The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #114305   Message #2439412
Posted By: Steve Gardham
13-Sep-08 - 04:36 PM
Thread Name: DTStudy: Drink Old England Dry
Subject: RE: DTStudy: Drink Old England Dry
Right... episode 2.

Manchester Central Library BRf 821.04 Bal Vol 4 p160

A NEW SONG CALLED
OLD ENGLAND DRY.

Come drink my brave boys and never give o'er
Come drink, my brave boys as I told you before
The French are for landing with a fresh supply,
And swear they will drink Old England dry.

The French are for landing in Ireland they say,
But if they receive them, no taxes we'll pay;
We ne'er could believe them for fear they should lie,
For they ne'er shall.....

The French are for landing in England, we think,
But the devil shall take them before they shall drink
Our cannons shall rattle, our bullets shall fly,
Before they shall......

The rest as Q posted from the Bodl

v4 the 2 words are 'seas' and 'ease'
v5 'band' is correct
v6 line 2 ends in ;
   line 3..last word should be 'die'

Imprint
LIVERPOOL:
Printed and Sold by S. Summersides,
No. 58, White-Chapel.

This is also the version referred to by Frank Purslow in 'The Foggy Dew' p108

The whole thing is surely a patriotic propaganda piece. The authorities were shit-scared of any Napoleon sympathisers in Britain and took every opportunity to plug the invasion rumours and scotch any French sympathies. Hence the references to 'Jacobins'.
Thread #114305   Message #2438002
Posted By: Q
12-Sep-08 - 12:08 AM
(excerpt)

4
If that we meet with their ships on the seas,
I'll warrant you my boys, they shall have little ease.
We'll take them, or sink, or cause them to fly,
Before they shall drink Old England dry.

5
Old England is loyal, as we understand,
They have rais'd the militia, likewise the train'd band (?)
With a strong resolution, King George to stand by,
Before they shall drink Old England dry.

6
So here's a good health to the Church, King and Crown,
And to all loyal subjects that pull the French down;
King George and his subjects will fight till they die,
Before they shall drink Old England dry.