The
Fair Maid of ISLINGTON.
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THERE was a Lass of Islington,
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As Ive heard many tell,
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And she would to London go,
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Fine apples and pears to sell:
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And as along the streets she flung,
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With her basket on her arm,
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Her pears to sell, you may know it well,
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This fair maid meant no harm.
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But as she tript along the street,
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Her pleasant fruit to sell,
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A vintner did her meet,
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Who likd thie maid full well.
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Says he, Fair maid, what have you there?
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In basket decked brave,
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Fine pears, quoth she, and if it please ye.
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A taste sir, you shall have.
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The vintner took a taste,
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And likd it well, for why,
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The maid he thought of all the rest
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Most pleasing to the eye.
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Says he, Fair maid, I have a suit,
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That you to me must grant,
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Which if I find you be so kind,
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Theres nothing you shall want.
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Thy beauty doth so please my eye,
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And dazzles so my sight,
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That now of all my liberty
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I am bereaved quite.
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Then prithee now consent to me,
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And do not put me by,
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It is but one small courtesy,
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All night with you to lie.
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Sir, if you lie with me all night,
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As you propose to me,
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I do expect that you should prove
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Both coutieous, kind, and free.
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And for tell you now in short.
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It will cost you five pound.
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A match, a match, the vintner said,
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And so let this go round.
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When he had lain with her all night,
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Her money|she did crave,
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O stay quoth he, the other night,
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And the money thou shalt have,
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I cannot stay, nor will not stay,
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I needs must now be gone.
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Why so thou mayst, thy money go look,
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For money Ill pay thee none.
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This maid she made no more ado,
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But to a Justice went,
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And unto him she made her moan,
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Who did her case lament,
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She said she had her cellar let out
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To a vintner in the town,
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And that he did then agree
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Five pounds to pay her down.
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But now, quoth she, the case is thus,
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No rent that he will pay;
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Therefore your worship I beseech
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To send for him strait way.
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Then strait the Justice to him sent,
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And asked the reason why,
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That he would pay this maid no rent,
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To whicd he did reply.
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Altho I hired a cellar of her,
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And the possession was mine,
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I never put any thing into it,
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But one poor pipe of wine,
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Therefore my bargain it was hard,
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As you may plainly see;
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I from my freedom was debard,
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Then, good sir, favour me.
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This fair maid being ripe of wit,
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She strait replyd again,
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There were two butts more at the door,
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Why did not you rowl them in?
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You had your freedom and your will,
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As is to you well known,
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Therefore I do desire still
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For to receive my own,
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The Justice hearing of the case,
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Did then give orders strait,
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That he the money should pay down,
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She should no longer wait.
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Withal he told the vintner plain,
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If he a tennant be,
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He must expect to pay the same.
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And not to live rent free.
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But when the money she had got,
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She put it in her purse,
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And clapt her hand on the cellar door,,
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Saying, Tis never the worse,
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Whioh causd the populace all to laugh
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To see this vintner fine,
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Outwitted by a country girl,
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About a pipe of wine.
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