< The Shepherd's Week
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THURSDAY;
OR, THE
SPELL.
HOBNELIA.
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OBNELIA seated in a dreary vale,
In pensive mood rehears'd her piteous tale,
Her piteous tale the winds in sighs bemoan,
And pining eccho answers groan for groan.
I rue the day, a rueful day I trow, 5
The woful day, a day indeed of woe!
When Lubberkin to town his cattle drove,
A maiden fine bedight he hapt to love;
The maiden fine bedight[1] his love retains.
And for the village he forsakes the plains: 10
Return, my Lubberkin, these ditties hear;
Spells will I try, and spells shall ease my care.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around.
OBNELIA seated in a dreary vale,In pensive mood rehears'd her piteous tale,
Her piteous tale the winds in sighs bemoan,
And pining eccho answers groan for groan.
I rue the day, a rueful day I trow, 5
The woful day, a day indeed of woe!
When Lubberkin to town his cattle drove,
A maiden fine bedight he hapt to love;
The maiden fine bedight[1] his love retains.
And for the village he forsakes the plains: 10
Return, my Lubberkin, these ditties hear;
Spells will I try, and spells shall ease my care.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around.
When first the year, I heard the cuckow sing, 15
And call with welcome note the budding spring,
I straitway set a running with such haste,
Deb'rah that won the smock scarce ran so fast.
'Till spent for lack of breath, quite weary grown,
Upon a rising bank I sat adown, 20
Then doff'd[2] my shoe, and by my troth, I swear,
Therein I spy'd this yellow frizzled hair,
As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue,
As if upon his comely pate it grew. 24
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around.
And call with welcome note the budding spring,
I straitway set a running with such haste,
Deb'rah that won the smock scarce ran so fast.
'Till spent for lack of breath, quite weary grown,
Upon a rising bank I sat adown, 20
Then doff'd[2] my shoe, and by my troth, I swear,
Therein I spy'd this yellow frizzled hair,
As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue,
As if upon his comely pate it grew. 24
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around.
At eve last Midsummer no sleep I sought,
But to the field a bag of hemp-seed brought,
I scatter'd round the seed on ev'ry side,
And three times in a trembling accent cry'd, 30
This hemp-seed with my virgin hand I sow,
Who shall my true-love be, the crop shall mow.
I strait look'd back, and if my eyes speak truth,
With his keen scythe behind me came the youth.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground.
And turn me thrice around, around, around. 36
But to the field a bag of hemp-seed brought,
I scatter'd round the seed on ev'ry side,
And three times in a trembling accent cry'd, 30
This hemp-seed with my virgin hand I sow,
Who shall my true-love be, the crop shall mow.
I strait look'd back, and if my eyes speak truth,
With his keen scythe behind me came the youth.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground.
And turn me thrice around, around, around. 36
Last Valentine, the day when birds of kind
Their paramours with mutual chirpings find;
I rearly rose, just at the break of day,
Before the sun had chas'd the stars away; 40
Page:The Shepherd's Week - Gay (1728).djvu/27 Page:The Shepherd's Week - Gay (1728).djvu/28 Page:The Shepherd's Week - Gay (1728).djvu/29 Behap what will, next Sunday after prayers, 125
When to the ale—house Lubberkin repairs,
These golden flies into his mug I'll throw,[3]
And soon the swain with fervent love shall glow.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around. 130
Their paramours with mutual chirpings find;
I rearly rose, just at the break of day,
Before the sun had chas'd the stars away; 40
Page:The Shepherd's Week - Gay (1728).djvu/27 Page:The Shepherd's Week - Gay (1728).djvu/28 Page:The Shepherd's Week - Gay (1728).djvu/29 Behap what will, next Sunday after prayers, 125
When to the ale—house Lubberkin repairs,
These golden flies into his mug I'll throw,[3]
And soon the swain with fervent love shall glow.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around. 130
But hold—our Light-foot barks, and cocks his ears,[4]
O'er yonder stile see Lubberkin appears.
He comes, he comes, Hobnelia's not bewray'd,
Nor shall she, crown'd with willow, die a maid.
He vows, he swears, he'll give me a green gown,
Oh dear! I fall adown, adown, adown! 136
O'er yonder stile see Lubberkin appears.
He comes, he comes, Hobnelia's not bewray'd,
Nor shall she, crown'd with willow, die a maid.
He vows, he swears, he'll give me a green gown,
Oh dear! I fall adown, adown, adown! 136
- ↑ Line 8. Dight or bedight, from the Saxon word dihtan, which signifies to set in order.
- ↑ Line 21. Doff and don, contracted from the words do off and do on.
- ↑ Line 127. Ποντὀν κακὀν ἂυριον ὀισῶ.Theoc.
- ↑ 131. Nescio quid certe est: Et Hylax in limine latrat.
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