The Works of John Hall-Stevenson ... Corrected and Enlarged. With Several Original Poems, Now First Printed, and Explanatory Notes. In Three Volumes |
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THE CONFESSION OF THE KNIGHT. |
 | The Works of John Hall-Stevenson |  |
269
THE CONFESSION OF THE KNIGHT.
The good Frier was in the Confessional Chair,
“By my Faith,” said Sir Francis, “I'm glad you are there;
My sins are so heavy, and gall me so sore,
Till you lighten their weight I can carry no more.
“By my Faith,” said Sir Francis, “I'm glad you are there;
My sins are so heavy, and gall me so sore,
Till you lighten their weight I can carry no more.
Derry down, down, &c.
Proceed, said the Frier, no trifles I pray,
I expect all the wives of the Parish to-day,
My sins, said Sir Frank, are not many, nor old;
But no trifles I bring, they're as sterling as gold.
I expect all the wives of the Parish to-day,
My sins, said Sir Frank, are not many, nor old;
But no trifles I bring, they're as sterling as gold.
Derry down, &c.
270
As your time is so precious, to save repetitions,
Without any comment or any omissions,
I will open my budget, and lay down my deeds,
Rank and file in a string, like St. Francis's beads.
Without any comment or any omissions,
I will open my budget, and lay down my deeds,
Rank and file in a string, like St. Francis's beads.
Derry down, &c.
Like a Hotspur young cock he began with his mother,
Cheer'd three of his sisters one after another;
And oft tried little Jen, but gain'd so little ground,
Little Jen lost her patience, and made him compound.
Cheer'd three of his sisters one after another;
And oft tried little Jen, but gain'd so little ground,
Little Jen lost her patience, and made him compound.
Derry down, &c.
Jen play'd on the flute, with her fingers so white,
And twinkled her eyes, and kept time very right,
Then he serv'd up his cousin, a delicate blade,
And old Bridget his aunt, for the sake of her maid.
And twinkled her eyes, and kept time very right,
Then he serv'd up his cousin, a delicate blade,
And old Bridget his aunt, for the sake of her maid.
Derry down, &c.
And, lastly, he ravish'd his Lady so meek,
When she had not lain-in much more than a week,
Although she declar'd she would give her consent,
But had vow'd the last week to lie fallow in Lent.
When she had not lain-in much more than a week,
271
But had vow'd the last week to lie fallow in Lent.
Derry down, &c.
“These are eight deadly sins,” said Sir Francis, and cried;
“Yet the gates,” said the Frier, “of mercy are wide;
I can reckon but five, for I pass little Jen,
And old Bridget's a penance instead of a sin.
“Yet the gates,” said the Frier, “of mercy are wide;
I can reckon but five, for I pass little Jen,
And old Bridget's a penance instead of a sin.
Derry down, &c.
As to wives—there's no part of a wife is her own,
For the church gives a part, and the parts are well known;
To withhold what she gives you is sinful and strange,
And courtesy gives you the rest for a change.
For the church gives a part, and the parts are well known;
To withhold what she gives you is sinful and strange,
And courtesy gives you the rest for a change.
Derry down, &c.
The wife is to blame that replies or demurs;
If the act is a sin, 'tis her husband's, not her's:
Let her yield to his fancies, his right is so strong;
And his bargain so hard, he can hardly go wrong.
If the act is a sin, 'tis her husband's, not her's:
Let her yield to his fancies, his right is so strong;
And his bargain so hard, he can hardly go wrong.
Derry down, &c.
272
Though to cuckold the church is a sin that's unclean,
Yet, when the blood's heated, as your's must have been,
We have power to suspend the effect of her curse,
If you had not done that, you must needs have done worse.
Yet, when the blood's heated, as your's must have been,
We have power to suspend the effect of her curse,
If you had not done that, you must needs have done worse.
Derry down, &c.
Thank God, you have none—had you brothers a dozen,
They would all have been serv'd the same sauce with your cousin:
But tell me sincerely, my penitent son,
How long were you doing before you had done.
They would all have been serv'd the same sauce with your cousin:
But tell me sincerely, my penitent son,
How long were you doing before you had done.
Derry down, &c.
I perceive, by the last, that your fever was strong;
So I guess, quoth the Frier, 'twas not very long;
For, if there had been any great intermission,
You must have thrown in a small dose of contrition.”
So I guess, quoth the Frier, 'twas not very long;
For, if there had been any great intermission,
You must have thrown in a small dose of contrition.”
Derry down, &c.
273
“'Twas all done in six hours,” said the Knight to the Frier.
“You'll be damned,” cried the Monk, “for a damnable liar;
Neither you can dispatch, nor the devil, in fine,
As much work in six hours as will take a monk nine.
“You'll be damned,” cried the Monk, “for a damnable liar;
Neither you can dispatch, nor the devil, in fine,
As much work in six hours as will take a monk nine.
Derry down, &c.
After all,” said the Frier, “in all kinds of sport
A keen sportsman is apt to believe the time's short:
So your sins I absolve; but to wipe them out quite,
I enjoin you to lie with old Bridget all night.”
A keen sportsman is apt to believe the time's short:
So your sins I absolve; but to wipe them out quite,
I enjoin you to lie with old Bridget all night.”
Derry down, down, down, derry down.
| The Works of John Hall-Stevenson | |