CHAP. V.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 127 



pertinacious schismatic ; and sometimes all the beggars, whose 

 number was neither more nor less than the poets' nine Muses, 

 talked all together about this ripping and unripping, and so loud 

 that not one heard what the other said : but at last one Beggar 

 craved audience, and told them, that old Father Clause, whom 

 Ben Jonson in his Beggar's Bush created king of their corpo- 

 ration, was that night to lodge at an ale-house, called Catch - 

 her-by-the-way, not far from Waltham Cross, and in the high- 

 road towards London ; and he therefore desired them to spend 

 no more time about that and such like questions, but to refer 

 all to Father Clause at night, for he was an upright judge, and 

 in the mean time draw cuts what song should be next sung, and 

 who should sing it. They all agreed to the motion, and the 

 lot fell to her that was the youngest, and veriest virgin of the 

 company, and she sung Frank Davison's song, which he made 

 forty years ago ; and all the others of the company joined to 

 sing the burden with her. The ditty was this, but first the 

 burden : 



*' Bright shines the sun : play, beggars, play, 

 Here's scraps enough to serve to-day. 



44 What noise of viols is so sweet 



As when our merry clappers ring ? 

 What mirth doth want when beggars meet ? 



A beggar's life is for a king. 

 Eat, drink, and play ; sleep when we list, 

 Go where we will, so stocks be mist. 



Bright shines the sun : play, beggars, play, 



Here's scraps enough to serve to-day. 



* The world is ours, and ours alonr, 



For we alone have world at will ; 

 We purchase not, all is our own, 



Both fields and streets we beggars fill : 

 Nor care to get, nor fear to keep, 

 Did ever break a beggar's sleep. 



Bright shines the sun : play, beggars, play, 



Here's scraps enough to serve to-day. 



