‘_Some_ Christian people _all_ give ear Unto the grief of us: Caused by the death of three children dear. The which it happen’d thus.
And eke there befel an accident, By fault of a Carpenter’s son, Who to saw chips his sharp ax-e-lent Woe worth the time may Lon----
May London say: Woe worth the Carpenter! And all such _block-head_ fools; Would he were hanged up like a _sarpent_ here For meddling with edge tools.
For into the chips there fell a spark, Which put out in such flames, That it was known into South-wark Which lies beyond the Thames.
For _Loe_! the Bridge was wondrous _high_ With water underneath: O’er which as many fishes fly As birds therein do breathe.
And yet the fire consumed the Brigg, Not far from place of landing; And though the building was full big, It fell down,--_not with standing_.
And eke into the water fell So many pewter dishes, That a man might have taken up very well Both boil’d and roasted fishes!
And thus the Bridge of London Town, For building that was sumptuous, Was _all_ by fire _half_ burnt down, For being too _contumptious_!
Thus you have _all_ but _half_ my song, Pray list to what comes _ater_; For now I have _cool’d_ you with the _fire_,-- I’ll _warm_ you with the _water_!
I’ll tell you what the River’s name’s Where these children did slide--a, It was fair London’s swiftest Thames Which keeps both Time and Tide--a.
All on the tenth of January, To the wonder of much people; ’Twas frozen o’er that well ’twould bear Almost a country steeple!
Three children sliding thereabout, Upon a place too thin; That so at last it did _fall out_, That they did all _fall in_.
A great Lord there was that laid with the King, And with the King great wager makes; But when he saw that he could not win He sigh’d,--and would have drawn stakes.
He said it would bear a man for to slide, And laid a hundred pound; The King said it would break, and so it did, For three children there were drown’d.
Of which, one’s head was from his should-- ers stricken,--whose name was John; Who then cried out as loud as he could ‘Oh Lon-a! Lon-a! Lon-don!’
‘Oh! tut--tut--turn from thy sinful race!’ Thus did his speech decay; I wonder that in such a case He had no more to say.
And thus being drown’d, Alack! Alack! The water ran down their throats, And stopp’d their breath three hours by the clock, Before they could get any boats!