The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 46

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!

My will is for to marry, to marry, to marry, My will is for to marry; Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!

Pray who will you marry, you marry, you marry?

Pray who will you marry?

Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!

You're all too black and too brown for me, You're all too black and too brown for me, Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!

We're quite as white as you, sir; as you, sir; as you, sir; We're quite as white as you, sir; Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!

You are all as stiff as pokers, as pokers, as pokers, You are all, &c., Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!

We can bend as well as you, sir; as you, sir; as you, sir; We can bend as well as you, sir; Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!

Go through the kitchen, and through the hall, And take the fairest of them all;

The fairest one that I can see is "--,"

So come to me.

-Oxfords.h.i.+re version, brought into Worcesters.h.i.+re (Miss Broadwood).

V. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding; With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tty foll-la!

With a ransom, tansom, tay!

And pray what do you want, sirs? want, sirs? want, sirs?

With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tty foll-la!

With a ransom, tansom, tay!

I want a handsome wife, sir; wife, sir; wife, sir; With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tty foll-la!

With a ransom, tansom, tay!

I have three daughters fair, sir; fair, sir; fair, sir; With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tty foll-la!

With a ransom, tansom, tay!

They are all too black and too browny, They sit in the sun so cloudy; With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tty foll-la!

With a ransom, tansom, tay!

Go through my kitchen and my hall, And find the fairest of them all; With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tty foll-la!

With a ransom, tansom, tay!

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

-Monton, Lancas.h.i.+re (Miss Dendy).

VI. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding; Here come three dukes a-riding, with a ransom, tansom, te!