And when they came to her father’s gate,
She pullèd at a ring;
And ready was the proud portèr
For to let the lady in.
And when the gates were open,
This lady jumpèd in;
She says, ‘You are a fool without,
And I’m a maid within.
‘Good morrow to you, modest boy,
I thank you for your care;
If you had been what you should have been,
I would not have left you there.
‘There is a horse in my father’s stable,
He stands beyond the thorn;
He shakes his head above the trough,
But dares not prie the corn.
‘There is a bird in my father’s flock,
A double comb he wears;
He flaps his wings, and crows full loud,
But a capon’s crest he bears.
‘There is a flower in my father’s garden,
They call it marygold;
The fool that will not when he may,
He shall not when he wold.’
Said the shepherd’s son, as he doft his shoon,
‘My feet they shall run bare,
And if ever I meet another maid,
I rede that maid beware.’
THE BEAUTIFUL LADY OF KENT;
OR, THE SEAMAN OF DOVER.
[We have met with two copies of this genuine English ballad; the older one is without printer’s name, but from the appearance of the type and the paper, it must have been published about the middle of the last century. It is certainly not one of the original impressions, for the other copy, though of recent date, has evidently been taken from some still older and better edition. In the modern broadside the ballad is in four parts, whereas, in our older one, there is no such expressed division, but a word at the commencement of each part is printed in capital letters.]