Heading: (Ballad Broadside)
Author:
Title: Tea and Brandy
Place Published: [London?]
Publisher:
Date Published: c.1795
Description: Broadside. Woodcut illustration. 36.5x12 cm (14½x4¾").Slip ballad of nine 4-line stanzas. Doggerel verse with a somewhat bawdy story about the allure of tea and brandy, and the lengths to which irresponsible people would go to get some. Stamp of Peter Henry Chymist at bottom. References: ESTC T204804; Roud, Folk Song Index, V1851.Complete text:

Tea and Brandy.

You young men all both far and near,
Listen a while and you shall hear,
Take care you're not drawn in a snare,
By the girls that do love brandy,
Wack Fal lal, &c.

Tittle tattle now goes about,
When the first jorum is drank out,
The landlord jumpt nimbly about,
And in both hands brings brandy,

The table's plac'd, the cloth is spread,
Says yellow Molly I am a maid,
Fain would I kiss, but am afraid,
My spark should smell the brandy.

The landlord he makes this reply,
'Tis on your backs girls you must lie,
Pray which of you would this deny,
A dish of tea or brandy.

The girls then spoke with hearty voice,
To have them both is our choice,
'Twill make a fair maid's heart rejoice,
To drink both tea and brandy.

If there's an alehouse in the town,
We'll pawn our smocks and also gown,
And ten times more I will lay down,
But we'll have tea and brandy.

And when that we have drank our fill,
Then we go home with free good will,
The devil take the spinning-wheel,
For we love tea and brandy.

Now to conclude and make and end,
Of these few lines that I have penn'd.
I hope they will not want a friend,
To give them tea and brandy.

In comes smiling Peg,
Come play me up the other jig,
My apron is short my belly is big
By drinking tea and brandy.

Some wear, soiling, tears mostly expertly repaired on verso, residue from previous tipping; very good.