A FAIRING
For Young-Men and Maids.
If you'l take my advice,
this I would have you do,
Then every Young-man take his Lass,
and drink one Pot or two.
To the Tune of, The Winchester Wedding.
This may be Printed, R. P.
By Tobias Bowne
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AS Thomas and Mary did meet,
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it was on a Summers day,
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With words they began to greet
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each other upon the way:
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Pray what are you bound for the Fair
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this Young-man unto her did say,
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And if that you be going there,
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i[']le be glad of your Company;
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He said that he did love her,
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as a young-man a Maid should do,
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And every Stile they went over,
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he gave her a kiss or two.
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But when they came to the Fair,
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they merrily spent the day.
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But me[e]ting with Wil[l]iam and Betty,
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thus Thomas to them did say,
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We'l dr[i]nk before we part,
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come give us a Bottle of Wine,
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Since thou art with thy Sweet-heart,
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and I am come here with mine:
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The Maids were not unwilling,
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as far as I understand,
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But Will was for kissing and feeling
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a Maid upon every hand.
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And when they were full of Canary,
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their stomachs began for to rise
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Then Thomas began to court Mary,
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with hand upon one of her thighs:
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Said he art thou willing to Wed,
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for I have some goods befo[r]e hand,
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Besides when my Father is dead,
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he promis'd me all his Land,
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And this is a good beginning,
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besides I have more at home,
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You may get a little by spinning,
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and I can bo[t]h Weave and Comb.
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My Mother will give me a little,
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if I get an honest Young-man,
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She saith I shall have the Kettle,
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and likewise the Warming pan:
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My Granum will give me a Cradle,
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which is both firm and strong,
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Sister Margery will give me a Ladle,
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these Goods comes in ding dong:
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And this is a good beginning,
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besides I have more at home,
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I may get a little by spinning,
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and you can both Weave and Comb.
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Then William struck up to Betty,
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and thus unto her did say,
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Since thou art a Girl that's pritty,
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i'le give thee a Fairing this day,
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Why sit you so melancholly,
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my pretty sweet Betty my Dove,
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Though Thomas be all for Molly,
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it's thou art the Maid that I love,
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And this unto thee I will promise,
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then hang Sorrow cast away care,
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We'l be as far forth as Thomas,
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before we get out of the Fair.
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If that you will change your condition,
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and that you do fancy a Man,
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I pray Betty have no suspicion,
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t[h]at you I do seek to trappan,
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My tongue and my heart is united,
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I scorn for to tell thee a lye,
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Sure I have no cause to be slighted,
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then prethee love do not deny,
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Though we have a small beginning,
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as little as nothing I know,
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You may get a little by spinning,
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and I can both Reap and Mow,
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And thus we may live in content,
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as they that had a great deal more,
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Then out of the door they went,
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and walked the Fair all o're,
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To buy each other a Fairing,
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as young-men and Maids should do,
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And when they were home repairing,
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they walked away two and two,
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It was Thomas and Mary together,
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with William and Betty so rare,
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Pray what Man can say any other,
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but that they had made a good Fair.
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What Maid can there be so hard hearted,
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an honest Young man to deny,
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That is the cause many are parted,
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without any reason why,
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I would have you strive to prevent it,
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or else it may be to your loss,
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I know that you are not contented,
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when you one the other do cross,
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And now my new Song it is over,
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for I have no more to say,
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But wish every Maid a true lover,
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that I have seen here today.
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