Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England Part 28

Old England! old England!

And hey for the honour of old England!

Old England! old England!

Ballad: HARVEST-HOME.

[From an old copy without printer's name or date.]

Come, Roger and Nell, Come, Simpkin and Bell, Each lad with his la.s.s. .h.i.ther come; With singing and dancing, And pleasure advancing, To celebrate harvest-home!

Chorus. 'Tis Ceres bids play, And keep holiday, To celebrate harvest-home!

Harvest-home!

Harvest-home!

To celebrate harvest-home!

Our labour is o'er, Our barns, in full store, Now swell with rich gifts of the land; Let each man then take, For the p.r.o.ng and the rake, His can and his la.s.s in his hand.

For Ceres, &c.

No courtier can be So happy as we, In innocence, pastime, and mirth; While thus we carouse, With our sweetheart or spouse, And rejoice o'er the fruits of the earth.

For Ceres, &c.

Ballad: THE MOW. A HARVEST HOME SONG. Tune, Where the bee sucks.

[This favourite song, copied from a chap-book called The Whistling Ploughman, published at the commencement of the present century, is written in imitation of Ariel's song, in the Tempest. It is probably taken from some defunct ballad-opera.]

Now our work's done, thus we feast, After labour comes our rest; Joy shall reign in every breast, And right welcome is each guest: After harvest merrily, Merrily, merrily, will we sing now, After the harvest that heaps up the mow.

Now the plowman he shall plow, And shall whistle as he go, Whether it be fair or blow, For another barley mow, O'er the furrow merrily: Merrily, merrily, will we sing now, After the harvest, the fruit of the plow.

Toil and plenty, toil and ease, Still the husbandman he sees; Whether when the winter freeze, Or in summer's gentle breeze; Still he labours merrily, Merrily, merrily, after the plow, He looks to the harvest, that gives us the mow.

Ballad: THE BARLEY-MOW SONG.

[This song is sung at country meetings in Devon and Cornwall, particularly on completing the carrying of the barley, when the rick, or mow of barley, is finished. On putting up the last sheaf, which is called the craw (or crow) sheaf, the man who has it cries out 'I have it, I have it, I have it;' another demands, 'What have 'ee, what have 'ee, what have 'ee?' and the answer is, 'A craw! a craw! a craw!' upon which there is some cheering, &c., and a supper afterwards. The effect of the Barley-mow Song cannot be given in words; it should be heard, to be appreciated properly,-- particularly with the West-country dialect.]

Here's a health to the barley-mow, my brave boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

Cho. Here's a health to the barley-mow, my brave boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

We'll drink it out of the nipperkin, boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The nipperkin and the jolly brown bowl, Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the quarter-pint, boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The quarter-pint, nipperkin, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the half-a-pint, boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The half-a-pint, quarter-pint, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the pint, my brave boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The pint, the half-a-pint, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the quart, my brave boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The quart, the pint, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

Well drink it out of the pottle, my boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The pottle, the quart, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the gallon, my boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The gallon, the pottle, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the half-anker, boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The half-anker, gallon, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the anker, my boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The anker, the half-anker, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the half-hogshead, boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The half-hogshead, anker, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the hogshead, my boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The hogshead, the half-hogshead, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.

We'll drink it out of the pipe, my brave boys, Here's a health to the barley-mow!

The pipe, the hogshead, &c.

Cho. Here's a health, &c.