The Cheaters Cheated: II. Upon a Summers Day – Kemp's Jig

Tune: Upon a Summers Day / Kemp’s Jig

Wat: Our Taunton den [Dene] is a dungeon

And yvaith, cham glad cham here,

This vamous zitty of Lungeon [London]

Is worth all Zomerzet-zhere

In wagons, in carts and in coaches

Che never did yet zee more horse,

The wenches do zhine like roches

And as proud as my father’s vore horse

Che never zince che was able

To keep my vather’s voulds [folds: field enclosures],

Did ever zee such a stable

As such [‘thick’ in Jordan’s original, i.e. ‘the like’] a thing called Powls [St Paul’s Cathedral]

A mezle [soldier] in a red jacket

Had like to have knack me down

Because che’d undertake it

Held all the beast in town. [He mistakes St Paul’s for a large stable]

Ch’am come to zee my Lord Major

And such as do hang the thieves

Ch’ve forgot what vine names they are

A meazle on them, the Zhreeves [Sheriffs, a reference to the audience]

They zay they wear chains and scarlets

And vollow’d by many guardiants

Ch’ave lost the neams of the varlets

A mischief on them the Serjeants

And now chill walk my stations

To every place in town

Che mean to buy new vashons

Iche have above fifty pound;

Che took’t away from vather

When he was gone a-vield

Cham come away the rather

’Cause ch’ave got a wench with childe.