The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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![]() | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ![]() |
110
Ther was a wife in yon toun
THE JOLLY BEGGAR—A
1
‘Ther is a wife in yone toun-end, an she has dothers three,An I wad be a beager for ony of a' the three.’
2
He touk his clouty clok him about, his peak-staff in his hand,An he is awa to yon toun-end, leak ony peare man.
3
‘I ha ben about this fish-toun this years tua or three,Ha ye ony quarters, deam, that ye coud gie me?’
4
‘Awa, ye pear carl, ye dinne kean my name;Ye sudd ha caed me mistress fan ye called me bat deam.’
5
He tuke his hat in his hand an gied her juks three:‘An ye want manners, misstres, quarters ye'll gie me.’
6
‘Awa, ye pear carle, in ayont the fire,An sing to our Lord Gray's men to their hearts' disire.’
7
Some lowked to his goudie lowks, some to his milk-whit skine,Some to his ruffled shirt, the gued read gold hang in.
8
Out spak our madin, an she was ay shay,Fatt will the jolly beager gett afore he gaa to lay?
9
Out spak our goudwife, an she was not sae shay,He'se gett a dish of lang kell, besids a puss pay.
10
Out spak the jolly beager, That dish I dou denay;I canne sup yer lang kell nor yet yer puss pay.
11
Bat ye gett to my supper a capon of the best,Tuo or three bottels of yer wine, an bear, an we sall ha a merry feast.
12
‘Ha ye ony siler, carll, to bint the bear an wine?’‘O never a peney, misstress, had I lang sine.’
13
The beager wadne lay in the barn, nor yett in the bayr,Bat in ahind the haa-dor, or att the kitchen-fire.
111
14
The beager's bed was well [made] of gued clean stray an hay,[OMITTED]
15
The madin she rose up to bar the dor,An ther she spayed a naked man, was rinen throu the flour.
16
He tuke her in his arms an to his bed he ran;‘Hollie we me, sir,’ she says, ‘or ye'll waken our pear man.’
17
The begger was a cuning carle, an never a word he spakeTill he got his turn dean, an sayn began to crak.
18
‘Is ther ony dogs about this toun? madin, tell me nou:’‘Fatt wad ye dee we them, my hony an my dou?’
19
‘They wad ravie a' my meall-poks an die me mukell wrang:’‘O doll for the deaing o it! are ye the pear man?
20
‘I thought ye had ben some gentelman, just leak the leard of Brody!I am sorry for the doing o itt! are ye the pore boddie?’
21
She tuke the meall-poks by the strings an thrue them our the waa:‘Doll gaa we meall-poks, madinhead an a'!’
22
She tuke him to her press, gave him a glass of wine;He tuke her in his arms, says, Honey, ye'ss be mine.
23
He tuke a horn fra his side an he blue loud an shill,An four-an-tuenty belted knights came att the beager's will.
24
He tuke out a pean-kniff, lute a' his dudes faa,An he was the braest gentelman that was among them a'.
25
He patt his hand in his poket an gaa her ginnes three,An four-an-tuenty hunder mark, to pay the nires feea.
26
‘Gin ye had ben a gued woman, as I thought ye had ben,I wad haa made ye lady of castels eaght or nine.’
![]() | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ![]() |