AT Winchester was a wedding, | |
| The like was never seen, | |
| ’Twixt lusty Ralph of Reading | |
| And bonny Black Bess of the Green: | |
| The fiddlers were crowding before, | 5 |
| Each lass was as fine as a queen; | |
| There was a hundred and more, | |
| For all the country came in: | |
| Brisk Robin led Rose so fair, | |
| She looked like a lily o’ th’ vale, | 10 |
| And ruddy-faced Harry led Mary, | |
| And Roger led bouncing Nell. | |
| |
| With Tommy came smiling Katy, | |
| He helped her over the stile, | |
| And swore there was none so pretty | 15 |
| In forty and forty long mile: | |
| Kit gave a green gown to Betty, | |
| And lent her his hand to rise; | |
| But Jenny was jeered by Watty | |
| For looking blue under the eyes: | 20 |
| Thus merrily chatting all, | |
| They passed to the bride-house along, | |
| With Johnny and pretty-faced Nanny, | |
| The fairest of all the throng. | |
| |
| The bride came out to meet ’em, | 25 |
| Afraid the dinner was spoiled; | |
| And ushered ’em in to treat ’em | |
| With baked and roasted and boiled: | |
| The lads were so frolic and jolly, | |
| For each had his love by his side, | 30 |
| But Willy was melancholy, | |
| For he had a mind to the bride: | |
| Then Philip begins her health | |
| And turns a beer-glass on his thumb; | |
| But Jenkin was reckoned for drinking | 35 |
| The best in Christendom. | |
| |
| And, now they had dined, advancing | |
| Into the midst of the Hall, | |
| The fiddlers struck up for dancing | |
| And Jeremy led up the brawl; | 40 |
| But Margery kept a quarter, | |
| A lass that was proud of her pelf, | |
| ’Cause Arthur had stolen her garter | |
| And swore he would tie it himself: | |
| She struggled, and blushed, and frowned, | 45 |
| And ready with anger to cry, | |
| ’Cause Arthur, with tying her garter, | |
| Had slipped his hand too high. | |
| |
| And now, for throwing the stocking, | |
| The bride away was led; | 50 |
| The bridegroom got drunk and was knocking | |
| For candles to light ’em to bed: | |
| But Robin, that found him silly, | |
| Most friendly took him aside, | |
| The while that his wife with Willy | 55 |
| Was playing at hopper’s-hide: | |
| And now the warm game begins, | |
| The critical minute was come, | |
| And chatting and billing and kissing | |
| Went merrily round the room. | 60 |
| |
| Pert Stephen was kind to Betty, | |
| And blithe as a bird in the spring; | |
| And Tommy was so to Katy, | |
| And married her with a rush-ring: | |
| Sukey, that danced with the cushion, | 65 |
| An hour from the room had been gone, | |
| And Barnaby knew by her blushing | |
| That some other dance had been done: | |
| And thus, of the fifty fair maids | |
| That came to the wedding with men, | 70 |
| Scarce five of the fifty was left ye | |
| That so did return again. | |
| |
