourn, 1689).  Pepys 2.344; EBBA 20963.  Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affairs; Emotions – joy; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Violence – between states, civil war; Places – Irish. This disseminates news of the relief of Londonderry following the arrival there of Kirk and his forces (picture placement: the town, labelled ‘L. Derry’, appears over the third and fourth columns of text).

Great and Happy News FOR ENGLAND, OR, The Defeat of the Irish Army by King WILLIAM, in a Mortal Battle near Dublin (J. Bissel, 1690).  Pepys 2.301; EBBA 20918. Politics – celebration, foreign affairs, Royalist, Emotions – joy, patriotism; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Death – warfare; Violence – between states, civil war; News – political, international; Places - Irish. A song celebrating King William’s most recent triumphs against his assorted enemies in Ireland (picture placement: the scene, labelled ‘DUBLIN’, appears over the third column of text, next to an image of an army).

The Joy Of LONDON-DERRY, In the Happy Arrival of their Majesties Forces, to the Succour of that long besieged City (J. Deacon, 1690).  Pepys 2.322; EBBA 20941.  Politics – celebration, foreign affairs; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Emotions – joy, patriotism; Employment – sailors/soldiers; News – political, international; Violence – between states, civil war; Places – Irish. This spreads word of the arrival of William’s forces at Londonderry and the relief to that beseiged city (picture placement: the town, unlabelled, appears beneath the title and alongside an image of warships at sea).

King Williams Triumph; OR, His signal Victory over his Enemies (Charles Bates, 1690).  Pepys 2.300; EBBA 20917.  Politics – celebration, domestic, foreign affiars, Royalist, Tories/Whigs; Royalty – praise; Religion –Catholic/Protestant; Emotions – joy, patriotism; Violence – between states; News – political; Places – Irish, nationalities.  A celebration of King William’s recent victories in Ireland (picture placement: the town, labelled ‘DUBLIN’, appears beneath the title, next to a man on horseback).

The Souldiers Prayers for King WILLIAMS Good Success in Ireland Over His Enemies (James Bissel, 1690).  Pepys 2.305; EBBA 20922.  Politics – domestic, foreign affairs, Royalist; Royalty – praise; Religion – Catholic/Protestant; Emotions – hope; Employment – sailors/soldiers; Violence – between states, civil war.  A song expressing the hope that King William will succeed against his enemies in Ireland and urging brave action upon all Englishmen (picture placement: the scene, labelled ‘Ireland’, appears beneath the title, next to an image of man on a rearing horse).

Christopher Marsh