Song, In Connection With The Shakespeare Jubilee At Stratford Upon Avon

By David Gerrick (1717-1779).

Ye Warwickshire lads, and ye lasses!
    See what at our Jubilee passes!
Come, revel away! Rejoice, and be glad;
For the Lad of all lads, was a Warwickshire Lad;
          Warwickshire Lad!        5
          All be glad,
For the Lad of all lads, was a Warwickshire Lad!

    Be proud of the charms of your County;
    Where Nature has lavished her bounty.
Where much she has given, and some to be spared;        10
For the Bard of all bards, was a Warwickshire Bard;
          Warwickshire Bard:
          Never paired;
For the Bard of all bards, was a Warwickshire Bard!

    Each shire° has its different pleasures,        15
    Each shire has its different treasures:
But to rare Warwickshire all must submit;
For the Wit of all wits, was a Warwickshire Wit;
          Warwickshire Wit:
          How he writ!        20
For the Wit of all wits, was a Warwickshire Wit!

    Old Ben, Thomas Otway, John Dryden°;
    And half a score more, we take pride in.
Of famous Will Congreve° we boast too the skill;
But the Will of all Wills, was a Warwickshire Will;        25
          Warwickshire Will;
          Matchless still!
For the Will of all Wills, was a Warwickshire Will!

    Our Shakespeare compared is to no man;
    Nor Frenchman, nor Grecian, nor Roman.        30
Their swans are all geese to the Avon’s sweet Swan;
And the Man of all men, was a Warwickshire Man;
          Warwickshire Man;
          Avon’s Swan!
And the Man of all men, was a Warwickshire Man!        35

    As ven’son is very inviting,
    To steal it our Bard took delight in;
To make his friends merry he never was lag;
And the Wag of all wags, was a Warwickshire Wag;
          Warwickshire Wag;        40
          Ever brag!
For the Wag of all wags, was a Warwickshire Wag!

    There never was seen such a creature;
    Of all she was worth, he robbed nature;
He took all her smiles, and he took all her grief;        45
And the Thief of all thieves, was a Warwickshire Thief!
          Warwickshire Thief;
          He’s the chief!
For the Thief of all thieves, was a Warwickshire Thief!


Notes

Line 15: shire. U.K. county.

Line 22: Ben, Thomas Otway, John Dryden. Ben Jonson (1572-1637), Thomas Otway (1652-1685) and John Dryden (1631-1700), English poets.

Line 24: Will Congreve. William Congreve (1670-1729), English poet.