David Garrick, 1769 (1717-1779)
“Warwickshire.”
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,
All be glad;
For the lad of all lads, was a Warwickshire lad.
Be proud of the charms of your county,
Where Nature has lavish’d her bounty;
Where much she has giv’n, and some to be spar’d;
For the bard of all bards, was a Warwickshire bard,
Warwickshire bard,
Never pair’d;
For the bard of all bards, was a Warwickshire bard.
Each shire has its different pleasures,
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!
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 Warwickshire Will,
Warwickshire Will,
Matchless still;
For the Will of all Wills, was a Warwickshire Will.
Our Shakespeare compar’d is to no man—
Nor Frenchman, nor Grecian, nor Roman;
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.
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,
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;
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 chief.
“Warwickshire: a Song.” Shakespeare’s Garland. Being a Collection of New Songs, Ballads, Roundelays, Catches, Glees, Comic Serenades, etc., performed at the Jubilee at Stratford-upon-Avon. 1769, p. 2.