… of the town’. The contents also suggest that its anticipated audience was a collective one. The use of the plural in ‘A drinking song’ is instructive: Then fill about And when its out Our Measure let us double, He’s only blest That drinks … ‘such as measure no otherwise in common Pronunciation’ in hopes to ‘render it diverting’. And the poem concluded with drinking a health to the Queen – another common characteristic of Ward’s publications that indicates their sociable … preface. Little wonder that several of Ward’s known associates were fellow satirical authors with a reputation for hard drinking. Tom Brown (1663-1704) was characterised by his early twentieth century biographer as falling somewhere between …