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(From The Loyal Subject, Act 3, Scene V.)
I. ANCIENT. Broom, broom, the bonny broom! | |
| Come, buy my birchen broom! | |
| I’ th’ wars we have no more room, | |
| Buy all my bonny broom! | |
| For a kiss take two; | 5 |
| If those will not do, | |
| For a little, little pleasure, | |
| Take all my whole treasure: | |
| If all these will not do’t, | |
| Take the broom-man to boot. | 10 |
| Broom, broom, the bonny broom! | |
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II. 1 Soldier. The wars are done and gone, | |
| And soldiers, now neglected, pedlars are. | |
| Come, maidens, come along, | |
| For I can shew your handsome, handsome ware; | 15 |
| Powders for the head, | |
| And drinks for your bed, | |
| To make ye blithe and bonny; | |
| As well in the night | |
| We soldiers can fight, | 20 |
| And please a young wench as any. | |
| 2 Soldier. I have fine potatoes, | |
| Ripe potatoes! | |
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III. 3 Soldier. Will ye buy any honesty? come away, | |
| I sell it openly by day; | 25 |
| I bring no forced light, nor no candle | |
| To cozen ye; come buy and handle: | |
| This will shew the great man good, | |
| The tradesman where he swears and lies, | |
| Each lady of a noble blood, | 30 |
| The city dame to rule her eyes. | |
| Ye’re rich men now: Come buy, and then | |
| I’ll make ye richer, honest men. | |
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IV. 4 Soldier. Have ye any crack’d maidenheads, to new leach or mend? | |
| Have ye any old maidenheads to sell or to change? | 35 |
| Bring ’em to me, with a little pretty gin, | |
| I’ll clout ’em, I’ll mend ’em, I’ll knock in a pin, | |
| Shall make ’em as good maids again, | |
| As ever they have been. * * * * * | |
| 1 Soldier. If your daughters on their beds, | 40 |
| Have bowed or crack’d their maidenheads; | |
| If, in a coach, with too much tumbling, | |
| They chance to cry, fy, fo, what fumbling! | |
| If her foot slip, and down fall she, | |
| And break her leg above the knee; | 45 |
| The one and thirtieth of February let this be ta’en, | |
| And they shall be arrant maids again. | |
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