nutty: I'm having trouble making sense of the above; it is unclear which versions you are comparing and whether your text is supposed to represent the "corrupted" or "corrected" (oldest surviving) version.

The dates estimated on the Harding and Firth copies are 1819-1844, and for the Johnson Ballads, 1813-1838; none is as early as you indicated. Did you reference a copy not available online, and different from the ones cited by Steve Gardham?

The broadsides he cited all agree except in very minor ways (the most significant variation being at the end of the second line: "enjoys his con[?]tion through sir" vs. "enjoys himself through life sir"). But the text you provide corresponds to none of these broadsides, and the embolding does not correspond with much consistency to the places where the above text differs from them. Your text contains words which occur in neither Snuffy's version nor any of the broadsides, while words which all versions agree on are emboldened. Can you elucidate?

Here, for comparison, is the text of Harding B 25(1881):


Tally O the Hounds

Here is Doctor Mack no more enjoy the burden of song
I will tell you the life the priest enjoys his con[/]tion through sir,
He laughs and winks at them that drinks to them not bound sir,
He takes his glass and lets it pass and Tally O the hounds sir

It is every day he can afford to dine on roast and boiled sir,
And then as great as any Lord he will drink his favourite toast, sir
It is [his] delight to drink all night his care in punch to drown sir
And in the morn to join the horns and Tally O [the] hounds sir

It happened on St. Herod's day as he was going to mass sir
He heard the music of the horn & saw the beagles pass sir
His book he shut his flock forsook and threw aside his gown sir
Mounted his horse to hunt the fox and tally O the hounds sir

It is every day we go to mass the priest puts on his boots, sir
And if the fox should pass this way he'll follow in pursuit sir
So swift he leaps o'er hedge & ditch to him there is bound sir
And if he can will lead the van and tally O the hounds sir

It was once he had a pair to wed as the fox passed in view, sir
The surplice he drew o'er his head and bid the pair adieu sir,
They both did pray that he might stay for they were not half bound sir,
He swore that night to bed they might and tally O the hounds sir

The priest was never wrong for he had neither friend or harm sir
Both night and morn the sprightly horn it would his senses charm sir
He never robbed or poor distrest his praise I will renown sir
I thought it no crime at any time to tally O the hounds sir

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[In the second line, "[/]" indicates a line continuation mid-word with an inadvertent omission of one or more syllables; probably "condition" or "constitution" was intended. Other bracketed bits indicate further obvious omissions, with words supplied from the other broadsides.]