Tom and Rogers Contract:
Or what Devon-Farmers use to act.
Two Farmers lately met in Devon-shire,
And so by chance they drank a pot of Beer;
And since it was within the Month of May,
I will declare to you what they did say.
Tune of, Hey boys up go we. By Tobias Bowne.
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AS Tom met Roger upon the Road
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said he How dost thou do?
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I am pretty well, and walking abroad,
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I hope the same by you.
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Pray have you took your mornings drink,
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if not come go with me,
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Here is good Ale just by I think,
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come let us go and see.
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Come, come, Roger let us go,
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we'l drink one pot or two,
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I, said tom, i'd have it so,
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i've something to say to you;
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But first we'l drink a Flaggon of Beer,
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and thou shalt know my mind;
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My son shall have thy daughter dear,
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and then we two'l be Kind.
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Said Roger, what will you give your son,
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and he shall have my daughter?
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I have two pots, he shall have one,
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beside what may come after;
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He shall have to't a thumping Ladle
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that is both fresh and new,
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And more, he shall have our old Cradle,
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I think my Wife hath a Doe.
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Beside my Son can hold the Plough,
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and other things I can name;
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He's able to go and milk the Cow,
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and if his Wife be lame:
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I think they two may live as brave
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as did their Mother or Father;
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Come tell me what your daughter shall have,
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we'l marry them up together.
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Why then said Roger my daughter shall have
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a portion as good as thy son,
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I never yet was counted a Knave
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but always an honest man:
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I have a good old Kettle at home
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my Grandam did give to me;
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A white-pot bag, and a two-penny broom,
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my Daughter shall have them all three.
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Besides i'le give her a lumping Calf,
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that came of our brown Cow,
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That's more than thee giv'st thy son by half,
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old tom, I speak it to thou:
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My daughter is so well brought up,
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she can both spin and zow,
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She hath of her own a drinking Cup;
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that's more than thou dost know.
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When shall we marry them together
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old Roger, then said tom?
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I'le tell my zon that thou art his Father,
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as soon as I come home.
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And that thy daughter must be his wife,
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and he must have no other;
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Next time they meet i'le lay my life,
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they'l jumble it up together.
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When young tom met with his sweetheart,
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old Rogers daughter Joan;
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Said he, we'l drink before we part,
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and with thee i'le go home;
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We'l take a doune thy fathers dish,
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and box about the whey,
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Zo there we will both hug and kiss,
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we care not what folk say.
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Then tom he took Joan by the hand,
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as lovers use to do;
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Said he, sweetheart come pin my band,
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for't doth belong to you.
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Sweetheart i'le do it if I can,
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for I do love thee dear;
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Methinks you be the handsomest man
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that is in Devon-shire.
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But if you had but seen them both
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when they tript o'r the Green,
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A pretty couple of one growth,
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and both did look a squeen.
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I stood and looked them upon
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till they were out of sight,
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If you had seen how their Buttocks had gone
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'twould a made you laugh Outright.
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