famous town

[Joel S. Berson]

At 2/27/2013 09:20 AM, George Thompson wrote:
>    *Cambridge* is a famous Town,
>
>           for Wisdom and for Knowledge,
>
>      Some they whip, and some they hang,
>
>           and some they send to College.
>      Boston Ev Post, February 9, 1741, p. 2, col. ?

Later sightings of this verse don't put it as early as 1741.  One says:

1750.---A gallows and a whipping-post stood near Porter's tavern, in
Cambridge [present-day Porter Square?]; and this gave rise to the
schoolboy [townie?] strophe:--- ...

The verse is the same except for the 2nd line:  "Both for wit and
knowledge".  [Found via GBooks.]

Joel

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