Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Jacobite relics of Scotland > [First series]

154 NOTES.
The song is giveu from a MS. collection of songs furnished to
me by John Stuart, jun. of Dalguize, with the addition of a verse
from Eitson. The air was taken down from a country singer, but
is very nearly the same with one in Oswald's collection of ancient
Scottish music.
" What Booker doth prognosticate," &c.
This Booker was a great fishing-tackle-maker in Charles the
First's time, and a very eminent proficient in that noble art and
mystery ; by application to which, he came to be deeply skilled
in the depth of ponds and rivers, as is here wisely observed. He
lived at the house in Tower-street that is now the sign of the
Grun ; and being used to this sedentary diversion, he grew mighty
cogitabund ; from whence a frenzy seized on him, and he turned
enthusiast, like one of our French prophets, and went about
prognosticating the downfall of the king and popery, which were
terms synonimous at that day. He was nothing of a conjuror,
only one of the moderate men of those times, who were tooth and
nail for the destruction of the king and royal family, which put
him upon that sort of speculation.
Swallow, Dove, and Dade, were as excellent at that time of
day in the knowledge of the astronomical science, as either Parker,
Partridge, or Dr Caze is now, and bred up to handicraft trades,
as all these were. The first was a corn-cutter in Gutter-lane,
who, from making a cure of Alderman Pennington's wife's great
toe, was cried up for a huge practitioner in physic ; and from
thence, as most of our modern quacks do, arrived at the name of
a cunning man. The second was a cobler in Whitecross-street,
who, when Sir William Waller passed by his stall to attack the
king's army in Cambridgeshire, told him, " The Lord would fight
his battles for him ;" and on Sir William's success was taken into
the rebels' pay, and made an almanack-maker of. The last was
a good innocent fiddle-string-seller, who being told by a neigh-
bouring teacher that their music was in the stars, set himself at
work to find out their habitations, that he might be made instru-
ment-maker to them : and having, with much ado, got knowledge
of their places of abode, was judged by the Roundheads fit for