Broadside entitled 'A New Song, Little Frosty'

Commentary

Verse 1: 'Hey, little Frosty, will ye no resign / Your office high, an power sae fine? / Or do you fear the cash to tine, / That ye stay sae land i' yer corner?'

This song admirably illustrates the role of broadsides in the entertainment of their society. This text is obviously satirising and commenting on a political leader's conduct and behaviour in his public role. Unfortunately, not enough information is given to clarify the person and the conduct for modern readers. This suggests that this situation and information would have been instantly recognisable to the original reader and pertinent to his or her daily life.

This style of text, with its implicit political propaganda, would not only have made for compelling entertainment, but would also perhaps have stimulated political thought, reasoning and debate.

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