John Taylor the Water Poet, a curious chap responsible for the following, which might be familiar to some! “There is a Proverbe, and a prayer withall, That we may not to these strange places fall, From Hull, from Halifax, from Hell, ‘tis thus, From all these three, Good Lord deliver us. This praying proverb’s meaning to set down, Men do not wish deliverance from the Town: The towns named Kingston, Hull’s furious River: And from Hull’s dangers, I say Lord deliver. At Halifax, the law so sharp doth deal, That whoso more than 13 Pence doth steal, They have a jyn* that wondrous quick and well, Sends thieves all headless unto Heav’n or Hell. From Hell each man says, Lord deliver me, Because from Hell can no redemption be: Men may escape from Hull and Halifax, But sure in Hell there is a heavier tax, Let each one for themselves in this agree, And pray, from Hell good Lord deliver me.” Works of John Taylor The Water Poet, whose works extended from 1612 to 1653.
* jin or gin, an abbreviation for engine.