hark, hark, the dogs do bark. . .

. . . The beggars are coming to town.
Some in rags, and some in jags,
And one with a velvet gown.

Remember that nursery rhyme? When I was little it never occurred to me to ask what they were coming for. Turns out that this rhyme goes back to 13th century England, and the "beggars" might be wandering minstrels or storytellers passing on propaganda within their tales. It's also possible that the "beggars" may be the monks turned out of the monasteries during Henry VIII's savage backlash against the Catholic Church. Check that stuff out here at www.rhymes.org.uk.