| “New Oysters, new Oysters, new Oysters new, New Oysters, new Wall-fleet Oysters— At a groat a pecke—each Oyster worth twopence. Fetch vs bread and wine, that we may eate, Let vs lose no time with such good meate— A Banquet for a Prince—New Oysters. New—vt supra—Oysters.” |
From “Meligmata: Musical Phantasies, fitting the Court, City, and Country Manners, to three, four and five Voices”—
| “To all delightful, except to the spiteful; To none offensive, except to the pensive.” |
“London, printed by William Stansby, for Thos. Adams, 1611,” we take as follows:—
“Cittie Rounds.
| “Broomes for old shoes! pouch-rings, bootes and buskings! Will yee buy any new broome? New oysters! new oysters! new new cockles! Cockels nye! fresh herrings! will yee buy any straw? Hay yee any kitchen stuffe, maides? Pippins fine, cherrie ripe, ripe, ripe! Cherrie ripe, &c. Hay any wood to cleaue? Give care to the clocke! Beware your locke! Your fire and your light! And God giue you good night! One o’ clocke!” |
Some of the “Common Cryes i’ th’ City,” as Oysters, Codlings, Kitchen-stuff, Matches for your Tinder-box, &c., are enumerated in Richard Brome’s—The “Court Beggar, A Comedie acted at the Cock-pit, by His Majesties Servants, Anno 1632.”
“The London Chanticleers, a witty Comedy full of Various and Delightful Mirth,” 1659. This piece is rather an interlude than a play, and is amusing and curious, the characters being, with two exceptions, all London criers. The allusions to old usages, with the mention of many well known ballads, and some known no longer, contribute to give the piece an interest and a value of its own.
The principal dramatis personæ consists of:—
Heath.—A broom-man. “Brooms, maids, broom! Come, buy my brooms, maids; ’Tis a new broom, and will sweep clean. Come, buy my broom, maids!”