When royal James possess'd the crown, The Church of Rome I found would fit Full well my constitution; And I had been a Jesuit, But for the Revolution. And this is law that I'll maintain When William was our king declar'd, Old principles I did revoke, Set conscience at a distance; Passive obedience was a joke, A jest was non-resistance. And this is law that I'll maintain Until my dying day, sir, When royal Anne became our queen, I blam'd their moderation; And thought the church in danger was, By such prevarication. And this is law that I'll maintain Until my dying day, sir, That whatsoever King shall reign, When George in pudding-time came o'er, And this is law that I'll maintain Th' illustrious house of Hanover, I never more will falter, And George my lawful king shall be And this is law that I'll maintain Some are thrown in, some are thrown out, And some are thrown in the ditch, Sly Reynard now like lightning flies, And when the hounds too near he spies, He drops his bushy tail. Then a hunting we will go. Fond Echo seems to like the sport, And join the jovial ery; The woods, the hills, the sound retort, And music fills the sky; When a hunting we do At last his strength to faintness worn, Poor Reynard ceases flight; Then hungry, homewards we return, To feast away the night: go. And a drinking we do go. Ye jovial hunters, in the morn Rise at the sounding of the horn And health with sport embrace, When a hunting we do go.1 There are several versions of this song, of various degrees of length and of merit. "This song," says Mr. Chappell, in his Collection of National English Airs, was originally to the tune of Begging we will go,' (1660). The words by Fielding are contained in his ballad opera of Don Quixote in England, but have since been somewhat altered. |