An old traditional song, 1882.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- In good King Charles’s golden days
When loyalty no harm meant
A zealous High Churchman was I
And so I got preferment
To teach my flock I never missed
Kings were by God appointed
And damned are those that do resist
Or touch the Lord’s anointed
Chorus
And this is law, I will maintain
Until my dying day, Sir
That whatsoever King may reign
Still I’ll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir
- When royal James obtained the crown
And Pop’ry came in fashion
The penal laws I hooted down
And read the Declaration
The Church of Rome I found would fit
Full well my constitution
And had become a Jesuit
But for the Revolution - When William was our King declared
To ease a nation’s grievance
With this new wind about I steered
And swore to him allegiance
Old principles I did revoke
Set conscience at a distance
Passive obedience was a joke
A jest was non-resistance - When gracious Anne became our Queen
The Church of England’s glory
Another face of things was seen
And I became a Tory
Occasional Conformists base
I damned their moderation
And thought the church in danger was
By such prevarication - When George in pudding time came o’er
And moderate men looked big, Sir
I turned a catinpan once more
And so became a Whig, Sir
And thus preferment I procured
From our new faith’s defender
And almost every day abjured
The Pope and the Pretender - Th’ illustrious house of Hanover
And Protestant succesion
To these I do allegiance swear
While they can keep possession
For in my faith and loyalty
I never more will falter
And George my lawful king shall be
Until the times do alter
Sung here by Fred Feild: