B
a. Herd, The Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 46. b. Curious Tracts, Scotland, British Museum, 1078, m. 24, No 30.
1
There was a jolly beggar, and a begging he was bound,
And he took up his quarters into a landart town.
Fa la la, etc.
2
He wad neither ly in barn, nor yet wad he in byre,
But in ahint the ha-door, or else afore the fire.
3
The beggar’s bed was made at een wi good clean straw and hay,
And in ahint the ha-door, and there the beggar lay.
4
Up raise the goodman’s dochter, and for to bar the door,
And there she saw the beggar standin i the floor.
5
He took the lassie in his arms and to the bed he ran,
‘O hooly, hooly wi me, sir! ye’ll waken our goodman.’
6
The beggar was a cunnin loon, and neer a word he spake
Until he got his turn done, syne he began to crack.
7
‘Is there ony dogs into this town? maiden, tell me true.’
‘And what wad ye do wi them, my hinny and my dow?’
8
‘They’ll rive a’ my mealpocks, and do me meikle wrang.’
‘O dool for the doing o’t! are ye the poor man?’
9
Then she took up the mealpocks and flang them oer the wa:
‘The d—l gae wi the mealpocks, my maidenhead and a’!
10
‘I took ye for some gentleman, at least the Laird of Brodie;
O dool for the doing o’t! are ye the poor bodie?’
11
He took the lassie in his arms and gae her kisses three,
And four-and-twenty hunder merk to pay the nurice-fee.
12
He took a horn frae his side and blew baith loud and shrill,
And four-and-twenty belted knights came skipping oer the hill.
13
And he took out his little knife, loot a’ his duddies fa,
And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a’.
14
The beggar was a cliver loon and he lap shoulder height:
‘O ay for sicken quarters as I gat yester-night!’
A.
62. disere.
92. puss might be russ here, but is unquestionable in the next stanza.
242. blaest for braest. 262. ninge (nigne may be what was intended).
B. b. A slip with no imprint. Dated in the Museum catalogue 1800?
1
There was a jolly beggar, and a begging he had been,
With his fal de diddle de dal dal
And he took up his quarters in a house in Aberdeen.
With his toran oran ad de odi
2
This beggar would not lye in barn nor yet would he in byre,
But he would lye into the ha, or beyond the kitchen-fire.
3
The beggar’s bed it was well made, with clean straw and hay,
And beyond the kitchen-fire, there the jolly beggar lay.
4
The lassie then she did get up to bar the kitchen-door,
An there she met the jolly beggar, standing naked on the floor.
5
He gript the lassie by the middle jimp, laid her against the wa,
‘O kind sir,’ she said, ‘be civil, for ye will wake my dadda.’
6
He never minded what she said, but carried on his stroke,
Till he got his job done, then he began to joke.
7
‘Have you got any dogs about the house, or any cats ava?
For I’m feared she’ll cut my mealpocks before I gang awa.’
8
The lassie took up the mealpocks, threw them against the wa,
‘O deil tak your mealpocks! my maidenhead’s awa.’
9
The lassie she got up again the hour before ’twas day,
For to gie the beggar hansel before he went away.
10
She went into the cellar, to draw a pot of ale,
The beggar followed after, and did the job again.
11
He laid her on the ringle-tree, and gave her kisses three,
And he gave her twenty guineas, to pay the nurse’s fee.
12
‘Had you been an honest lass, as I took you to be,
You might have rode in your carriage and gone along with me.’
13
The beggar he took a horn and blew it wondrous shrill;
There was four-and-twenty belted knights came riding oer the hill.
14
‘Now if you are afraid you should miscall your child,
You may call him for the daddy o’t, the great Duke of Argyle.’
11, jelly: but
32, 42, jolly.
31. hay and straw.
91. hours.
132. kinpa for knights.
There are many other misprints; some, perhaps, which are not corrected, as she’ll cut, 72.
The copy in Motherwell’s MS, p. 124, ends:
He louted oure the saddle to her and gave her kisses three,
And he gave her fifty guineas, to pay the nourice-fee.
‘Oh had you been an honest maid, as I thocht ye wud hae been,
I would have made you lady of a’ the land, and then the Scotish queen.’
B. c.
From the recitation of Miss Jane Webster, Crossmichael, August 8, 1893; learned by her many years ago from her mother, Janet Spark.
1
There was a jolly beggar, as mony a ane has been,
An he’s taen up his lodging in a house near Aberdeen.
Wi his yi yi yanti O, his eerie eerie an
Wi his fine tan taraira, the jolly beggar-man
2
He wadna lie in barn, nor he wadna lie in byre,
But he wad lie at the ha-door or the back o the kitchen-fire.
B. d.
From the recitation of the same, on the same occasion; learned in youth at Airds of Kells, from the singing of Thomas Duffy, joiner, Parton.
Refrain:
Wi his long staff, and ragged coat, and breeches to his knee,
And he was the bauldest beggar-man that eer my eyes did see.
a.
4
Up rose the farmer’s daughter, for to bar the door,
There she beheld a naked man, was standing on the floor.
7
‘Hae ye ony cats or dogs, or hae ye eer a grew?
I’m feared they rive my meal-pokes, when I am kissing you.’
9
She’s taen up his meal-pokes an thrown them owre the wa:
‘O the deil gang wi your meal-pokes! for my maidenhead’s awa.’
‘It’s fare ye weel, gudewife, an it’s fare ye weel, gudeman,
Ye hae a gude fat doughter, an I rattled on her pan.
b.
12
‘If she had been an honest lass, as I took her to be,
She micht hae ridden in her coach-an-four this day along wi me.’
a.
12
Then he took oot a whistle, an he’s blawn baith loud and shrill,
There was four-an-twenty foresters cam at their master’s will.
13
Then he took oot a wee pen-knife, an let his duddies fa,
And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a’.
The English broadside, Pepys Ballads, III, 73, No 71.
THE POLLITICK BEGGER-MAN.
Who got the love of a pretty maid
And on her cittern sweetly plaid;
At last she slung her milk-pail over the wall,
And bid the De’l take milk-pail, maidenhead and all.
Tune is, There was a jovial begger.[96]
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, J. Wright, and J. Clarke.
1
There was a jovial begger-man,
a begging he was bound,
And he did seek his living
in country and in town.
With a long staff and a patcht coat,
he prancd along the pad,
And by report of many a one
he was a proper lad.
His cheeks were like the crimson rose,
his forehead smooth and high,
And he was the bravest begger-man
that ever I saw with eye.
2
He came unto a farmer’s gate
and for an alms did crave;
The maid did like the begger-man
and good relief she gave.
She took him by the lilly hand
and set him to the fire,
Which was as well as tongue could tell
Or heart of man desire.
3
A curious mess of firmaty
for him she did provide,
With a lovely cup of nut-brown
and sugar sops beside.
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4
‘Sweet-heart, give me some lodging,
that I all night may stay,
Or else give me my answer,
that I may go away.’
The maid went to the hay-mow
and fetcht a bottle of hay,
And laid it behind the parlor-door,
On which the begger-man lay.
5
‘Resolve me,’ said the maiden,
‘if that you will or can,
For I do verily believe
thou art a gentleman.’
‘In truth then,’ said the begger,
‘my parents they are poor,
And I do seek my living
each day from door to door.’
6
‘’Tis pity,’ said this maiden fair,
‘that such a lively lad
Should be a begger’s only heir,
a fortune poor and bad.
I wish that my condition
were of the same degree,
Then hand in hand I’de quickly wend
throughout the world with thee.’
7
When he perceivd the maiden’s mind,
and that her heart was his,
He did embrace her in his arms
And sweetly did her kiss.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
8
In lovely sport and merriment
the night away they spent
In Venus game, for their delight
and both their hearts content:
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
9
Betimes in the morning then,
as soon as it was day,
He left the damosel fast asleep
and nimbly budgd away.
When he from her an hour was gone
the damosel she did wake,
And seeing the begger-man not there
her heart began to ake.
10
Then did she sigh and wring her hands,
the tears did trickling pour,
For loosing her virginity
and virgins maiden flower.
When twenty weeks were come and gone
her heart was something sad,
Because she found herself with barn,
and does not know the dad.
11
‘There is, I see, no remedy
for what is past and gone,
And many a one that laughs at me
may do as I have done.’
Then did she take her milk-pail,
and flung it over the wall:
‘O the Devil go with my milk-pail,
my maidenhead and all!’
12
You maidens fair, where ere you are,
Keep up your store and goods,
For when that some have got their wills
They’l leave you in the suds.
Let no man tempt you nor entice,
be not too fond and coy,
But soon agree to loyalty,
Your freedom to enjoy.
44. go that way.