roofs and towers,
When the old Cheape openeth every way
Her little sweet inns like flowers;
And he sings like a lark, both early and late,
To think, if his house take fire,
At the good _Green Dragon_ in Bishopsgate
He may drink to his heart's desire.

_Chorus:_ Or sit at his ease in the old _Cross Keys_
And drink to his heart's desire.

But I, as I walk by _Red Rose Lane_,
Tho' it warmeth my heart to see
_The Swan_, _The Golden Hynde_, and _The Crane_,
With the door set wide for me;
Tho' Signs like daffodils paint the strand
When the thirsty bees begin,
Of all the good taverns in Engeland
My choice is--_The Mermaid Inn_.

_Chorus:_ There is much to be said for _The Saracen's Head_,
But my choice is _The Mermaid Inn_.

Into the tavern they rushed, these roaring boys.
"Now broach your ripest and your best," they cried.
"All's well! They are all released! They are on the way!
Old Camden and young Selden worked the trick.
Where is Dame Dimpling? Where's our jolly hostess?
Tell her the Mermaid Tavern will have guests:
We are sent to warn her. She must raid Cook's Row,
And make their ovens roar. Nobody dines
This day with old Duke Humphrey. Red-deer pies,
Castles of almond crust, a shield of brawn
Big as the nether millstone, barrels of wine,
Three roasted peacocks! Ben is on the way!"
Then all the rafters rang with song again:--

There was a Prince--long since, long since!--
To East Cheape did resort,
For that he loved _The Blue Boar's Head_
Far better than Crown or Court;

But old King Harry in Westminster
Hung up, for all to see,
Three bells of power in St. Stephen's Tower,
Yea, bells of a thousand and three,

_Chorus:_ Three bells of power in a timber tower,
Thirty thousand and three,

For Harry the Fourth was a godly king
And loved great godly bells!
He bade them ring and he bade them swing
Till a man might hear nought else.
In every tavern it soured the sack
With discord and with din;
But they drowned it all in a madrigal
Like this, at _The Mermaid Inn_.

_Chorus:_ They drowned it all in a madrigal
Like this, at _The Mermaid Inn._

"But how did Selde