Come Lasses and Lads

Excerpt

COME LASSES AND LADS

Come Lasses and Lads, get leave of your Dads,

And away to the May-pole hey:

For every he
Has got him a she,
with a minstrel standing by.

ForWillyhas gotten hisJill,And Johnnyhas got hisJone,To jigg it, jigg it, jigg it, jigg it,Jigg it up and down.

"Strike up," saysWatt; "Agreed," saysKate,"And I prithee, Fiddler, play;""Content," saysHodge, and so saysMadge,For this is a Holiday!Then every man did put his hat off to his lass,And every girl did curchy, curchy, curchy on the grass.

"Begin," saysHall; "Ay, ay," saysMall,"We'll lead up Packington's pound:""No, no," saysNoll, and so saysDoll,"We'll first have Sellenger's round."

Then every man began to foot it round about,And every girl did jet it,Jet it, jet it in and out.

"You're out," saysDick; "Not I," saysNick."The Fiddler played it false;""'Tis true," saysHugh, and so saysSue,And so says nimbleAlice.

The Fiddler then began to play the tune again,And every girl did trip it,Trip it, trip it to the men.

Then after an hour, they went to a bower,And played for ale and cakes,And kisses too—until they were due the lasses held the stakes.

The girls did then begin to quarrel with the men,And bid them take their kisses back, and give them their own again,And bid them take their kisses back and give them their own again.

Now there they did stay the whole of the day,And tired the Fiddler quite,With singing and playing, without any paying,From morning until night.

They told the Fiddler then, they'd pay him for his play,And each a 2-pence, 2-pence, 2-pence, gave him and went away.

"Good-night," saysHarry; "Good-night," saysMary;"Good-night," saysDollytoJohn;"Good-night," saysSue, to her sweetheartHugh,"Good night," says everyone.

Some walked and some did run, Some loitered on the way,And bound themselves, by kisses twelve, To meet the next Holiday,And bound themselves, by kisses twelve, To meet the next Holiday.

ENGRAVED AND PRINTED BY EDMUND EVANS, LTD.,
154 CLERKENWELL ROAD, LONDON, E.C.1.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAI...N