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VALOUR, AND MARRIAGE. 351 |
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I'm the king of the fidlers, and I swear 'tis truth, ira And I call him that doubts it a gull:
' For I saw them fighting, and fiddled the while, And Clorinda sung " Hey deny down ! The bumkins are beaten, put up thy sword, Bob, And now let's dance into the town." iso
Before we came in, we heard a strange shouting,
And all that were in it look'd madly; For some were on bull-back, some dancing a morris,
And some singing Arihur-a-Bradley.
And there we see Thomas, our justices clerk, ias
And Mary, to whom he was kind ; For Tom rode before her, and call'd Mary madam,
And kiss'd her full sweetly behind:
And so may your worships. But we went to dinner, With Thomas and Mary, and Nan; 190
They all drank a health to Clorinda and told her Bold Robin Hood was a fine man.
When dinner was ended, sir Roger, the parson-Of Dubbridge, was sent for in haste:
then let loose. If the minstrels could take and hold him," even so long as to deprive him of the smallest portion of his hair, he was declared their property, provided this was done within the confines of Staffordshire, and before sunset. The boll was next collared and roped, and being brought to the market cross, was baited with dogs. After this he was delivered to the minstrels, who might dispose of him as they deemed proper. Vide Blount's Ancient Tenures, Hawkins's History of Music, Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, for fuller particulars of this ancient custom. Gotch. |
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