Volume Ii Part 46 (1/2)

Which of us will you choose, sirs?

Or,

Will you marry one of my daughters?]

II. Here comes three dukes a-riding, a-riding, With a ransome dansome day!

Pray what is your intent, sirs, intent, sirs?

With a ransome dansome day!

My intent is to marry, to marry!

Will you marry one of my daughters, my daughters?

You are as stiff as pokers, as pokers!

We can bend like you, sir, like you, sir!

You're all too black and too blowsy, too blowsy, For a dilly-dally officer!

Good enough for _you_, sir! for _you_, sir!

If I must have any, I will have this, So come along, my pretty miss!

-Chirbury (_Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 517).

III. Here come three dukes a-riding, A-riding, a-riding; Here come three dukes a-riding, With a rancy, tancy, tee!

Pray what is your good will, sirs?

Will, sirs, will, sirs?

Pray what is your good will, sirs?

With a rancy, tancy, tee!

My will is for to marry you, To marry you, to marry you; My will is for to marry you, With a rancy, tancy, tee!

You're all so black and blousey (blowsy?), Sitting in the sun so drowsy; With silver chains about ye, With a rancy, tancy, tee!

Or,

[With golden chains about your necks, Which makes you look so frowsy.]

Walk through the kitchen, and through the hall, And pick the fairest of them all.

This is the fairest I can see, So pray, Miss --, walk with me.

-Leicester (Miss Ellis).

IV. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding, Here come three dukes riding, riding, riding; Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea (_sic_).

Pray what is your good will, sir, will, sir, will, sir?

Pray what is your good will, sir?

Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!