Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy

Wit and Mirth: Or Pills to Purge Melancholy is the title of a large collection of songs published between 1698 and 1720 which in its final 6 volume edition held over 1,000 songs and poems. The collection started as a single book compiled and published by Henry Playford who had succeeded his father John Playford as the leading music publisher of the period. Over the next two decades Pills went through various editions and expanded into 5 volumes; in 1719 Thomas D'Urfey reordered and added to the work to produce a new edition (also in 5 volumes) with the title Songs Compleat, Pleasant and Divertive published by Jacob Tonson. Volumes 1–2 now consisted entirely of songs (words not tunes) by D'Urfey. The edition sold out quickly and in the second printing D'Urfey reverted to the Pills title. He added Volume 6 in 1720. Some of the songs from this work have been recorded by early music ensembles such as the City Waites.