ful surprise, the voices of
three or more choristers, singing, with considerable success, the lively
old catch,

For all our men were very very merry,
And all our men were drinking:
There were two men of mine,
Three men of thine,
And three that belonged to old Sir Thom o' Lyne;
As they went to the ferry, they were very very merry,
And all our men were drinking.'

[The original of this catch is to be found in Cowley's witty comedy of
THE GUARDIAN, the first edition. It does not exist in the second and
revised edition, called THE CUTTER OF COLEMAN STREET.

CAPTAIN BLADE. Ha, ha, boys, another catch.
AND ALL OUR MEN ARE VERY VERY MERRY,
AND ALL OUR MEN WERE DRINKING.
CUTTER. ONE MAN OF MINE.
DOGREL. TWO MEN OF MINE.
BLADE. THREE MEN OF MINE.
CUTTER. AND ONE MAN OF MINE.
OMNES. AS WE WENT BY THE WAY WE WERE DRUNK, DRUNK, DAMNABLY
DRUNK, AND ALL OUR MEN WERE VERY VERY MERRY, &c.

Such are the words, which are somewhat altered and amplified in the
text. The play was acted in presence of Charles II, then Prince of
Wales, in 1641. The catch in the text has been happily set to music.]

As the chorus ended, there followed a loud and hearty laugh by way
of cheers. Attracted by sounds which were so congenial to my present
feelings, I made towards the spot from which they came,--cautiously,
however, for the downs, as had been repeatedly hinted to me, had no good
name; and the attraction of the music, without rivalling that of the
sirens in melody, might have been followed by similarly inconvenient
consequences to an incautious amateur.

I crept on, therefore, trusting that the sinuosities of the ground,
broken as it was into knells and sand-pits, would permit me to obtain
a sight of the musicians before I should be observed by them. As I
advanced, the old ditty was again raised. The voices seemed those of a
man and two boys; they were rough, but kept good time, and were managed
with too much skill to belong to the ordinary country people.

Jack looked at the sun, and cried, Fire, fire, fire;
Tom stabled his keffel in Birkendale mire;
Jem started a calf, and halloo'd for a stag;
Will mounted a gate-post instead of his nag:
For all our men were very very merry,
And all our men were drinking;
There were two men of mine,
Three men of thine,
And three that belonged to old Sir Thom o' Lyne;
As they went