9. Then came the angel of death and killed the butcher, That slew the ox, That drank the water, That quenched the fire, That burned the staff, That beat the dog, That bit the cat, That ate the kid, That my father bought For two pieces of money: A kid, a kid. 10. Then came the Holy One, blessed be He! And killed the angel of death, That killed the butcher, That slew the ox, That drank the water, That quenched the fire, That burned the staff, That beat the dog, That bit the cat, That ate the kid, That my father bought For two pieces of money: A kid, a kid. The following is the interpretation: 1. The kid, which was one of the pure animals, denotes the Hebrews. The father, by whom it was purchased, is Jehovah, who re presents himself as sustaining this relation to the Hebrew nation. The two pieces of money signify Moses and Aaron, through whose mediation the Hebrews were brought out of Egypt. 2. The cat denotes the Assyrians, by whom the ten tribes were carried into captivity. 3. The dog is symbolical of the Babylonians. 4. The staff signifies the Persians. 5. The fire indicates the Grecian empire under Alexander the Great. 6. The water betokens the Roman, or the fourth of the great monarchies to whose dominion the Jews were subjected. 7. The ox is a symbol of the Saracens, who subdued Palestine, and brought it under the caliphate. 8. The butcher that killed the ox, denotes the crusaders, by whom the Holy Land was wrested out of the hands of the Saracens. 9. The angel of death signifies the Turkish power, by which the land of Palestine was taken from the Franks, and to which it is still subject. 10. The commencement of the tenth stanza, is designed to show that God will take signal vengeance on the Turks, immediately after whose overthrow the Jews are to be restored to their own land, and live under the government of their longexpected Messiah. IV. [THE following version of a popular rhyme is in one of Douce's books. I consider it to refer to the rebellious times of Richard II.] My father he died, I cannot tell how, But he left me six horses to drive out my plough: With a wimmy lo! wommy lo! Jack Straw blazey boys! Wimmy lo! Wommy lo! Wob, wob, wob! V. My father he died, but I can't tell you how, Blowsey boys bubble oh, Under the broom. I sold my six horses and I bought me a cow, I'd fain have made a fortune, but did not know how : With my, &c. I sold my cow, and I bought me a calf; I'd fain have made a fortune, but lost the best half: With my, &c. I sold my calf, and I bought me a cat; I sold my cat, and I bought me a mouse; He carried fire in his tail, and burnt down my house. With my, &c. VI. [The same song as the preceding, dictated by a lady now living in the Isle of Man, but a far better version.] My daddy is dead, but I can't tell you how; Strim stram straddle ho! Bubble ho! pretty boy, Over the bro'v. I sold my six horses to buy me a cow, And wasn't that a pretty thing to follow the plough? With my, &c. I sold my cow to buy me a calf, For I never made a bargain, but I lost the best half. With my, &c. I sold my calf to buy me a cat, To sit down before the fire, to warm her little back: With my, &c. I sold my cat to buy me a mouse, But she took fire in her tail, and so burnt up my house: With my, &c. VII. [THERE is an old proverb which says that "a cat may look at a king." Whether the same adage applies equally to a female sovereign, and is referred to in the following nursery song, or whether it alludes to the glorious Queen Bess, is now a matter of uncertainty.] Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been? THE rose is red, the grass is green, Kitty the spinner Will sit down to dinner, And eat the leg of a frog: All good people Look over the steeple, And see the cat play with the dog. |