The Debtford Plumb Cake,  
OR, The Four merry Wives.  
Tune of, An Old Woman poor and blind.  
Licenced according to Order  
 
 

Come all you sweet lips, round me stand  
and hear a pleasant tale,  
With each some Plumb Cake in her hand  
and Cup of good napping Ale,  
Than you might all as merry be  
as lately was four good Wives,  
Who take their Glasses of free,  
and jollyly lead their lives.   

Carpenter's Wives were two of them,  
and another a Smith's Wife proved,  
The fourth a Seaman's for the Game,  
these four did a young Man love,  
He was a Mealman's Servant to  
and often would frisk and play  
At heave and set as others do,  
let it be by Night or Day.   

But one time among all the rest,  
they wanted a good Plumb Cake,  
And this the young Mealman did Protest,  
he would have a good one baked,  
A Peck and a half of Flower str●ight  
he sent the good Wives to kneed,  
Of Plumbs be sent eleven Pound weight,  
to make up the Cake with speed.   

Seven pound of Butter to also,  
he sent when he sent the Plumbs,  
With Sugar for to make it so  
they might sweetly lick their Thumbs,  
And when 'twas baked, then o'er a Glass  
they merry were all to be  
But mark I pray what came to pass,  
which spoilt their jollitry,   

For when the Cake was made and baked  
one of the good Wives did say,  
Come Neighbours where shall we it take  
and have our young Ned to day,  
You know that he's a Lad so free,  
and willing to serve us all,  
I swear I love him hearty,  
i'll venture with him one fall.   

What if we to the Fountain go,  
and there have our merry bout,  
Fie, Fie, one of the Wives did cry,  
our Husbands will find us out,  
What think you of the Greenwich blood,  
they say it is Liquor rare,  
A maich we all do think it good  
and our Plumb Cake we'll not spare.   

So the four wives with brisk young Ned,  
met over some Liquor stout,  
Each thinking on the Cake to feed,  
but Vulk●n had found them out,  
And with his Hammer in his hand,  
he sound the Cake did maul,  
Yet Ned did all the Wives command,  
and played Boys at up ●ails all.    

London, printed for I. Jackson, near Fleet street.