Lyrical Poems [10]
afford Shall bless thy bed, and bless thy board. The soft sweet moss shall be thy bed, With crawling woodbine over-spread: By which the silver-shedding streams Shall gently melt thee into dreams. Thy clothing next, shall be a gown Made of the fleeces' purest down. The tongues of kids shall be thy meat; Their milk thy drink; and thou shalt eat The paste of filberts for thy bread With cream of cowslips buttered: Thy feasting-table shall be hills With daisies spread, and daffadils; Where thou shalt sit, and Red-breast by, For meat, shall give thee melody. I'll give thee chains and carcanets Of primroses and violets. A bag and bottle thou shalt have, That richly wrought, and this as brave; So that as either shall express The wearer's no mean shepherdess. At shearing-times, and yearly wakes, When Themilis his pastime makes, There thou shalt be; and be the wit, Nay more, the feast, and grace of it. On holydays, when virgins meet To dance the heys with nimble feet, Thou shalt come forth, and then appear The Queen of Roses for that year. And having danced ('bove all the best) Carry the garland from the rest, In wicker-baskets maids shall bring To thee, my dearest shepherdling, The blushing apple, bashful pear, And shame-faced plum, all simp'ring there. Walk in the groves, and thou shalt find The name of Phillis in the rind Of every straight and smooth-skin tree; Where kissing that, I'll twice kiss thee. To thee a sheep-hook I will send, Be-prank'd with ribbands, to this end, This, this alluring hook might be Less for to catch a sheep, than me. Thou shalt have possets, wassails fine, Not made of ale, but spiced wine; To make thy maids and self free mirth, All sitting near the glitt'ring hearth. Thou shalt have ribbands, roses, rings, Gloves, garters, stockings, shoes, and strings Of winning colours, that shall move Others to lust, but me to love. --These, nay, and more, thine own shall be, If thou wilt love, and live with me.
*18*
THE WASSAIL
Give way, give way, ye gates, and win An easy blessing to your bin And basket, by our entering in.
May both with manchet stand replete; Your larders, too, so hung with meat, That though a thousand, thousand eat,
Yet, ere twelve moons shall whirl about Their silv'ry spheres, there's none may doubt But more's sent in than was served out.
Next, may your dairies prosper so, As that your pans no ebb may know; But if they do, the more to flow,
Like to a solemn sober stream, Bank'd all with lilies, and the cream Of sweetest cowslips filling them.
Then may your plants be press'd with fruit, Nor bee or hive you have be mute, But sweetly sounding like a lute.
Last, may your harrows, shares, and ploughs, Your stacks, your stocks, your sweetest mows, All prosper by your virgin-vows.
--Alas! we bless, but see none here, That brings us either ale or beer; In a dry-house all things are near.
Let's leave a longer time to wait, Where rust and cobwebs bind the gate; And all live here with needy fate;
Where chimneys do for ever weep For want of warmth, and stomachs keep With noise the servants' eyes from sleep.
It is in vain to sing, or stay Our free feet here, but we'll away: Yet to the Lares this we'll say:
'The time will come when you'll be sad, 'And reckon this for fortune bad, 'T'ave lost the good ye might have had.'
*19*
THE FAIRIES
If ye will with Mab find grace, Set each platter in his place; Rake the fire up, and get Water in, ere sun be set. Wash your pails and cleanse your dairies, Sluts are loathsome to the fairies; Sweep your house; Who doth not so, Mab will pinch her by the toe.
*20*
CEREMONY UPON CANDLEMAS EVE
Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and misletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas hall; That so the superstitious find No one least branch there left behind; For look, how many leaves there be Neglected there, maids, trust to me, So many goblins you shall see.
*21*
CEREMONIES FOR CANDLEMAS EVE
Down with the rosemary and bays, Down with the misletoe; Instead of holly,
*18*
THE WASSAIL
Give way, give way, ye gates, and win An easy blessing to your bin And basket, by our entering in.
May both with manchet stand replete; Your larders, too, so hung with meat, That though a thousand, thousand eat,
Yet, ere twelve moons shall whirl about Their silv'ry spheres, there's none may doubt But more's sent in than was served out.
Next, may your dairies prosper so, As that your pans no ebb may know; But if they do, the more to flow,
Like to a solemn sober stream, Bank'd all with lilies, and the cream Of sweetest cowslips filling them.
Then may your plants be press'd with fruit, Nor bee or hive you have be mute, But sweetly sounding like a lute.
Last, may your harrows, shares, and ploughs, Your stacks, your stocks, your sweetest mows, All prosper by your virgin-vows.
--Alas! we bless, but see none here, That brings us either ale or beer; In a dry-house all things are near.
Let's leave a longer time to wait, Where rust and cobwebs bind the gate; And all live here with needy fate;
Where chimneys do for ever weep For want of warmth, and stomachs keep With noise the servants' eyes from sleep.
It is in vain to sing, or stay Our free feet here, but we'll away: Yet to the Lares this we'll say:
'The time will come when you'll be sad, 'And reckon this for fortune bad, 'T'ave lost the good ye might have had.'
*19*
THE FAIRIES
If ye will with Mab find grace, Set each platter in his place; Rake the fire up, and get Water in, ere sun be set. Wash your pails and cleanse your dairies, Sluts are loathsome to the fairies; Sweep your house; Who doth not so, Mab will pinch her by the toe.
*20*
CEREMONY UPON CANDLEMAS EVE
Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and misletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas hall; That so the superstitious find No one least branch there left behind; For look, how many leaves there be Neglected there, maids, trust to me, So many goblins you shall see.
*21*
CEREMONIES FOR CANDLEMAS EVE
Down with the rosemary and bays, Down with the misletoe; Instead of holly,