The two copies of this ballad I have examined indicate stop-press activity and suggest that the stationers William Gilbertson and Charles Tyus employed the same print shop. The copy of this ballad in the British Library has been printed on the back of The beautiful Shepherdesse of Arcadia. A new pastarell Song of a courteous young Knight, and a supposed Shepheards Daughter. To a gallant tune, called the Shepheards Delight, which was printed in London for William Gilbertson. The copy in the Euing collection of Glasgow University is identical apart from the title, which is given as The Royall Subjects Joy. In both instances, the stationer is named as Charles Tyus.

   Why has this ballad been ascribed to Thomas Robins, and not The Royall Subjects Warning-piece to all Traytors, issued later in the year, which is also signed "T. R." but bears no stationer's colophon?² It may be mere chance that the two broadsides happen to be bound next to each other in the Euing collection, but they would seem to have been printed by the same press. But if they are by the same printer and author, why would Charles Tyus sign a piece of work early in the year when things might still have gone the other way, and then not sign what is presumably a later work?

   Robins was a prolific writer of ballads who seems to have been specially active in the period 1650-1670 (see Wing STC).

   This ballad is optimistic of the future if Charles and Monk can come to some agreement, so has been placed in late February. The claim that there is money at hand to pay soldiers their back wages is as optimistic as the hope that Charles will "pull all Taxes down."