THE
WINCHESTER WEDDING:
OR,
Ralph of Reading, and Black Bess of the Green.
Tune----The Kings Jigg.
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AT Winchester there was a Wedding
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The like was never seen,
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Twixt lusty Ralph of Reading,
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And bonny Black Bess of the Green;
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The fiddlers were crowding before,
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Each lass was as fine as a Queen,
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There was an hundred and more,
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For all the whole country came in.
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Brisk Robin led Rose so fair,
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She lookd like a lilly ith vale,
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And ruddy facd Harry led Mary,
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And Roger led bouncing Nell.
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With Tommy came smiling Katy,
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He helped her over a stile,
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And swore there was none so pretty
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In forty and forty long miles.
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Kit gave a green gown to Betty,
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And lent her his hand to rise;
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But Jenny was jeerd by Watty,
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For looking blue under the eyes.
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Thus merrily chatting all day,
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They past to the bride house along,
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With Johnny and pretty facd Nany,
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The fairest of all the throng.
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The bridegroom came out to meet em,
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Afraid the dinner was spoild,
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And usherd them in to treat em
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With bakd, and roast, and boild,
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The lads were frolic and jolly,
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For each lad his lass by his side,
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But Willy was melancholly,
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For he had a mind to the bride,
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Then Philip began her health,
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And turnd a beer-glass on his thumb,
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But Jenkin was reckond for drinking,
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The best in Christendom.
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And now they had dined, advancing
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Into the midst of the hall,
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The fidlers struck for dancing,
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And Jeremy led up the ball.
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But Margery kept her quarter,
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A lass that was proud of her pelf,
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Cause Arthur had stolen her garter,
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And swore he would tye it himself;
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She struggld, she blushd and frownd,
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And ready with anger to cry,
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Cause Arthur in tying her garter
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Had slipped his hand too high.
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And now for throwing the stocking,
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The bride away was led,
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The bridegroom got drunk, and was
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knocking
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For candles to light them to-bed.
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But Robin, who found him so silly,
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Most kindly took him aside,
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While that his wife with Willy
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Was playing at hoopers hide.
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And now the warm game begins,
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The critical minute was come,
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And chatting, and billing and kissing,
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Went merrily round the room.
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Pert Stephen was kind to Betty,
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As blithe as a bird in the spring,
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And Tommy was so to Katy,
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And wedded her with a rush-ring.
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Sukey that dancd with the cushion,
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An hour from the room had been gone
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And Barnaby knew by her blushing
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Some other dance had been done.
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And thus of fifty fair maids,
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That went to the wedding with men,
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Scarce five of the Fifty were left ye,
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That so did return again.
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Brisk Dolly and pretty facd Kate,
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This merriment they did adore;
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Each lass was so pleasd with her mate,
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As she never had been before.
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Nay, Susan was pleasd at the heart,
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She said it and said it again;
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The young men have playd their parts,
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And no one had cause to complain.
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The day was in merriment spent,
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The pipers and fidlers did play
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Before all the throng as they went,
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Thus they made an end of the day.
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So was not this a fine Wedding,
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Where all was pleasd to the life;
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And they say he makes a kind husband,
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And she a very good wife.
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