THE
Winchester Wedding:
OR,
RALPH of Reading and Black BESS of the Green.
To a new Country Dance: or, The King's Jigg.
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AT Winchester 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 Fidlers 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 look'd like a Lilly o'th' Vale;
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And ruddy fac'd 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 help her over the stile,
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And swore there was none so pritty,
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in forty and forty long mile;
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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 jeer'd by Watty,
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for looking blew 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 pritty-fac'd Nanny,
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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 spoil'd,
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And usher'd 'em into to treat 'em,
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with bak'd, and roast, and boyl'd:
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The Lads were frollick and jolly,
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for each had a Lass by his side;
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But Willy was melancholly,
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fo[r] he had a mind to the Bride:
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Then Phillip began her health,
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and turn'd a beer-glass on his thumb;
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But Jenkin was reckon'd for drinking,
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the best in Christendom.
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And now they had din'd, advancing
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into the midst of the Hall,
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The Fidlers struck up for dancing,
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and Jeremy led up the Brawl;
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But Margery kept a quarter,
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a Lass that is 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 strugled, she blush'd, and frown'd,
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and ready with anger to cry,
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'Cause Arthur with tying her garter,
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had slipt up his hands 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, was knocking,
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for candles to light him to bed;
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But Robin that found him 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 a Whooper's 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 blith as a birde 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 danc'd 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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that 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 was left ye,
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that so did return agen.
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Brisk Dolly and prity-fac'd Kate,
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this Merriment they did adore;
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Each Lass had been pleas'd with her Mate,
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as they never had been before:
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Nay, Susan was pleased at heart,
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she said it, and said it again;
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The young Men have play'd their part,
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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 the Fidlers they 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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