Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Popular music of the olden time > Volume 2

494
ENGLISH SONS AMD BALLAD MUSIC.
of old and new English and Scotch Songs, with their respective tunes prefixed."
8vo., 1735, p. 82. It commences —
" By the aide of a great kitchen fire, A pudding was all his desire,
A scullion so hungry was laid ; A kettle supported his head."
Many of my readers will recollect another, attributed to Canning, commencing —
" By the side of a neighbouring stream, On the top of his head was his wig,
As an elderly gentleman sat ; On the top of his wig was his hat."
The tune is also well known, from a song called The Lover's Mistake, adapted
to it by Balfe, and sung on the stage by the late Madame Vestris.
When Gay introduced the air into The Beggars' Opera, he took the first line
(" Can love be controll'd by advice") from the following song by Mr. Berkeley.
It is said to have been addressed to the once well-known Viscountess Vane, whose
history is related by Smollett in the " Memoirs of a Lady of Quality," intro-
duced into his Peregrine Pickle. See the early editions.
Moderate time.
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Can love be controll'd by ad - vice? Can madness andrea-son a-gvee? O
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Mol-ly! who'd e-ver be wise,
If madness be lov - ing of thee ?
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Let sages pre- tend to des - pise The joys they want spirits to taste; Let
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us seize old Time as he
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And the
blessings of life while they last.
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Dull wisdom but adds to our cares ;
Brisk love will improve every joy ;
Too soon we may meet with gray hairs,
Too late may repent being coy.
Then, Molly, for what should we stay,
Till our best blood begins to run cold ?
Our youth we can have but to-day,
We may always find time to grow old.