Nursery Rhyme. VIII. Historical

        [In a tract, called 'Pigges Corantoe, or Newes from the North,' 4to Lond. 1642, p. 3, this is called "Old Tarlton's Song." It is perhaps a parody on the popular epigram of "Jack and Jill." I do not know the period of the battle to which it appears to allude, but Tarlton died in the year 1588, so that the rhyme must be earlier.]

    The king of France went up the hill,
        With twenty thousand men;
    The king of France came down the hill,
        And ne'er went up again.

Unknown

The identity of this poet is not known. Their works, which are often of significant historical or cultural value, have been attributed to 'Unknown'. This designation is commonly used when the creator of works, ranging from ancient texts to more modern writings, remains anonymous or uncredited. Despite the lack of personal details, the impact and importance of these works endure, offering insight into the eras and cultures from which they originated.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CCXXXV. Riddles.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. DXXII. Natural History.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. CLIX. Songs.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. CCLXXXII. Games.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

English

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Nursery Rhyme. IX. Historical

    The king of France, with twenty thousand men,
    Went up the hill, and then came down again;
    The king of Spain, with twenty thousand more,
    Climb'd the same hill the French had climb'd before.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. VII. Historical

        [From MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 19, written in the time of Charles I.]

    The king of France, and four thousand men,
    They drew their swords, and put them up again.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. X. Historical

        [Another version. The nurse sings the first line, and repeats it, time after time, until the expectant little one asks, what next? Then comes the climax.]

    The king of France, the king of France, with forty thousand men,
    Oh, they all went up the hill, and so - came back again!

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. XXVII. Historical

        [The following may possibly allude to King George and the Pretender.]

    Jim and George were two great lords,
        They fought all in a churn;
    And when that Jim got George by the nose,
        Then George began to gern.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. XVI. Historical

        [Taken from MS. Douce, 357, fol. 124. See Echard's 'History of England,' book iii, chap. 1.]

    See saw, sack-a-day;
    Monmouth is a pretie boy,
        Richmond is another,
    Grafton is my onely joy,
    And why should I these three destroy,
        To please a pious brother!

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. XXVI. Historical

        [From MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 19, written in the time of Charles I. It appears from MS. Harl. 390, fol. 85, that these verses were written in 1626, against the Duke of Buckingham.]

    There was a monkey climb'd up a tree,
    When he fell down, then down fell he.

    There was a crow sat on a stone,
    When he was gone, then there was none.

    There was an old wife did eat an apple,
    When she had eat two, she had eat a couple.

    There was a horse going to the mill,
    When he went on, he stood not still.

    There was a butcher cut his thumb,
    When it did bleed, then blood did come.

    There was a lackey ran a race,
    When he ran fast, he ran apace.

    There was a cobbler clowting shoon,
    When they were...

Unknown