A Moral Song
MS's: F-H 283, 127-8*; Folger, 38
1713 Misc, 163-4; rpt of 1713: 1903 Reynolds, 134; rpt of 1903 Reynolds: 1930 Fausset, 63.
1724 The Hive I, 68.
Rpt of 1713: 1853 Rowton, 108-9.
rpt of 1713/1903: 1905 Tutin, 30-1; 1905 Wordsworth (compiled 1819), 7-8,
The history of this text suggests that F-H 283 represents first version of songs; line 12 changed from "may" to "shall" in Folger repeated in 1713 Misc, which itself changes two stanza format to one snaking lyric; 1724 Hive reprints this snaking form, slightly modernizing punctuation.
Page Last Updated 7 January 2003