"Revolutionary Tea" Poem

Revolutionary Tea

1st,
There was an old lady lived over the sea
And she was an island queen.
Her daughter lived of [sic] in a new countrie [sic].
With an ocean of watters [sic] between.

2nd,
The old ladys [sic] pockets were full of gold
But never contented was she
So she called to her daughters to pay her a tax
Of Thruppance a pound on her tea

3rd,
Now mother dear mother the daughter replied
I shan’t do the thing you ax [sic]
I am willing to pay a fair price for the tea.
But (???) the thrippening tax

4th,
You shall quoth the mother and reddened with rage
And sure tis quite proper the daughters should pay.
Her mother a tax on her tea

5th,
And so the old lady her servants called up
And packed off a budget of tea
And eyes far thrippened a pound she put in
Enough for a large familie

6th,
She ordered her servants to bring home the tax
Declaring her child should obey
For old as she was and almost a woman grown
She’d half (???) her life away

7th,
The tea was conveyed to the daughters dear
All down by the ocean side
And the bouncing girl poured out every pound
Into the dark and boiling tide

8th,
And then she called out to the island queen
Oh mother dear mother quoth she
Your tea you may have when it is steeped enough
But never a tax from me
No never a tax from me

By Warren Richards, esq.
1776