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Nottingham Ale When Venus, the goddess of beauty and love Arose from the froth that swam on the sea Minerva sprang out of the cranium of Jove A coy, sullen dame as most mortals agree But Bacchus, they tell us, that prince of good fellows Was Jupiter's son, pray attend my tale They who thus chatter mistake quite the matter He sprang from a barrel of Nottingham Ale Nottingham Ale, me boys, Nottingham Ale No liquor on earth is like Nottingham Ale Nottingham Ale, me boys, Nottingham Ale No liquor on earth is like Nottingham Ale You bishops and curates, priests, deacons and vicars When once you have tasted, you all must agree That Nottingham Ale is the best of all liquors And none understands a good creature like thee. It dispels every vapor, saves pen, ink and paper For when you've a mind in your pulpit to rail It'll open your throats, you may preach without notes When inspired with a bumper of Nottingham Ale. Ye poets who pray on the Hellican brooke The nectar of Gods and the juice of the vine, You say none can write well except they invoke The friendly assistance of one of the Nine. His liquor surpassed the streams of Parnassus That nectar, Ambrosia, on which Gods regale Experience will show it, naught makes a good poet Like quantum sufficients of Nottingham Ale. And you doctors, who more executions have done With powder and potion and bolus and pill Than hangman with halter, or soldier with gun Miser with famine or lawyer with quill To dispatch us the quicker, you forbid us malt liquor Till our bodies consume, and our faces grow pale Let him mind you, who pleases, what cures all diseases A plentiful glass of good Nottingham Ale. BR
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!