1681
| Tune: | Young Jemmy, or Philander |
| Lyrics: | Aphra Behn |
Young Jemmy is a Lad
thats Royally descended;
With every Virtue clad,
by every Tongue commended:
A true and faithful English heart,
Great Brittains joy and hope,
And bravely will maintain their part
in spight of Turk and Pope.
Young Jemmy is a Lad
that hates all base pretences;
No Tory, Masquerade,
with Popish sham-pretences:
A Heart and Soul so great and just,
such Conduct and Command,
A Champion in his Countries trust
young Jemmy still will stand.
Young Jemmy is a youth
who thinks it no transgression
To stand up for the Truth,
and Protestant Profession:
But Oh! he fights with such success,
all mortal powers obey,
No god of war but must confess
young Jemmy beares the sway.
At Jemmys powerful voice
the Drums & Trumpets sounded;
And England did rejoyce
when Jemmys fame abounded.
Of Jemmy the victorious name
did through all Europe flie,
And all the nations did proclaim
his matchless Gallantry.
In Mastricht, and in France,
in Germany, and Flanders,
Young Jemmy did advance
amongst the cheif Commanders:
By Sea and Land his fame did fly,
and all the Nations round,
Of Jemmys constant victory
and valour did resound,
In Scotland Jemmys hand
dispersd the Whigg and Tory,
And Bothwel Bridge will stand
to his eternal glory.
There he the Rebels force withstood,
and did their Might oppose,
Both for the King and Countries good,
in spight of all his foes.
But oh! unhappy fates!
a curse on Pride and Malice;
The Popish plotting States
have banishd him the Palace.
They turnd him out of grace of late,
of dignity and fame,
And every mighty place of State,
yet Jemmys still the same.
Maliciously they plot
(against all sence and reason)
Gainst Shaftsbury and Scot,
to Cloak their Popish Treason:
Tories and Papists all agree
to blast his spotless fame,
But spight of all their policy,
young Jemmys still the same.
For still to lose his blood
young Jemmy does importune;
And for his Countries good,
to spend his Life and Fortune
For to support the Church and State,
our Liberties and Laws,
Against their Malice, Plots, and Hate,
that woud our rights oppose.
Let all good men implore
for Jemmys Restauration,
Whose conduct must restore
the ruines of our Nation:
That he to Charless praise may live,
our freedome to maintain,
When Jemmy shall his fame retreive
and be in grace again.
The king’s Protestant, but illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, had joined in the attempt to exclude the Catholic Duke of York from succeeding to the throne, and was exiled from the court as a punishment. Already a much-loved hero, this very popular song (adapted from an Aphra Behn poem) was one of several that protested the treatment meted out to him and other Whig leaders. It praises Monmouth’s loyal service to the crown and calls for his ‘restauration’, clearly an allusion to Charles II’s own return to the throne.
| Cause: | Anti-Papist | Exclusionist |
| Theme: | Political Process |
| Addressed to: | The Ruler | Voters |
| Target of Protest: | Political Faction | The Ruler |
| Proposal/Solution: | Restoration/Succession |
A recording of England's Darling can be heard via the EBBA archives.