Christs Kirk on the Green,
Composed (as was supposed) by King James the fifth, Newly Corrected according to the Original Copy.
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WAs never in Scotland heard or seen,
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such dancing and deray;
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Neither at Faukland on the green,
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nor Peebles at the play,
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As was of Woers as I ween;
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at Christs Kirk on a day:
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For there came Kittie washen clean,
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with her new Gown of Gray,
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Full gay that day
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To dance these damsels them dight,
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these Lasses sigh of laits.
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Their Gloves were of the raffal right,
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the[i]r sh[o]es were of the straits
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Their Kirtles were o[f] Lincoln light,
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well prest with many plaits,
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They were so nice when men them neigh'd
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they squell'd like any gaits,
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Full loud that day.
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Of all these Maidens mild as meed,
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was none so gimp as Gillie:
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As any role her rude was red,
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her lire was like the Lillie,
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But yellow, yellow was her head,
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and she of love so silly:
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Though all her kin had sworn her dead
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she would have none but Willie.
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Alone that day,
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She scorned Jack, and scripp'd at him,
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and murgeon'd him with mocks:
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He would have lov'd her, she would not let him
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for all his yellow locks.
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He cherisht her, she had go chat him,
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she counted him not two clocks:
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So shamefully his short Jack set him,
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his legs were like two rocks,
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or rungs that day.
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Tom Lutter was their Minstrel meet,
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good Lord, how he could lance:
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He play'd so shril, and sang so sweet
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while Tousie took a trance.
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Old Lightfoot there he could foreleet,
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and counterfitted France.
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He held him like a man discreet,
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and up the Morice dance.
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He took that day.
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Then Steven came stepping in with stends,
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no rink might him arrest;
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Splay foot did bob with many bends,
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for Masie he made request,
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He lap while he lay on his lends,
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and rising so was preast,
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While he did hoast at both the ends,
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for honour of the Feast,
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And danc'd that day.
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Then Robin Roy began to revel,
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and Tousie to him drugged:
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Let be quoth Jack, and call'd him jevel.
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and by the tail him rugged,
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Then Kensie clicked to a Kevel,
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God wots as they two lugged:
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They parted there upon a nevel:
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men say their hair was rugged
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Between them twa
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With that a friend of his cry'd Fy,
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and forth an arrow drew:
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He forged it so forcefully,
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the bow in flenders flew,
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Such was the Grace of God, trow I,
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for had the tree been true;
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Men said, who knew his Archery,
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that he had slain anew,
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Belyve that day.
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A yap young man that stood him neist,
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soon bent his bow in ire,
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And etled the bairn in at the breast
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the bolt flew over the bire:
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And cry'd Fy, he hath slain a Priest,
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a mile beyond the mire:
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Both Bow and Bag from him he keist
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and fled as fast as fire
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From flint that day.
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An hasty Kins-man called Hary,
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that was an Archer keen,
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Tyed up a tackle without tarry,
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I trow the man was teen:
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I wot not whether his hand did vary,
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or his foe was his friend:
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But he scapt by the mights of Mary
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as one that nothing mean'd.
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But good that day.
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Then Lawrie like a Lyon lap,
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and soon a flun can fedder:
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He height to pierce him at the pape,
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thereon to wed a wedder;
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He hit him on the wamb a wap,
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it bust like any bladder.
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He scaped so, such was his hap,
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his doublet was of leather
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Full fine that day.
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The buff so boistrously abaist him,
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that he to the earth dusht down:
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The other men for dead he left him,
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and fled out of the Town,
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The wives came forth, and up they rest him,
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and found life in the lown;
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Then with three routs there they rais'd him,
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and cur'd him out of sown,
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Fra hand that day.
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The Miller was of manly make,
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to meet him it was no mowes:
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There durst not ten some there him take
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so cowed he their powes,
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That bushment whole about him brake
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and bickered him with bows,
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Then traiterously behind his back,
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they hoch'd him on the howes.
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Behind that day;
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Then Hutchon with a Hazle rice,
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to red gan through them rummil:
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He muddl'd them down like any mice,
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he was no betty bummil.
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Though he was wight, he was not wise,
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with such jutors to jummil;
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For from his thumb their flew a slice
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while he cry'd barlafummal,
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I'm slain this day.
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When that he saw his blood so red
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to flee might no man let him:
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He trow'd it had been for old feeds;
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he thought and bad have at him.
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He made his feet defend his head,
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the far fairer it set him:
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While he was past out of their plead:
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they must be swift that gat him.
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Through speed that day.
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Two that were headsmen of the herd,
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They rusht on other like Rams;
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The other four which were unfear'd,
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beat on with barrow Trams.
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And where their gobs were ungear'd,
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they got upon the gams,
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While that all bloody was their beards,
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as they had worried lambs
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Most like that day.
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They girn'd and glowred all at anes,
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each Gossip other grieved:
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Some striked stings, some gathered stanes,
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some fled, and some relieved.
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The Minstrels used quiet means,
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that day he wisely prieved,
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For he came hame with unbruised banes,
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where fighters were mischieved,
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Full ill that day;
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With forks and flails then let they flaps,
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and flew together with frigs:
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With bougers of barns they pierc'd blew caps
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and of their barns made brigs:
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The rare rose rudely with their raps,
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then rungs were laid on rigs:
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Their Wives came forth with crys and claps,
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see where my likeing ligs,
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Full low that day.
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The black Souter of Braith was howden,
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his Wife hang at his waist:
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His body was in black all browden,
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he girned like a ghaist,
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Her glittering hair was so bowden,
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her love fast from him laist.
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That for his sake she was unyawden,
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while he a mile was chaist
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And mair that day.
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When they had beir'd like baited Bulls,
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the bone-fires burnt like bails:
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They grew as meek as any mules
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That wearled are with mails.
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For those forfoughen tyred fools,
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fell down like slaughtered frails;
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Fresh men came in and hall'd the dools
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and dang them down in dails.
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Bedeen that day.
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The Wives then gave an hideous yeil,
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when all these yonkiers yoked,
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As fierce as flags of Fire flaughts fell,
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frieks to the field they flocked,
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Then carles with clubs did other quel
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on breast while blood out bocked,
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So rudely rang the common bell,
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that all the Steeple rocked,
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For dread that day.
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By this Tom Tailor was in his gear,
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when he heard the common bell;
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He said he should make all on stear
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when he came there himsel,
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He went to fight with such a fear,
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while to the ground he fell,
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A wife that hit him on the Ear,
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with a great knocking Mell,
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Feld him that day.
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The Bridegroom brought a Pint of Ale,
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and bad the Pyper drink it;
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Drink it quoth he, and it so stail,
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a shrew me if I think it.
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The Bride her Maidens stood near by,
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and said it was not blinked;
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And Bartagesie the Bride so gay.
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upon him fast she winked,
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Full soon that day.
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When all was done Dick with an Ax
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came forth to fell a fother,
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Quoth he, where are you whoreson smaiks
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right now that hurt my brother;
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His Wife bade him, Go hame, Gib Glaiks
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and so did Meg his Mother;
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He turn'd and gave them both their paiks,
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for he durst ding no other
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But them that day.
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