There Was a Man in Our Town

Details

Instance of

nursery rhyme, musical work/composition

Inception

18th century

Publication date

1729, 1744

Composer

Samuel Arnold

Derivative works

So Shines a Good Deed in a Naughty World

Main subject

eye injury, fool, Bramble, hedge, healing, jumping

copyright status

public domain, public domain, public domain

country of origin

Kingdom of Great Britain

described by source

The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes

different from

Aiken Drum

form of creative work

song

has characteristic

traditional folk song

illustrator

George Bickham the Younger, Thomas Bewick

language of work or name

English

published in

Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, Mother Goose’s Melody, Juvenile Amuſement, The Famous Tommy Thumb’s Little Story‐book

quotation or excerpt

There was a man of Thessaly, / And he was wondrous wise, / He jumped into a bramble bush / And scratched out both his eyes. / And when he saw his eyes were out, / With all his might and main / He jumped into another bush / And scratched them in again., There was a Man ſo Wiſe, / He jumpt into / A Bramble Buſh, / And ſcratcht out both his Eyes. / And when he ſaw, / His Eyes where out, / And reaſon to Complain, / He jumpt into a Quickſet Hedge / And Scratcht them in again., There was a Man of Theſſaly, / And he was wond’rous wiſe, / He jump’d into a Quick ſet Hedge, / And ſcratch’d out both his Eyes : / And when he ſaw his Eyes were out, / With all his Might and Main, / He jump’d into another Hedge, / And ſcratch’d them in again.

title

A Man ſo Wiſe., Alexander’s Song.