The Unknown Apostle, (his gospel is apocryphal – talk about your oxymorons!) St. Bartholomew's Day is August 24th. For someone who probably didn't exist, Bartholomew had a lot of work to do - He was patron of Armenia, cheese merchants, platerers [sic], tanners; against nervous tics or, depending on the source, patron of bookbinders, butchers, corn-chandlers, dyers, glovers, furriers, leather-workers, plasterers, shoemakers, tailors, tanners, vine-growers, and Florentine salt and cheese merchants. He is invoked against nervous disorders and twitchings. Therefore Bartholomew Fair is held on this day.
Roome for Company, heere comes good Fellowes,
Roome for Company in Bartholmew Faire.
Cutpurses and Cheaters, and Bawdy-house-doore keepers:
Roome for Company in Bartholmew Faire.
Punkes, I and Panders, and Casheer'd Commanders:
Roome for Company ill may they fare.
"Roome for Company in Bartholomew Faire,"
From Ewan MacColl, Broadside Ballads (1600-1700) vol 1, Folkways (1962), Entered in the Register of the London Co. of Stationers Oct 22, 1614. Depending on how long you can hold your breath, a fine song. I know a bunch of songs but I can't learn this one.
Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
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