The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 56

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.

-Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. W. Gregor).

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

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

Let her be young, or yet too old, yet too old, yet too old, But for her beauty she must be sold.

The haughty thing, she won't come out, she won't come out, she won't come out; The haughty thing, she won't come out, To help us with our dancing.

Now we have got a beautiful maid, a beautiful maid, a beautiful maid; Now we have got a beautiful maid, To help us with our dancing.

-Nairn (Mrs. Jamieson, through Rev. W. Gregor).

x.x.xV. One poor sailor dressed in blue, dressed in blue, dressed in blue, One poor sailor dressed in blue, Has come for the sake of your daughter Sue.

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

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

Take her, take her, the coach is free.

The fairest one that I can see is bonny ( ), come with me.

[No!]

The dirty sclipe, she won't come out, she won't come out, she won't come out; The dirty sclipe, she won't come out to dance along with me.

Now, I have got another poor maid, &c., To come along with me.

-Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).

x.x.xVI. Here comes two ladies down from Spain, A len (?) [all in] French garland.

I've come to court your daughter Jane, And adieu to you, my darling.

-Scotland (_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, v. 393).

x.x.xVII. Here are just three tribes come down from Spain, To call upon my sister Jane.

My sister Jane, she is far too young; I cannot bear her chattering tongue.

The fairest lily that I can see, Is pretty little Lizzie, will ye come to me?

[No!]

The dirty thing, she won't come out, she won't come out, she won't come out; The dirty thing, she won't come out, to help us with the dancing.

[Yes!]