OH, madam, I will give you the keys of Canterbury, To set all the bells ringing when we shall be merry, If you will but walk abroad with me, If you will but walk with me.

Sir, I'll not accept of the keys of Canterbury, To set all the bells ringing when we shall be merry; Neither will I walk abroad with thee, Neither will I talk with thee!

Oh, madam, I will give you a fine carved comb, To comb out your ringlets when I am from home, If you will but walk with me, &c.

Sir, I'll not accept, &c.

Oh, madam, I will give you a pair of shoes of cork, One made in London, the other made in York, If you will but walk with me, &c.

Sir, I'll not accept, &c.

Madam, I will give you a sweet silver bell, To ring up your maidens when you are not well, If you will but walk with me, &c.

Sir, I'll not accept, &c.

Oh, my man John, what can the matter be?

I love the lady and the lady loves not me!

Neither will she walk abroad with me, Neither will she talk with me.

Oh, master dear, do not despair, The lady she shall be, shall be your only dear; And she will walk and talk with thee, And she will walk with thee!

Oh, madam, I will give you the keys of my chest, To count my gold and silver when I am gone to rest, If you will but walk abroad with me, If you will but talk with me.

Oh, sir, I will accept of the keys of your chest, To count your gold and silver when you are gone to rest, And I will walk abroad with thee, And I will talk with thee!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

JACK in the pulpit, out and in, Sold his wife for a minikin pin.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Jack Sprat could eat no fat,]

JACK SPRAT could eat no fat, His wife could eat no lean:

[Ill.u.s.tration: They lick'd the platter clean]

And so, betwixt them both, you see, They lick'd the platter clean.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

BESSY BELL and Mary Gray, They were two bonny la.s.ses; They built their house upon the lea, And covered it with rashes.

Bessy kept the garden gate, And Mary kept the pantry; Bessy always had to wait, While Mary lived in plenty.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THERE was a little man, And he woo'd a little maid, And he said, "Little maid, will you wed, wed, wed?

I have little more to say, Than will you, yea or nay, For least said is soonest mended-ded, ded, ded."

The little maid replied, Some say a little sighed, "But what shall we have for to eat, eat, eat?

Will the love that you're so rich in Make a fire in the kitchen?

Or the little G.o.d of love turn the spit, spit, spit?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

UP hill and down dale, b.u.t.ter is made in every vale, And if that Nancy Cook Is a good girl, She shall have a spouse, And make b.u.t.ter anon, Before her old grandmother Grows a young man.

[Ill.u.s.tration: As I was going up Pippen-hill]

AS I was going up Pippen-hill, Pippen-hill was dirty There I met a pretty miss, And she dropt me a curtsey.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

LITTLE miss, pretty miss, Blessings light upon you!

If I had half-a-crown a day I'd spend it all on you.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

HERE comes a l.u.s.ty wooer, My a dildin, my a daldin; Here comes a l.u.s.ty wooer, Lily bright and shine a'.

"Pray, who do you woo, My a dildin, my a daldin?

Pray, who do you woo, Lily bright and shine a'?"

"For your fairest daughter, My a dildin, my a daldin; For your fairest daughter, Lily bright and shine a'."

"Then there she is for you, My a dildin, my a daldin; Then there she is for you, Lily bright and shine a'."

[Ill.u.s.tration: HERE COMES A l.u.s.tY WOOER]

MASTER I have, and I am his man, Gallop a dreary dun; Master I have, and I am his man, And I'll get a wife as fast as I can; With a heighly gaily gamberally, Higgledy piggledy, niggledy, niggledy, Gallop a dreary dun.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

I HAD a little husband, No bigger than my thumb; I put him in a pint pot, And there I bid him drum.

I bought a little horse, That galloped up and down; I bridled him, and saddled him, And sent him out of town.

I gave him some garters To garter up his hose, And a little handkerchief To wipe his pretty nose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

DID you see my wife, did you see, did you see, Did you see my wife looking for me?

She wears a straw bonnet, with white ribbands on it, And dimity petticoats over her knee.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

I DOUBT, I doubt, my fire is out; My little wife isn't at home; I'll saddle my dog, and I'll bridle my cat, And I'll go fetch my little wife home.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

LOVE your own, kiss your own, Love your own mother, hinny, For if she was dead and gone, You'd ne'er get such another, hinny.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]