Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.

The Fair Lass of Islington

Anonymous

(From Pills to Purge Melancholy, 1707)

THERE was a Lass of Islington,
As I have heard many tell;
And she would to Fair London go,
Fine Apples and Pears to sell;
And as along the Streets she flung,	5
With her basket on her Arm;
Her Pears to sell, you may know it right well,
This fair Maid meant no harm.
But as she tript along the Street,
Her pleasant Fruit to sell;	10
A Vintner did with her meet,
Who liked this Maid full well:
Quoth he, fair Maid, what have you there?
In Basket decked brave;
Fine Pears, quoth she, and if it please ye,	15
A taste, Sir, you shall have.
The Vintner he took a Taste,
And liked it well, for why;
This Maid he thought of all the rest,
Most pleasing to his Eye:	20
Quoth he, fair Maid I have a Suit,
That you to me must grant;
Which if I find you be so kind,
Nothing that you shall want.
Thy Beauty doth so please my Eye,	25
And dazzles so my sight;
That now of all my Liberty,
I am deprived quite:
Then prithee now consent to me,
And do not put me by;	30
It is but one small courtesie,
All Night with you to lie.
Sir, if you lie with me one Night,
As you propound to me;
I do expect that you should prove,	35
Both courteous, kind, and free:
And for to tell you all in short,
It will cost you Five Pound,
A Match, a Match, the Vintner said,
And so let this go round.	40
When he had lain with her all Night,
Her Money she did crave,
O stay, quoth he, the other Night,
And thy Money thou shalt have:
I cannot stay, nor I will not stay,	45
I needs must now be gone,
Why then thou may’st thy Money go look,
For Money I’ll pay thee none.
This Maid she made no more ado,
But to a Justice went;	50
And unto him she made her moan,
Who did her Case lament:
She said she had a Cellar Let out,
To a Vintner in the Town;
And how that he did then agree	55
Five Pound to pay her down.
But now, quoth she, the Case is thus,
No Rent that he will pay;
Therefore your Worship I beseech,
To send for him this Day:	60
Then straight the Justice for him sent,
And asked the Reason why;
That he would pay the Maid no Rent?
To which he did Reply,
Although I hired a Cellar of her,	65
And the Possession was mine?
I ne’er put any thing into it,
But one poor Pipe of Wine:
Therefore my Bargain it was hard,
As you plainly see;	70
I from my Freedom was Debarred,
Then, good Sir, favour me.
This Fair Maid being ripe of Wit,
She straight Reply’d again;
There were two Butts more at the Door,	75
Why did you not roll them in?
You had your Freedom and your Will,
As is to you well known;
Therefore I do desire still,
For to receive my own.	80
The Justice hearing of their Case,
Did then give Order straight;
That he the Money should pay down,
She should no longer wait:
Withal he told the Vintner plain	85
If he a Tenant be;
He must expect to pay the same,
For he could not sit Rent-free.
But when the Money she had got,
She put it in her Purse:	90
And clapt her Hand on the Cellar Door,
And said it was never the worse:
Which caused the People all to Laugh,
To see this Vintner Fine:
Out-witted by a Country Girl,	95
About his Pipe of Wine.