LOVE in a BARN.
Or, Right Country Courtship.
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COME all ye brisk country girls,
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And London lasses too;
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A merry ditty I have to tell,
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Which certainly is true.
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In Reygate liv'd a buxome lass,
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Both beautiful and fair,
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Her beauty was her portion,
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As hereafter you shall here.
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Her father was a farmer,
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Who did at Ryegate dwell,
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Just by liv'd a noble Lord,
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Whose name I must not tell:
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Whose country house at Ryegate was,
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In the sweet pleasant air,
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And this Lord he fell in love
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With the farmer's daughter fair.
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He oftentimes beheld her
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A-milking in the moon,
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And he must go to drink the milk
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From the cow while it was warm.
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The draught of love he drank so sweet
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By gazing on her charms,
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That the sweet creature he would oft
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W[i]sh for in his arms,
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He said, I've slighted ladies,
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Of honour, birth, and fame:
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Now Cupid has betray'd me
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To an innocent country dame.
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I must reveal my passion.
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Or for her lose my life;
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If money her virtue will overcome,
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I soon will end the strife.
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Next morning he goes to her,
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As she a-milking were,
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And he began the story
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To the farmer's daughter fair,
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Thou fairest of all creatures,
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My heart is in love with thee;
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If thou can'st love a London Lord,
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A Lady thou shalt be.
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Sir, said she, What do you mean,
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More fit I am, I vow,
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To mind my father's dairy,
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And feed the pigs and sow.
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I cannot dress up in the mode,
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As London lasses wear.
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Said he, but I will keep a maid,
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To wait on thee, my dear.
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A maid! said the country lass,
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I can but laugh at that:
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Must I ride to the church in my short cloak,
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With a feather in my cap?
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No, no, my dear, that is the dress
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My jewel thou shalt were,
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When thou along with me dost go
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To take the rural air.
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Then, Gaffer, said the country girl,
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Yet something I've to say,
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Among the ladies I cannot dance,
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Except it be the ha[y].
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But thou can'st dance in bed, my dear,
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And that's the prettiest sport.
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Ay, never fear, I'll warrent thee,
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As well as the best at court.
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This was Right COUNTRY COURTSHIP,
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And made the Lord to smile,
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But his whole intention was
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This maiden to beguile.
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But the country girls are not such fools,
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For to be taken in,
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So now come here the country bite,
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Which she did put on him.
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He made her many presents
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Of watches, jewels, rings,
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The girl she was well pleas'd
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At sight of such fine things.
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The cow-house was the chamber
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In which they us'd to court:
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At length he must be fooling
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She said, is this the way
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That courtiers come to wooe?
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There's no harm, says he, my dear,
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We serve the ladies so.
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I do not like the fashion,
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The country girl reply'd,
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I will not be a lady
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Until I am a bride.
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She finding he had store of gold,
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Says she, I plainly see,
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That he has no intention
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That I his bride shall be;
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He shall not have my maidenhead,
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I solemnly do swear,
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But I'll bite him of a portion,
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Then wed with Ralph my dear.
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Next morning came the Lord,
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As he was us'd to do,
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With a pretence to drink the milk
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Warm sir from the cow.
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Then with the charming milk-maid
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Still fooling he would be,
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Says he, five hundred pounds I'll give
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One night to lie with thee;
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Then afterwards I will thee wed,
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So no harm can there be.
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Well, If I lose my maidenhead,
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It shall be in my father's barn:
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So now the money put me down,
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And treat me well with wine,
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Then to-night at twelve o'clock,
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It is the only time.
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He was delighted for to catch
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The maiden in the mind,
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Then unto the barn he took
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A bottle of rhenish wine.
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A gang of Gypsies us'd to lie,
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Sir in the barn all night,
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Then here this damsel soon she play'd
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A country crafty bite.
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She told unto the Gypsies
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How she the scheme had laid,
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So bid them to conceal themselves
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Among the corn and hay.
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She said, I'll give you notice
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In every degree;
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And if you bite this am'rous blade.
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Rewarded you shall be.
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'Bout twelve o'clock to her he came
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Just as the apointment were,
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When no light but what the moon
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Granted unto them there.
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Thus they sit down among the straw
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His arms round her he twines;
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Full merrily they toss about
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The bottle of rhenish wine.
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The girl oft kiss'd the bottle,
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But never touch'd the wine,
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Until his Lordship's eyes began
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To twinkle very fine.
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He laid him down amidst the straw,
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And fast asleep he falls;
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The fa[r]mer's daughter then arose,
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And the Gypsies soon did call:
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Says she, Go strip you all buff,
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Then down by him go lie,
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And the little gypsy at his back,
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I beg that you would tie.
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Both his hands I have made fast
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Not easy to be undone,
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Then as he rises in a fright,
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Like a devil he will run.
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Five pound she to the gypsies gave,
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Then home she strait did steer.
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The Lord began to awake, sir,
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In the morning fair and clear.
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He took a roll upon his back,
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The gypsy began to squeak,
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His hands being ty'd he then began
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To scramble on his feet.
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The gypsies all were standing up,
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Their coal-black hair hung down,
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He took them all for devils in bust,
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And run into the town,
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With the bastard squa[?]ng at his back,
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His wig was tag'd with straw,
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Sure such a sight as this
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No mortal ever saw.
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The servants were amazed
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When they did let him in,
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They took the gppsy from his back,
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And soon relieved him.
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So the child he is like to keep,
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For the gypsies they are gone;
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Thus now he is the talk of all
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The women in the town
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But yet he is well pleased
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With the pranks that she has play'd,
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He said, I am resolv'd to wed
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This virtuous country maid.
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For virtue is her portion,
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Of that she has her share,
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O now this Lord has married
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This furmer's daughter fair.
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