Volume Ii Part 56 (1/2)

Be she young, or be she old, She for beauty must and shall be sold.

So fare thee well, my lady gay, We'll take our horse and ride away, And call again another day.

Come back, come back! you Spanish knight, And clean your spurs, they are not bright.

My spurs are bright as ”rickety rock” [and richly wrought], And in this town they were not bought, And in this town they shan't be sold, Neither for silver, copper, nor gold.

So fare thee well, &c.

Come back! come back! you Spanish Jack [or c.o.xcomb].

Spanish Jack [or c.o.xcomb] is not my name, I'll stamp my foot [stamps] and say the same.

So fare thee well, &c.

Come back! come back! you Spanish knight, And choose the fairest in your sight.

This is the fairest I can see, So pray, young damsel, walk with me.

We've brought your daughter, safe and sound, And in her pocket a thousand pound, And on her finger a gay gold ring, We hope you won't refuse to take her in.

I'll take her in with all my heart, For she and ”me” were loth to part.

-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 46, 47).

x.x.xII. Here comes three dukes all out of Spain, For to court your daughter Jane.

My daughter Jane, she is too young, She cannot bear your flattering tongue.

Be she young, or be she old, For her beauty she must be sold.

So fare thee well, my lady gay, We'll call again another day.

Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight, And take the fairest in your sight.

Well through the kitchen and through the hall, I take the fairest of you all.

The fairest one that I can see Is pretty --, come to me.

-Gloucesters.h.i.+re (Northall's _Rhymes_, p. 385).

x.x.xIII. Two poor sailors dressed in blue, Two poor sailors dressed in blue, Two poor sailors dressed in blue, We come for the sake of your daughter Loo.

My daughter Loo, she is too young, She cannot bear your flattering tongue.

Whether she be young, or whether she be old, It is our duty, she must be sold.

Take her, take her, the coach is free, The fairest one that you can see.

The fairest one that we can see, Is bonnie [ ]. Come to me.

Here's all your daughters safe and sound, In every pocket a thousand pound, On every finger a guinea gold ring, So please, take one of your daughters in.