Street cries of the world

HARK! how the cries in every street
Make lane and allies ring:
With their goods and ware both nice and rare,
All in a pleasant lofty strain;
Come buy my gudgeons fine and new.
Old cloaths to change for earthen ware.
Come and taste and try before you buy,
Here’s dainty poplin pears.
Diddle, diddle, diddle dumplins, ho!
With walnuts nice and brown.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Any old cloaths, suits, or coats:
Come buy my singing-birds.
Oranges or lemons. Newcastle salmon.
Come buy my ropes of onions, ho!
Come buy my sand, fine silver sand.
Two bunches a penny turnips, ho!
I’ll change you pins for coney-skins.
Maids, do you want any milk below?
Here’s an express from Admiral Hawke,
That admiral of renown.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Maiods, have you any kitchen-stuff?
Will you buy fine artichoaks?
Come buy my brooms to sweep your rooms.
Will you buy my white-heart cabbages, ho!
Come buy my nuts, my fine small nuts,
Two cans penny, crack and try.
Here’s cherries round, and very sound.
Maids, shall I sweep your chimnies high?
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, goes the tinker’s pan,
With a merry chearful sound.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Here’s fine herrings, eight a groat.
Hot codlins, pies, and tarts.
New mackerel I have to sell.
Come buy my Wellfleet oysters, ho!
Come buy my whitings fine and new.
Wives, shall I mend your husbands horns?
I’ll grind your knives to please your wives,
And very nicely cut your corns.
Maids, have you any hair to sell,
Either flaxen, black, or brown?
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Work for a cooper, maids give ears,
I’ll hoop your tubs and pails.
Come Nell and Sue, and buy my blue.
Maids, have you any chairs to mend?
Here’s hot spice-gingerbread of the best,
Come taste and try before you buy.
Here’s elder-buds to purge your bloods.
But black your shoes is all the cry.
Here’s hot rice-milk, and barley-broth.
Plumb pudding a groat a pound.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Here’s fine rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Come buy my ground ivy.
Here’s fatherfew, gilliflowers, and rue.
Come buy my knotted marjorum, ho!
Come buy my mint, my fine green mint.
Here’s fine lavender for your cloaths.
Here’s parsley, and winter-savory.
And heart’s-ease, which all do choose.
Here’s balm and hissop, and cinquefoil,
All fine herbs, it is well known.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Here’s pennyroyal and marygolds.
Come buy my nettle-tops.
Here’s water-cresses and scurvy-grass.
Come buy my sage of virtue, ho!
Come buy my wormwood and mugwort.
Here’s all fine herbs of every sort.
Here’s southernwood that’s very good,
Dandelion and houseleek.
Here’s dragon’s-tongue and wood-sorrel.
With bears-foot and horehounds.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Here’s green coleworts and brocoli.
Come buy my radishes.
Here’s fine savoys, and ripe hautboys.
Come buy my young green hastings, ho!
Come buy my beans, right Windsor beans.
Two-pence a bunch young carrots, ho!
Here’s fine nosegays. Ripe strawberries.
With ready-pick’d salad also.
Here’s collyflowers and asparagus.
New prunes two-pence a pound.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Here’s cucumbers, spinnage, and French beans.
Come buy my nice sallery.
Here’s parsnips and fine leeks.
Come buy my potatoes, ho!
Come buy my plumbs, and fine ripe plumbs.
A groat a pound ripe filberts, ho!
Here’s corn-poppies and mulberries.
Gooseberries and currants also.
Fine nectarines, peaches, and apricots.
New rice two pence a pound.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Buy a rabbit, wild duck, or fat goose.
Come buy a choice fat fowl.
Plovers, teal, or widgeons, come buy my pigeons.
Maids, do you want any small-coal?
Come buy my shrimps, my fine new shrimps,
Two pots a penny, taste and try.
Here’s fine saloop, both hot and good.
But Yorkshire muffins is the cry.
Here’s trotters, calf’s feet, and fine tripes.
Barrel figs three-pence a pound.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.

Here’s new laid eggs for ten a groat.
Come buy water’d cod.
Here’s plaice and dabs, lobsters and crabs.
Come buy my maids and flounders, ho!
Come buy my pike, my fine live pike.
Two-pence a hundred cockles, ho!
Shads, eels, and sprats. Lights for your cats.
With haddocks, perch, and tench also.
Here’s carp and tench, mullets and smelts.
Butter six-pence a pound.
 Let none despise the merry, merry cries
 Of famous London-town.