Here is a cute song about playing marbles from 1751, the same year the Liberty Bell was commissioned. It’s from a book of songs for children titled Puerilia by John Marchant and published in London.

The songs were intended to entertain children while teaching them a moral lesson, in this case that time spent reading books is more valuable than time spent playing marbles.

These days I fear I am spending more time with my marble collection than my books. Perhaps I will find a happy medium and read my marble books more.

Brother Tommy, come on,
Your Marbles lay down;
Don’t spare me,
Nor fear me,
So long as I’ve one.

They are smooth, neat and round,
How they fly, frisk and bound!
I’ll thump ’em
And plump ’em
While a Marble is found.

But before we begin,
Place ’em round in a Ring;
I’ll fright ’em
And smite ’em
While my Thumb has a Spring.

How I spank ’em about!
Some are in and some out,
I’ll smack ’em
And thwack ’em,
And soon put ’em to rout.

Now to finish the Game,
At your Taw I will aim;
I have it!
I brave it!
And Huzzah is my Name.

But ’tis Time to have done,
The Clock has struck one;
‘Tis over,
Come Brother,
Now to School let us run.

For there I am sure
We shall learn a deal more,
Each looking
His Book in,
Than by playing an Hour.

You can read the original text here on Google Books.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 27th, 2011 at 4:06 am and is filed under marbles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.