University of Virginia Library

HAY-TIME; OR THE CONSTANT LOVERS.

A PASTORAL.

Cursty and Peggy.
Cursty.
A finer hay-day seer was never seen;
The greenish sops already luik less green;
As weel the greenish sop will suin be dry'd
As Sawney's 'bacco spred by th'ingle side.

Peggy.
And see how finely strip'd the fields appear,
Strip'd like the gown that I on Sundays wear;
White shows the rye, the big of blaker hue,
The blooming pezz green mix'd wi' reed and blue.

Cursty.
Let other lads to spworts and pastimes run,
And spoil their Sunday clease and clash their shoon;
If Peggy in the field my partner be,
To work at hay is better spwort to me.

Peggy.
Let other lasses ride to Rosley-fair,
And mazle up and down the market there;
I envy not their happy treats and them,
Happier mysell, if Roger bides at heame.

Cursty.
It's hard aw day the heavy scythe to swing;
But if my lass a halesome breakfast bring,
Even mowing-time is better far I swear,
Than Curs'mas and aw it's dainty cheer.

Peggy.
Far is the Gursin off, topful the kits,
But if my Cursty bears the milk by fits,
For galloping to wakes I ne'er gang wud,
For every night's a wake, or full as good.

Cursty.
Can thou remember?—I remember't weel,—
Sin lal wee things we claver'd owre yon steel;
Lang willy-wands for hoops I us'd to bay,
To meake my canny lass a lady gay.

Peggy.
Then dadg'd we to the bog owre meadows dree,
To plet a sword and seevy cap for thee;
Set off with seevy cap and seevy sword
My Cursty luik'd as great as onie lword.

Cursty.
Beneath a dyke full monie a langsome day,
We sat and beelded houses fine o' clay;
For dishes acorn cups stuid dessed in rows,
And broken pots for dubblers mens'd the wa's.

Peggy.
O may we better houses get than thar,
Far larger dishes, dubblers brighter far;
And ever-mair delighted may we be,
I to meake Cursty fine, and Cursty me.

Cursty.
Right oft at schuil I've spelder'd owre thy row
Full monie a time I've foughten in thy cause;
And when in winter miry ways let in,
I bore thee on my back thro' thick and thin.

Peggy.
As suin as e'er I learn'd to kest a loup,
Warm mittens wapp'd thy fingers warmly up;
And when at heels I spied thy stockings out,
I darned them suin, or suin set on a clout.

Curst.
O how I lik'd to see thee on the fleer;
At spworts, if I was trier to be seer,
I reach'd the fancy readily to thee
For nin danc'd hawf sae weel in Cursty's e'e.

Peggy.
O how I swet, when for the costly prize,
Thou gripp'd some lusty lad of greater size,
But when I saw him sprawling on the plain,
My heart aw flacker'd for't, I was sae fain.

Cursty.
See! owre the field the whurlin' sunshine whiews,
The shadow fast the sunshine fair pursues;
From Cursty thus oft Peggy seemed to hast,
As fair she fled, he after her as fast.

Peggy.
Ay, laddie, seemed indeed! for truth to tell,
Oft wittingly I stummer'd, oft I fell,
Pretending some unlucky wramp or strean
For Cursty's kind guid-natur'd heart to mean.

Cursty.
Sweet is this kiss as smell of dwallowed hay,
Or the fresh primrose on the first of May;
Sweet to the teaste as pears or apples moam,
Nay, sweeter than the sweetest honey-comb.

Peggy.
But let us rise—the sun's owre Carrock' fell,
And luik—whae's yon that's walking to the well;
Up, Cursty, up; for God's sake let me gang,
For fear the maister put us in a sang.