ancient poems-第27节

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Where　are　those　Spaniards　That　make　so　great　a　boast；　O？　They　shall　eat　the　grey　goose　feather；　And　we　will　eat　the　roast；　O！　In　every　land；　O！　The　land　where'er　we　go。　With　ha…lan…tow；　&c

As　for　Saint　George；　O！　Saint　George　he　was　a　knight；　O！　Of　all　the　knights　in　Christendom；　Saint　George　is　the　right；　O！　In　every　land；　O！　The　land　where'er　we　go。　With　ha…lan…tow；　&c。



Ballad：　CORNISH　MIDSUMMER　BONFIRE　SONG。



＇THE　very　ancient　custom　of　lighting　fires　on　Midsummer…eve；　being　　the　vigil　of　St。　John　the　Baptist；　is　still　kept　up　in　several　　parts　of　Cornwall。　　On　these　occasions　the　fishermen　and　others　　dance　about　the　fires；　and　sing　appropriate　songs。　　The　following　　has　been　sung　for　a　long　series　of　years　at　Penzance　and　the　　neighbourhood；　and　is　taken　down　from　the　recitation　of　the　leader　　of　a　West…country　choir。　　It　is　communicated　to　our　pages　by　Mr。　　Sandys。　　The　origin　of　the　Midsummer　bonfires　is　fully　explained　in　　Brand's　POPULAR　ANTIQUITIES。　　See　Sir　H。　Ellis's　edition　of　that　　work；　vol。　i。　pp。　166…186。＇


THE　bonny　month　of　June　is　crowned　With　the　sweet　scarlet　rose；　The　groves　and　meadows　all　around　With　lovely　pleasure　flows。

As　I　walked　out　to　yonder　green；　One　evening　so　fair；　All　where　the　fair　maids　may　be　seen　Playing　at　the　bonfire。

Hail！　lovely　nymphs；　be　not　too　coy；　But　freely　yield　your　charms；　Let　love　inspire　with　mirth　and　joy；　In　Cupid's　lovely　arms。

Bright　Luna　spreads　its　light　around；　The　gallants　for　to　cheer；　As　they　lay　sporting　on　the　ground；　At　the　fair　June　bonfire。

All　on　the　pleasant　dewy　mead；　They　shared　each　other's　charms；　Till　Phoebus'　beams　began　to　spread；　And　coming　day　alarms。

Whilst　larks　and　linnets　sing　so　sweet；　To　cheer　each　lovely　swain；　Let　each　prove　true　unto　their　love；　And　so　farewell　the　plain。



Ballad：　SUFFOLK　HARVEST…HOME　SONG。



＇IN　no　part　of　England　are　the　harvest…homes　kept　up　with　greater　　spirit　than　in　Suffolk。　　The　following　old　song　is　a　general　　favourite　on　such　occasions。＇


HERE'S　a　health　unto　our　master；　The　founder　of　the　feast！　I　wish；　with　all　my　heart　and　soul；　In　heaven　he　may　find　rest。　I　hope　all　things　may　prosper；　That　ever　be　takes　in　hand；　For　we　are　all　his　servants；　And　all　at　his　command。

Drink；　boys；　drink；　and　see　you　do　not　spill；　For　if　you　do；　you　must　drink　two；　…　it　is　your　master's　will。

Now　our　harvest　is　ended；　And　supper　is　past；　Here's　our　mistress'　good　health；　In　a　full　flowing　glass！　She　is　a　good　woman；　…　She　prepared　us　good　cheer；　Come；　all　my　brave　boys；　And　drink　off　your　beer。

Drink；　my　boys；　drink　till　you　come　unto　me；　The　longer　we　sit；　my　boys；　the　merrier　shall　we　be！

In　yon　green　wood　there　lies　an　old　fox；　Close　by　his　den　you　may　catch　him；　or　no；　Ten　thousand　to　one　you　catch　him；　or　no。　His　beard　and　his　brush　are　all　of　one　colour；　…　＇TAKES　THE　GLASS　AND　EMPTIES　IT　OFF。　I　am　sorry；　kind　sir；　that　your　glass　is　no　fuller。　'Tis　down　the　red　lane！　　'tis　down　the　red　lane！　So　merrily　hunt　the　fox　down　the　red　lane！　（38）



Ballad：　THE　HAYMAKER'S　SONG。



＇AN　old　and　very　favourite　ditty　sung　in　many　parts　of　England　at　　merry…makings；　especially　at　those　which　occur　during　the　hay…　harvest。　　It　is　not　in　any　collection。＇


IN　the　merry　month　of　June；　In　the　prime　time　of　the　year；　Down　in　yonder　meadows　There　runs　a　river　clear：　And　many　a　little　fish　Doth　in　that　river　play；　And　many　a　lad；　and　many　a　lass；　Go　abroad　a…making　hay。

In　come　the　jolly　mowers；　To　mow　the　meadows　down；　With　budget　and　with　bottle　Of　ale；　both　stout　and　brown；　All　labouring　men　of　courage　bold　Come　here　their　strength　to　try；　They　sweat　and　blow；　and　cut　and　mow；　For　the　grass　cuts　very　dry。

Here's　nimble　Ben　and　Tom；　With　pitchfork；　and　with　rake；　Here's　Molly；　Liz；　and　Susan；　Come　here　their　hay　to　make。　While　sweet；　jug；　jug；　jug！　The　nightingale　doth　sing；　From　morning　unto　even…song；　As　they　are　hay…making。

And　when　that　bright　day　faded；　And　the　sun　was　going　down；　There　was　a　merry　piper　Approached　from　the　town：　He　pulled　out　his　pipe　and　tabor；　So　sweetly　he　did　play；　Which　made　all　lay　down　their　rakes；　And　leave　off　making　hay。

Then　joining　in　a　dance；　They　jig　it　o'er　the　green；　Though　tired　with　their　labour；　No　one　less　was　seen。　But　sporting　like　some　fairies；　Their　dance　they　did　pursue；　In　leading　up；　and　casting　off；　Till　morning　was　in　view。

And　when　that　bright　daylight；　The　morning　it　was　come；　They　lay　down　and　rested　Till　the　rising　of　the　sun：　Till　the　rising　of　the　sun；　When　the　merry　larks　do　sing；　And　each　lad　did　rise　and　take　his　lass；　And　away　to　hay…making。



Ballad：　THE　SWORD…DANCERS'　SONG。



＇SWORD…DANCING　is　not　so　common　in　the　North　of　England　as　it　was　a　　few　years　ago；　but　a　troop　of　rustic　practitioners　of　the　art　may　　still　be　occasionally　met　with　at　Christmas　time；　in　some　of　the　　most　secluded　of　the　Yorkshire　dales。　　The　following　is　a　copy　of　　the　introductory　song；　as　it　used　to　be　sung　by　the　Wharfdale　　sword…dancers。　　It　has　been　transcribed　from　a　MS。　in　the　　possession　of　Mr。　Holmes；　surgeon；　at　Grassington；　in　Craven。　　At　　the　conclusion　of　the　song　a　dance　ensues；　and　sometimes　a　rustic　　drama　is　performed。　　See　post；　p。　175。　　JUMPING　JOAN；　alluded　to　in　　the　last　verse；　is　a　well…known　old　country　dance　tune。＇

THE　SPECTATORS　BEING　ASSEMBLED；　THE　CLOWN　ENTERS；　AND　AFTER　DRAWING　　A　CIRCLE　WITH　HIS　SWORD；　WALKS　ROUND　IT；　AND　CALLS　IN　THE　ACTORS　IN　　THE　FOLLOWING　LINES；　WHICH　ARE　SUNG　TO　THE　ACCOMPANIMENT　OF　A　　VIOLIN　PLAYED　OUTSIDE；　OR　BEHIND　THE　DOOR。


THE　first　that　enters　on　the　floor；　His　name　is　Captain　Brown；　I　think　he　is　as　smart　a　youth　As　any　in　this　town：　In　courting　of　the　ladies　gay；　He　fixes　his　delight；　He　will　not　stay　from　them　all　day；　And　is　with　them　all　the　night。

The　next's　a　tailor　by　his　trade；　Called　Obadiah　Trim；　You　may　quickly　guess；　by　his　plain　dress；　And　hat　of　broadest　brim；　That　he　is　of　the　Quaking　sect；　Who　would　seem　to　act　by　merit　Of　yeas　and　nays；　and　hums　and　hahs；　And　motions　of　the　spirit。

The　next　that　enters　on　the　floor；　He　is　a　foppish　knight；　The　first　to　be　in　modish　dress；　He　studies　day　and　night。　Observe　his　habit　round　about；　…　Even　from　top　to　toe；　The　fashion　late　from　France　was　brought；　…　He's　finer　than　a　beau！

Next　I　present　unto　your　view　A　very　worthy　man；　He　is　a　vintner；　by　his　trade；　And　Love…ale　is　his　name。　If　gentlemen　propose　a　glass；　He　seldom　says　'em　nay；　But　does　always　think　it's　right　to　drink；　While　other　people　pay。

The　next　that　enters　on　the　floor；　It　is　my　beauteous　dame；　Most　dearly　I　do　her　adore；　And　Bridget　is　her　name。　At　needlework　she　does　excel　All　that　e'er　learnt　to　sew；　And　when　I　choose；　she'll　ne'er　refuse；　What　I　command　her　do。

And　I　myself　am　come　long　since；　And　Thomas　is　my　name；　Though　some　are　pleased　to　call　me　Tom；　I　think　they're　much　to　blame：　Folks　should　not　use　their　betters　thus；　But　I　value　it　not　a　groat；　Though　the　tailors；　too；　that　botching　crew；　Have　patched　it　on　my　coat。

I　pray　who's　this　we've　met　with　here；　That　tickles　his　trunk　wame？　（39）　We've　picked　him　up　as　here　we　came；　And　cannot　learn　his　name：　But　sooner　than　he's　go　without；　I'll　call　him　my　son　Tom；　And　if　he'll　play；　be　it　night　or　day；　We'll　dance　you　JUMPING　JOAN。



Ballad：　THE　SWORD…DANCERS'　SONG　AND　INTERLUDE。　　AS　NOW　PERFORMED　AT　　CHRISTMAS；　IN　THE　COUNTY　OF　DURHAM。



＇THE　late　Sir　Cuthbert　Sharp　remarks；　that　'It　is　still　the　　practice　during　the　Christmas　holidays　for　companies　of　fifteen　to　　perform　a　sort　of　play　or　dance；　accompanied　by　song　or　music。'　　　The　following　version　of　the　song；　or　interlude；　has　been　　transcribed　from　Sir　C。　Sharp's　BISHOPRICK　GARLAND；　corrected　by　　collation　with　a　MS。　copy　recently　remitted　to　the　editor　by　a　　countryman　of　Durham。　　The　Devonshire　peasants　have　a　version　　almost　identical　with　this；　but　laths　are　used　instead　of　swords；　　and　a　few　different　characters　are　introduced　to　suit　the　locality。　　　The　pageant　called　THE　FOOL　PLOUGH；　which　consists　of　a　number　of　　sword…dancers　dragging　a　plough　with　music；　was　anciently　observed　　in　the　North　of　England；　not　only　at　Christmas　time；　but　also　in　　the　beginning　of　Lent。　　Wallis　thinks　that　the　SWORD　DANCE　is　the　　antic　dance；　or　chorus　armatus　of　the　Romans。　　Brand　supposes　that　　it　is　a　composition　made　up　of　the　gleaning　of　several　obsolete　　customs　anciently　followed　in　England　and　other　countries。　　The　　Germans　still　practise　the　SWORD　DANCE　at　Christmas　and　Easter。　　We　　once　witnessed　a　SWORD　DANCE　in　the　Eifel　mountains；　which　closely　　resembled　our　own；　but　no　interlude；　or　drama；　was　performed。＇


ENTER　DANCERS；　DECORATED　WITH　SWORDS　AND　RIBBONS；　THE　CAPTAIN　OF　　THE　BAND　WEARING　A　COCKED　HAT　AND　A　PEACOCK'S　FEATHER　IN　IT　BY　WAY　　OF　COCKADE；　AND　THE　CLOWN；　OR　'BESSY；'　WHO　ACTS　AS　TREASURER；　BEING　　DECORATED　WITH　A　HAIRY　CAP　AND　A　FOX'S　BRUSH　DEPENDENT。

THE　CAPTAIN　FORMS　WITH　HIS　SWORD　A　CIRCLE；　AROUND　WHICH　WALKS。

THE　BESSY　OPENS　THE　PROCEEDINGS　BY　SINGING　…

GOOD　gentlemen　all；　to　our　captain　take　heed；　And　hear　what　he's　got　for　to　sing；　He's　lived　among　music　these　forty　long　year；　And　drunk　of　the　elegant　（40）　spring。

THE　CAPTAIN　THEN　PROCEEDS　AS　FOLLOWS；　HI