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第16节

ancient poems-第16节

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Still he sat like one amazed; Round a spacious room he gazed; Which was richly beautified; But; alas! he lost his bride。

There was peeping; laughing; sneering; All within the lawyer's hearing; But his bride he could not see; 'Would I were at home!' thought he。

While his heart was melancholy; Said the steward; brisk and jolly; 'Tell me; friend; how came you here? You've some bad design; I fear。'

He replied; 'Dear loving master; You shall meet with no disaster Through my means; in any case; … Madam brought me to this place。'

Then the steward did retire; Saying; that he would enquire Whether it was true or no: Ne'er was lover hampered so。

Now the lady who had filled him With those fears; full well beheld him From a window; as she dressed; Pleased at the merry jest。

When she had herself attired In rich robes; to be admired; She appeared in his sight; Like a moving angel bright。

'Sir! my servants have related; How some hours you have waited In my parlour; … tell me who In my house you ever knew?'

'Madam! if I have offended; It is more than I intended; A young lady brought me here:' … 'That is true;' said she; 'my dear。

'I can be no longer cruel To my joy; and only jewel; Thou art mine; and I am thine; Hand and heart I do resign!

'Once I was a wounded lover; Now these fears are fairly over; By receiving what I gave; Thou art lord of what I have。'

Beauty; honour; love; and treasure; A rich golden stream of pleasure; With his lady he enjoys; Thanks to Cupid's kind decoys。

Now he's clothed in rich attire; Not inferior to a squire; Beauty; honour; riches' store; What can man desire more?



Ballad: THE NOBLEMAN'S GENEROUS KINDNESS。

Giving an account of a nobleman; who; taking notice of a poor man's  industrious care and pains for the maintaining of his charge of  seven small children; met him upon a day; and discoursing with him;  invited him; and his wife and his children; home to his house; and  bestowed upon them a farm of thirty acres of land; to be continued  to him and his heirs for ever。

To the tune of THE TWO ENGLISH TRAVELLERS。



'THIS still popular ballad is entitled in the modern copies; THE  NOBLEMAN AND THRASHER; OR; THE GENEROUS GIFT。  There is a copy  preserved in the Roxburgh Collection; with which our version has  been collated。  It is taken from a broadside printed by Robert  Marchbank; in the Custom…house Entry; Newcastle。'


A NOBLEMAN lived in a village of late; Hard by a poor thrasher; whose charge it was great; For he had seven children; and most of them small; And nought but his labour to support them withal。

He never was given to idle and lurk; For this nobleman saw him go daily to work; With his flail and his bag; and his bottle of beer; As cheerful as those that have hundreds a year。

Thus careful; and constant; each morning he went; Unto his daily labour with joy and content; So jocular and jolly he'd whistle and sing; As blithe and as brisk as the birds in the spring。

One morning; this nobleman taking a walk; He met this poor man; and he freely did talk; He asked him 'at first' many questions at large; And then began talking concerning his charge。

'Thou hast many children; I very well know; Thy labour is hard; and thy wages are low; And yet thou art cheerful; I pray tell me true; How can you maintain them as well as you do?'

'I carefully carry home what I do earn; My daily expenses by this I do learn; And find it is possible; though we be poor; To still keep the ravenous wolf from the door。

'I reap and I mow; and I harrow and sow; Sometimes a hedging and ditching I go; No work comes amiss; for I thrash; and I plough; Thus my bread I do earn by the sweat of my brow。

'My wife she is willing to pull in a yoke; We live like two lambs; nor each other provoke; We both of us strive; like the labouring ant; And do our endeavours to keep us from want。

'And when I come home from my labour at night; To my wife and my children; in whom I delight; To see them come round me with prattling noise; … Now these are the riches a poor man enjoys。

'Though I am as weary as weary may be; The youngest I commonly dance on my knee; I find that content is a moderate feast; I never repine at my lot in the least。'

Now the nobleman hearing what he did say; Was pleased; and invited him home the next day; His wife and his children he charged him to bring; In token of favour he gave him a ring。

He thanked his honour; and taking his leave; He went to his wife; who would hardly believe But this same story himself he might raise; Yet seeing the ring she was 'lost' in amaze。

Betimes in the morning the good wife she arose; And made them all fine; in the best of their clothes; The good man with his good wife; and children small; They all went to dine at the nobleman's hall。

But when they came there; as truth does report; All things were prepared in a plentiful sort; And they at the nobleman's table did dine; With all kinds of dainties; and plenty of wine。

The feast being over; he soon let them know; That he then intended on them to bestow A farm…house; with thirty good acres of land; And gave them the writings then; with his own hand。

'Because thou art careful; and good to thy wife; I'll make thy days happy the rest of thy life; It shall be for ever; for thee and thy heirs; Because I beheld thy industrious cares。'

No tongue then is able in full to express The depth of their joy; and true thankfulness; With many a curtsey; and bow to the ground; … Such noblemen there are but few to be found。



Ballad: THE DRUNKARD'S LEGACY。  IN THREE PARTS。

First; giving an account of a gentlemen a having a wild son; and  who; foreseeing he would come to poverty; had a cottage built with  one door to it; always kept fast; and how; on his dying bed; he  charged him not to open it till he was poor and slighted; which the  young man promised he would perform。  Secondly; of the young man's  pawning his estate to a vintner; who; when poor; kicked him out of  doors; when thinking it time to see his legacy; he broke open the  cottage door; where instead of money he found a gibbet and halter;  which he put round his neck; and jumping off the stool; the gibbet  broke; and a thousand pounds came down upon his head; which lay hid  in the ceiling。  Thirdly; of his redeeming his estate; and fooling  the vintner out of two hundred pounds; who; for being jeered by his  neighbours; cut his own throat。  And lastly; of the young man's  reformation。  Very proper to be read by all who are given to  drunkenness。



'PERCY; in the introductory remarks to the ballad of THE HEIR OF  LINNE; says; 'the original of this ballad 'THE HEIR OF LINNE' is  found in the editor's folio MS。; the breaches and defects of which  rendered the insertion of supplemental stanzas necessary。  These it  is hoped the reader will pardon; as; indeed; the completion of the  story was suggested by a modern ballad on a similar subject。'  The  ballad thus alluded to by Percy is THE DRUNKARD'S LEGACY; which; it  may be remarked; although styled by him a MODERN ballad; is only so  comparatively speaking; for it must have been written long anterior  to Percy's time; and; by his own admission; must be older than the  latter portion of the HEIR OF LINNE。  Our copy is taken from an old  chap…book; without date or printer's name; and which is decorated  with three rudely executed wood…cuts。'


YOUNG people all; I pray draw near; And listen to my ditty here; Which subject shows that drunkenness Brings many mortals to distress!

As; for example; now I can Tell you of one; a gentleman; Who had a very good estate; His earthly travails they were great。

We understand he had one son Who a lewd wicked race did run; He daily spent his father's store; When moneyless; he came for more。

The father oftentimes with tears; Would this alarm sound in his ears; 'Son! thou dost all my comfort blast; And thou wilt come to want at last。'

The son these words did little mind; To cards and dice he was inclined; Feeding his drunken appetite In taverns; which was his delight。

The father; ere it was too late; He had a project in his pate; Before his aged days were run; To make provision for his son。

Near to his house; we understand; He had a waste plat of land; Which did but little profit yield; On which he did a cottage build。

The WISE MAN'S PROJECT was its name; There were few windows in the same; Only one door; substantial thing; Shut by a lock; went by a spring。

Soon after he had played this trick; It was his lot for to fall sick; As on his bed he did lament; Then for his drunken son he sent。

He shortly came to his bedside; Seeing his son; he thus replied: 'I have sent for you to make my will; Which you must faithfully fulfil。

'In such a cottage is one door; Ne'er open it; do thou be sure; Until thou art so poor; that all Do then despise you; great and small。

'For; to my grief; I do perceive; When I am dead; this life you live Will soon melt all thou hast away; Do not forget these words; I pray。

'When thou hast made thy friends thy foes; Pawned all thy lands; and sold thy clothes; Break ope the door; and there depend To find something thy griefs to end。'

This being spoke; the son did say; 'Your dying wor

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