But perhaps the most curious collection of bellman's songs that has been handed down to us, is a small tract of twelve leaves entitled The Common Calls, Cries, and Sounds of the Bel-Man; or Diverse Verses to put us in minde of our Mortality, 12mo. Printed at London, 1639. This excessively rare and interesting "set of rhymes" is now before me, and from them I have extracted a few specimens of the genuine old songs of the London bellman of past times:—
"THE BEL-MAN'S SOUNDS.
"For Christmas Day.
"Remember all that on this morne,
Our blessed Saviour Christ was borne;
Who issued from a Virgin pure,
Our soules from Satan to secure;
And patronise our feeble spirit,
That we through him may heaven inherit."