Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Henry Carey. 1693?1743444. Sally in our Alley
OF all the girls that are so smart | |
There ‘s none like pretty Sally; | |
She is the darling of my heart, | |
And she lives in our alley. | |
There is no lady in the land | 5 |
Is half so sweet as Sally; | |
She is the darling of my heart, | |
And she lives in our alley. | |
Her father he makes cabbage-nets, | |
And through the streets does cry ’em; | 10 |
Her mother she sells laces long | |
To such as please to buy ’em; | |
But sure such folks could ne’er beget | |
So sweet a girl as Sally! | |
She is the darling of my heart, | 15 |
And she lives in our alley. | |
When she is by, I leave my work, | |
I love her so sincerely; | |
My master comes like any Turk, | |
And bangs me most severely: | 20 |
But let him bang his bellyful, | |
I’ll bear it all for Sally; | |
She is the darling of my heart, | |
And she lives in our alley. | |
Of all the days that ‘s in the week | 25 |
I dearly love but one day— | |
And that ‘s the day that comes betwixt | |
A Saturday and Monday; | |
For then I’m drest all in my best | |
To walk abroad with Sally; | 30 |
She is the darling of my heart, | |
And she lives in our alley. | |
My master carries me to church, | |
And often am I blamèd | |
Because I leave him in the lurch | 35 |
As soon as text is namèd; | |
I leave the church in sermon-time | |
And slink away to Sally; | |
She is the darling of my heart, | |
And she lives in our alley. | 40 |
When Christmas comes about again, | |
O, then I shall have money; | |
I’ll hoard it up, and box it all, | |
I’ll give it to my honey: | |
I would it were ten thousand pound, | 45 |
I’d give it all to Sally; | |
She is the darling of my heart, | |
And she lives in our alley. | |
My master and the neighbors all | |
Make gave of me and Sally, | 50 |
And, but for her, I’d better be | |
A slave and row a galley; | |
But when my seven long years are out, | |
O, then I’ll marry Sally; | |
O, then we’ll wed, and then we’ll bed— | 55 |
But not in our alley! |