STOCKTON’S COMMENDATION.
Tune.—Sir John Fenwick’s the flower amang them.
Come, brave spirits, that love Canary,
And good company are keeping,
From our friends let’s never vary,
Let your muse awake from sleeping:
Bring forth mirth and wise Apollo;
Mark your eyes on a true relation:
Virgil with his pen shall follow,
In ancient Stockton’s commendation.
Upon the stately river Tees,
A goodly castle there was placed,
Nigh joining to the ocean seas,
Whereby our country was much graced;
Affording rich commodities,
With corn and lead, unto our nation;
Which makes me sing with chearful voice,
Of ancient Stockton’s commendation.
In sixteen hundred thirty-five,
And about the month of February,
Three Stockton-men they did contrive,
To see their friends, and to be merry:
Part of their names I shall describe,
And place them down in comely fashion;
There was William, John, and Anthony,
Gain’d ancient Stockton commendation.
To famous Richmond first they came,
And with their friends awhile remained;
Middleham there, that town of fame,
Whereby much credit they obtained:
Being merry on a day,
A challenge came in this same fashion,
A match at football for to play;
But Stockton got the commendation.
Three Middleham-men appointed were,
And stakes put down on either party;
Stockton-men cast off all fear,
For Bishopric was always hearty.
Then those three Middleham-men did yield,
And for their loss they shew’d vexation;
There was but one came to the field,
And Stockton got the commendation.
With shouts and cries, in chearful voice,
The country all about them dwelling,
They all did say that very day,
That Stockton-men were far excelling.
When first I did it understand,
It was told to me as true relation;
Then I took my pen and ink in hand,
And writ brave Stockton’s commendation.
THE NEW WAY OF
STOCKTON’S COMMENDATION.
TO THE OLD TUNE.
By Benjamin Pye, L.L.D.
ARCHDEACON OF DURHAM.
“Upon the stately river Tees,
A noble castle there was placed,
Nigh joining to the ocean seas,
Whereby our country was much graced;
Affording rich commodities,
Of corn and lead unto the nation;
Which makes me sing in cheerful wise,
Of ancient Stockton’s commendation.”
But now I’ll tell you news prodigious,
My honest friends, be sure remark it,
Our ferries are transform’d to bridges,
And Cleveland trips to Stockton market.
Our causeways rough, and mirey roads,
Shall sink into a navigation,
And Johnny Carr shall sing fine odes,
In modern Stockton’s commendation.
O what a scene for joy and laughter,
To see, as light as cork or feather,
Our pond’rous lead, and bulky rafter,
Sail down the smooth canal together!
Whilst coal and lime and cheese and butter,
Shall grace our famous navigation;
And we will make a wond’rous clutter,
In modern Stockton’s commendation.
Our fairs I next will celebrate,
With scores of graziers, hinds and jockeys;
And bumpkins yok’d with Nell and Kate,
Who stare like any pig that stuck is:
Fat horned beasts now line our streets,
Which Aldermen were wont to pace on;
And oxen low, and lambkins bleat,
And all for Stockton’s commendation[73].
Our races too deserve a tune,
The northern sportsmen all prefer ’em,
For Dainty Davy here did run
Much better then at York or Durham.
O ’twould take up a swingeing volume,
To sing at large our reputation;
Our bridge, our shambles, cross and column,
All speak fair Stockton’s commendation.
Fill then your jovial bumpers round,
Join chorus all in Stockton’s glory;
Let us but love our native town,
A fig for patriot, whig, or tory;
Whate’er they say, whate’er they do,
Their aim is but to fleece the nation;
Let us continue firm and true
To honest Stockton’s commendation.
[73] During the scarcity of change in 1811-12, the people of Stockton issued out silver tokens of sixpence and twelve-pence value, the only tokens issued in the county.
HARK TO WINCHESTER:
OR, THE
Yorkshire Volunteers’ Farewell to the good Folks of Stockton.
Tune,—Push about the Jorum.
Ye Stockton lads and lasses too,
Come listen to my story;
A dismal tale, because ’tis true,
I’ve now to lay before ye:
We must away, our rout is come,
We scarce refrain from tears, O:
Shrill shrieks the fife, rough roars the drum,—
March, Yorkshire Volunteers, O!
Fal lal lal la ral.
Yet ere we part, my comrades say,
Come, Stockhore[74], you’re the poet,
If e’er you pen’d a grateful lay,
’Tis now the time to show it.
Such usage fair in this good town,
We’ve met from age and youth, sirs,
Accept our grateful thanks, and own
A poet sings the truth, sirs.
Fal lal, &c.
Ye lasses too, of all I see,
The fairest in the nation;
Sweet buds of beauty’s blooming tree,
The top of the creation;
Full many of our lads I ween,
Have got good wives and true, sirs;
I wonder what our leaders mean,
They have not done so too, sirs.
Fal lal, &c.
Perhaps——but hark! the thund’ring drum,
From love to arms is beating;
Our country calls; we come, we come,
Great George’s praise repeating:
He’s great and good, long may he here
Reign, every bliss possessing;
And long may each true volunteer
Behold him Britain’s blessing.
Fal lal, &c.
Our valiant Earl shall lead us on
The nearest way to glory,
Bright honour hails her darling son,
And fame records his story.
Dundas commands upon our lists
The second; though on earth, sirs,
No one he’s second to exists,
For courage, sense, and worth, sirs.
Fal lal, &c.
No venal muse before your view
Next sets a vet’ran bold, sirs,
The praise to merit justly due,
From Paul she cannot hold, sirs,
His valour oft has bore the test,
In war he’s brisk and handy;
His private virtues stand confest,
In short, he’s quite the dandy.
Fal lal, &c.
Brave Mackarel heads his grenadiers,
They’re just the lads to do it,
And should the Dons, or lank Monsieurs
Come here, he’ll make them rue it:
He’ll roar his thunders, make them flee,
With a tow, row, row, row, ra ra;
And do them o’er by land,——at sea,
As Rodney did Langara.
Fal lal, &c.
Young Thompson, with his lads so light
Of foot, with hearts of steel, O,
His country’s cause will nobly fight,
And make her foes to feel, O:
For should the frog-fed sons of Gaul
Come capering, a la Francois,
My lads, said he, we’ll teach them all
The Light Bob country-dance a.
Fal lal, &c.
Our leaders all, so brave and bold,
Should I in verse recite a,
A baggage waggon would not hold
The songs that I could write, a:
Their deeds so great, their words so mild,
O take our worst commander,
And to him Cæsar was a child,
And so was Alexander.
Fal lal, &c.
Such men as these we’ll follow thro’
The world, and brave all danger;
Each volunteer is firm and true,
His heart’s to fear a stranger.——
Good Folks, farewell! God bless the king,
With angels centry o’er him,
Now, Hark, to Winchester! we’ll sing,
And push about the Jorum!
Fal lal lal la ral.
[74] Herbert Stockhore, a private, the pretended author.