| A. |
11. Or, Our goodman came hame at een.
21. Or, How came this horse here?
22. Or, How can this be?
31. Or, Ye aid blind dottled carl.
32. Or, Blind mat ye be!
33. Or, a bonny milk-cow.
34. My minny is an alternative and necessary
reading for The miller.
41. Or, travelld.
42. Or, And meikle hae I seen.
44. [Or,] Saw I.
51. Or, Our goodman came hame.
74. The cooper sent.
9-12. At the end, with a direction as to
place: not completely written out.
91. Hame, etc.
103. Ohow.
121,2. Weel far hae I travelled,
And muckle hae I seen.
124. Saw I never nane.
The regular readings have been inserted or
substituted. In printing, Herd gave sometimes
the alternative readings, sometimes
not. |
| B. |
Printed in seven staves, or stanzas, of eight
long lines.
11, 21. Oh.
153, 193. the three.
Notes and Queries, First Series, VI, 118 ("Shropshire Ballad").
| |
I went into the stable,
To see what I could see;
I saw three gentlemen's horses,
By one, by two, by three. |
| |
I called to my loving wife,
'Coming, sir!' says she:
'What meaneth these three horses here,
Without the leave of me?' |
| |
'You old fool! you blind fool!
Can't you, won't you, see?
They are three milking-cows,
That my mother sent to me.' |
| |
'Odds bobs, here's fun!
Milking-cows with saddles on!
The likes I never see!
I cannot go a mile from home
But a cuckold I must be.' |
| |
I went into the parlour,
To see what I could see;
I saw there three gentlemen,
By one, by two, by three. |
| |
I called to my loving wife,
'Coming, sir!' said she:
'What bringeth these three gentlemen here,
Without the leave of me?' |
| |
'You old fool! you blind fool!
Can't you, won't you, see?
They are three milking-maids,
That my mother sent to me.' |
| |
'Odds bobs, here's fun!
Milking-maids with breeches on!
The likes I never see!
I cannot go a mile from home
But a cuckold I must be.' |
| |
The unhappy husband next wanders into the
pantry, and discovers ' three pairs of hunting-boots,'
which his spouse declares are |
| |
' ... milking-churns,
Which my mother sent to me.' |
| |
'Odds bobs, here's fun!
Milking-churns with spurs on!
The likes I never see!
I cannot go a mile from home
But a cuckold I must be.' |
| |
The gentleman's coats, discovered in the
kitchen, are next disposed of, but here my
memory fails me. |
|
