The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #37602 Message #3008106
Posted By: Jim Dixon
15-Oct-10 - 07:29 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Three Jovial Huntsmen (and related songs)
Subject: Lyr Add: CHOICE OF INUENTIONS
From The Old Book Collector's Miscellany, Volume 1 by Charles Hindley (London: Reeves and Turner, 1871), page 106:
Choice of Inuentions,
Or
Seuerall sorts of the figure of three,
That are newly compos'd as you may here see;
Then lend your attention, you shall heare anon;
It goes to the tune of Rock the Cradle, sweet John.
1. There were three men of Gotam,
as I haue heard men say,
That needs would ride a hunting
vpon Saint Dauid's day.
Though all the day they hunting were,
yet no sport could they see,
Vntill they spide an Owle,
as she sate in a tree.
The first man said it t'was a Goose.
the second man said nay,
The third man said it was a Hawke,
but his Bels were falne away:
[CHORUS] There was an Ewe had three Lambes,
and one of them was blacke;
There was a man had three sonnes,
Ieffery, Iames, and Iacke;
The one was hang'd, the other drown'd,
The third was lost and never found,
The old man he fell in a sownd:
come, fill vs a cup of Sacke.
2. There were three London Lasses
did loue a bonney Lad,
And either of these Wenchs thought
this young man to haue had.
These Damsels all together met,
and wrought a strange deuice,
That she should have the man that could
throw most vpon three Dice;
Their maiden-heads must be the stake,
now marke what did befall,
The young man threw the greatest cast,
and brauely wonne they all.
3. There were three good old women
that would not be contrould,
And each of them must take her cup,
to keepe them from the cold.
The one of them a Taylors wife,
the other was a Weauer,
The third a merry Coblers wife,
that praid for dirty weather;
To sit and chat of this and that,
it was then their hearts desire;
So long they staid till two were drunk,
the third fell in the fire.
4. The Piper pip't his wife a daunce,
and there sprung vp a Rose;
The Cobler drunke strong Ale so long
till he had wrong'd his Hose;
His wife came with a Broomstaffe,
and strooke him on the head,
That euery one did surely thinke
the Cobler had beene dead:
But being to his senses come,
"sweet wife," said he, "be quiet,
This twelue months day Ile take small Beere
or water for my diet."
5. A man that hath a sluttish wife
is in a beastly taking:
And he that hath a cleanly wife
is of another making;
He that hath a dogged wife
my fancy cannot brooke,
But he that hath a vertuous wife
hath farre more better lucke:
He that hath a drunken wife,
that spends all at the Alehouse,
Were better take a Cord in hand,
and hang himselfe at the Gallowes.
The Second Part, to the same tune.
6. There was a Lasse had three Louers,
the one of them a Taylor,
The second was a monied man,
the third a Iouiall Saylor:
The Taylor gaue his Loue a Gowne,
in loue and kinde good will;
The Vsurer, with his money-bags,
her purse did often fill;
The Saylor in the Euening came
vnto his hearts delight,
And brauely carried the wench away,
the childe and all, by night.
[CHORUS AS IN PART 1]
7. There were three roaring Fidlers
came lately out of France,
That light and nimbly can
teach maidens how to daunce.
In Turnbull-street and Clarkenwell,
Pickt-hatch, and faire Bloomsberry,
These fidlers taught their scholler there
to sing, daunce, and be merry:
Yet bid all Fidlers haue a care
of dauncing in this kinde,
Lest they from Tiburne chance to fall,
and leaue the Crowd behinde.
8. A man that hath a signe at his doore,
and keeps good Ale to sell,
A comely wife to please his guests,
may thriue exceedingly well;
But he that hath a scolding wife,
his fortune is the worse,
For shee'll not onely brawle and chide,
but picke her husbands purse:
And he that hath a foole to his wife,
her neighbours oft will flout her;
But he that hath a Whore to his wife,
were better be without her.
9. There were three lusty souldiers
went through a towne of late,
The one lou'd Besse, the other Sisse,
the third lou'd bouncing Kate.
These maidens were three Landresses,
to wash mens shirts and bands,
And for their pains these souldiers gaue
them wages in their hands.
The Gallants are to Sweathland gone—
all this is truth I tell yee—
And left these Lasses for to cry,
"woe and alas! my belly!"
10. Three Gallants in a Tauerne
did brauely call for Wine;
But he that loues those dainty Gates
is sure no friend of mine;
Giue me a cup of Barley broth,
for this of truth is spoke,
These Gallants drunke so hard that each
was forct to pawne his Cloake:
The oyle of Barley neuer did
such iniury doe to none,
So that they drinke what may suffice,
and afterwards be gone.
Printed at London for F. Coles,