By Samuel Butler. From his Posthumous Works. A somewhat different
version appears in Chappell’s Popular Music of the Olden Time.
HE that is a clear
Cavalier
Will not repine,
Although
His pocket grow
So very low
He cannot get wine.
Fortune is a lass
Will embrace,
But soon destroy;
Born free,
In liberty
We’ll always be,
Singing _Vive le Roy_.
Virtue is its own reward,
And Fortune is a whore;
There’s none but knaves and fools regard her,
Or her power implore.
But he that is a trusty _Roger_,
And will serve the King;
Altho’ he be a tatter’d soldier,
Yet may skip and sing:
Whilst we that fight for love,
May in the way of honour prove
That they who make sport of us
May come short of us;
Fate will flatter them,
And will scatter them;
Whilst our loyalty
Looks upon royalty,
We that live peacefully,
May be successfully
Crown’d with a crown at last.
Tho’ a real honest man
May be quite undone,
He’ll show his allegiance,
Love, and obedience;
Those will raise him up,
Honour stays him up,
Virtue keeps him up,
And we praise him up.
Whilst the vain courtiers dine,
With their bottles full of wine,
Honour will make him fast.
Freely then
Let’s be honest men
And kick at fate,
For we may live to see
Our loyalty
Valued at a higher rate.
He that bears a sword
Or a word against the throne,
And does profanely prate
To abuse the state,
Hath no kindness for his own.
What tho’ painted plumes and prayers
Are the prosp’rous men,
Yet we’ll attend our own affairs
’Till they come to ’t agen;
Treachery may be faced with light,
And letchery lined with furr;
A cuckold may be made a knight,
Sing _Fortune de la Guerre_.
But what’s that to us, brave boys,
That are right honest men?
We’ll conquer and come again,
Beat up the drum again;
Hey for _Cavaliers_,
Hoe for _Cavaliers_,
Drink for _Cavaliers_,
Fight for _Cavaliers_,
Dub-a-dub, dub-a-dub,
Have at Old _Beelzebub_,
_Oliver_ stinks for fear.
_Fifth Monarchy-men_ must down, boys,
With bulleys of every sect in town, boys;
We’ll rally and to ’t again,
Give ’em the rout again;
Fly like light about,
Face to the right-about,
Charge them home again
When they come on again;
_Sing Tantara rara_, _boys_,
_Tantara rara_, _boys_,
This is the life of an Old Cavalier.