The Nursery Rhymes of England Part 10

Bounce Buckram, velvet's dear; Christmas comes but once a year.

Lx.x.xIX.

[One version of the following song, which I believe to be the genuine one, is written on the last leaf of MS. Harl. 6580, between the lines of a fragment of an old charter, originally used for binding the book, in a hand of the end of the seventeenth century, but unfortunately it is scarcely adapted for the "ears polite" of modern days.]

A man of words and not of deeds, Is like a garden full of weeds; And when the weeds begin to grow, It's like a garden full of snow; And when the snow begins to fall, It's like a bird upon the wall; And when the bird away does fly, It's like an eagle in the sky; And when the sky begins to roar, It's like a lion at the door; And when the door begins to crack, It's like a stick across your back; And when your back begins to smart, It's like a penknife in your heart; And when your heart begins to bleed, You're dead, and dead, and dead, indeed.

XC.

A man of words and not of deeds, Is like a garden full of weeds; For when the weeds begin to grow, Then doth the garden overflow.

XCI.

If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter; Sneeze on a Thursday, something better; Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow; Sneeze on a Sat.u.r.day, see your sweetheart to-morrow.

XCII.

A pullet in the pen Is worth a hundred in the fen!

XCIII.

He that would thrive Must rise at five; He that hath thriven May lie till seven; And he that by the plough would thrive, Himself must either hold or drive.

XCIV.

[The following is quoted in Miege's 'Great French Dictionary,'

fol. Lond. 1687, 2d part.]

A swarm of bees in May Is worth a load of hay; A swarm of bees in June Is worth a silver spoon; A swarm of bees in July Is not worth a fly.

XCV.

They that wash on Monday Have all the week to dry; They that wash on Tuesday Are not so much awry; They that wash on Wednesday Are not so much to blame; They that wash on Thursday, Wash for shame; They that wash on Friday, Wash in need; And they that wash on Sat.u.r.day, Oh! they're s.l.u.ts indeed.

XCVI.

Needles and pins, needles and pins, When a man marries his trouble begins.

XCVII.

[In Suffolk, children are frequently reminded of the decorum due to the Sabbath by the following lines.]

Yeow mussent sing a' Sunday, Becaze it is a sin, But yeow may sing a' Monday Till Sunday c.u.ms agin.

XCVIII.

A suns.h.i.+ny shower, Won't last half an hour.

XCIX.

As the days grow longer, The storms grow stronger.

C.

As the days lengthen, So the storms strengthen.

CI.

He that goes to see his wheat in May, Comes weeping away.

CII.

The mackerel's cry, Is never long dry.

CIII.

In July, Some reap rye; In August, If one will not the other must.

CIV.

[Proverbial many years ago, when the guinea in gold was of a higher value than its nominal representative in silver,]

A guinea it would sink, And a pound it would float; Yet I'd rather have a guinea, Than your one pound note.

CV.

For every evil under the sun, There is a remedy, or there is none.

If there be one, try and find it; If there be none, never mind it.

CVI.