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. | |
| |
