The Daily Herald

Thomas Parr was a husbandman, born 1483, and lived one hundred and fifty-two years and eight months. He labored hard, and lived on coarse fare. Taylor, the water poet, says of him—

Good wholesome labor was his exercise,
Down with the lamb, and with the lark would rise;
In mire and toiling sweat he spent the day.
And to his team he whistled time away.
The cock his night clock, and till day was done,
His watch and chief sun-dial was the sun.
He was of old Pythagoras' opinion,
That green cheese was most wholesome with an onion.
Coarse meslin bread, and for his daily swig.
Milk, butter-milk, and water whey and whig;
Sometimes metheglin, and by fortune happy,
He sometimes sipped a cup of ale most nappy;
Cider or perry when he did repair
To wake, wedding, or a fair;
Or when, in Christmas time, he was a guest
At his good landlord's house, among the rest.
Else he had little leisure time to waste,
Or at the alehouse huff-cap ale to taste.
Nor did he ever hunt a tavern fox.
Ne'er knew a coach, tobacco, or the pox.
His physic was good butter, which the soil
Of Salop yields, more sweet than candy oil;
And garlick he esteemed above the rate
Of Venice treacle. or best mithridate.
He entertained no gout, no ache he felt-
The air was good and temperate where he dwelt.
While mavis and sweet tongued nightingales
Did chant him roundelays and madrigals.
Thus, living within bounds of nature's laws,
Of his long lasting life may be some cause.
From head to heel, his body had, all over,
A quick-set, thick-set, hairy cover.