First appeared in print at the end of the masque _The Judgement of Paris_, but it was composed for the masque of _Alfred_, which was first performed on August 1, 1740. See _Musical Times_, April, 1900.
SATAN FINDS SOME MISCHIEF STILL (_D.C._ 16)
SHE'S ALL MY FANCY PAINTED HER (_O.C.S._ 7)
SHE'S LIKE THE RED, RED ROSE (_O.C.S._ 8)
Burns revised the words from an old song.
The music is in _Caledonian Pocket Companion_, Bk. VII, 1754, under the name 'Low Down in the Broom.'
SINCE LAWS WERE MADE FOR EVERY DEGREE (_O.C.S._ 66, _L.D._ ii. 12)
Since laws were made for ev'ry degree To curb vice in others as well as me, I wonder we han't better company Upon Tyburn Tree.
Set to the tune of 'Greensleeves,' which dates from 1580. This tune is twice mentioned by Shakespeare in _The Merry Wives of Windsor_. An earlier 'Tyburn' version is a song entitled 'A Warning to False Traitors,' which refers to the execution of six people at 'Tyborne' on August 30, 1588.
SINCE THE FIRST DAWN OF REASON _J. Davy._
There are several songs of this nature, such as 'The Flowing Bowl' ('Fill the bowl with sparkling nectar'). Another began 'Fill, fill the bowl with sparkling wine.'
SONG ABOUT THE SLUMBERING ECHOES IN THE CAVERN OF MEMORY (_D.C._ 33)
STREW THEN, OH STREW A BED OF RUSHES (_O.C.S._ 65)
From the glee 'Holy be the Pilgrim's Sleep,' which is a sequel to 'Oh Lady Fair' (q.v.).
Moore wrote two inane songs, entitled 'Holy be the Pilgrim's Sleep' and 'Oh Lady Fair.' For both pilgrim and lady arrangements are made for spending the night somewhere, and in each song occur the words
Strew then, oh strew his [our] bed of rushes, Here he shall [we must] rest till morning blushes.
Said to be taken from an English ballad in which it is supposed to express the bold and fiery nature of a certain hackney coachman.
According to _Notes and Queries_ (x. 1), this was sung at Winchester School some seventy or eighty years ago.
The following is quoted as the first verse:
Ben he was a coachman rare ('Jarvey! Jarvey!' 'Here I am, yer honour'), Crikey! how he used to swear! How he'd swear, and how he'd drive, Number two hundred and sixty-five. Tamaroo! Tamaroo! Tamaroo!
Dr. Sweeting, the present music-master at Winchester, says, 'The song "Tamaroo" is quite unknown here now, and if it was sung here seventy or eighty years ago, I should imagine that that was only because it was generally well known. Dickens' allusion to it seems to suggest that it was a song he had heard, and he utilized its character to label one of his characters in his own fanciful way.'