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. | |