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(Anonymous. Roxburghe Ballads, c. 1616)
IT was a Lady of the North she loved a Gentleman, | |
| And knew not well what course to take, to use him now and then. | |
| Wherefore she writ a Letter, and sealed it with her hand, | |
| And bid him be a Tinker, to mend both pot and pan | |
| With a hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 5 |
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| And when the merry Gentleman the Letter he did read, | |
| He got a Budget on his back, and Apron with all speed, | |
| His pretty shears and pincers, so well they did agree, | |
| With a long pike-staff upon his back, came tripping o’er the Lee. | |
| With a hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 10 |
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| When he came to the Lady’s house, he knocked at the gate, | |
| Then answered this Lady gay, “Who knocketh there so late?” | |
| “’Tis I, Madam,” the Tinker said, “I work for gold and fee: | |
| If you have any broken pots or pans, come bring them all to me.” | |
| With a hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 15 |
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| “I am the bravest Tinker that lives beneath the sun, | |
| If you have any work to do, you shall have it well done; | |
| I have brass within my Budget, and punching under my Apron, | |
| I’m come unto your Ladyship, and mean to mend your Coldron.” | |
| With a hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 20 |
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| “I prethee,” said the Lady gay, “bring now thy budget in, | |
| I have store of work for thee to do, if thou wilt once begin.” | |
| Now when the Tinker he came in, that did the budget bear, | |
| “God bless,” quoth he, “your Ladyship! God save you Madam fair.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 25 |
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| But when the Lady knew his face, she then began to wink, | |
| “Hast[e], lusty Butler!” then quoth she, “to fetch the man some drink. | |
| Give him such meat as we do eat, and drink as we do use, | |
| It is not for a Tinker’s Trade good liquor to refuse.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 30 |
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| But when that he had eat and drunk, the truth of all is so, | |
| The Lady took him by the sleeve, her work to him to show, | |
| “Set up thy tools, Tinker,” quoth she, “and see there be none lost, | |
| And mend my Kettle handsomely, what ere it doth me cost.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 35 |
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| “Your work, Madam, shall be well done, if you will pay me for’t; | |
| For every nail that I do drive, you shall give me a mark. | |
| If I do not drive the nail to th’ head, I’ll have nothing for my pain, | |
| And what I do receive of you shall be return’d again.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 40 |
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| At last being come into the Room, where he the work should do, | |
| The Lady lay down on the bed, so did the Tinker too: | |
| Although the Tinker knocked amain, the Lady was not offended, | |
| But before that she rose from the bed, her Coldron was well mended. | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 45 |
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| But when his work was at an end, which he did in the dark, | |
| She put her hand into her purse and gave him twenty mark, | |
| “Here’s mon[e]y for thy work,” said she, “and I thank thee for thy pain, | |
| And when my Coldron mending lacks I’ll send for thee again.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 50 |
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| The Tinker he was well content for that which he had done, | |
| So took his budget on his back, and quickly he was gone. | |
| Then the Lady to her husband went, “O my dear Lord,” quoth she, | |
| “I have set the bravest Tinker at work that ever you did see.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 55 |
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| “No fault at all this Tinker hath, but he takes dear for his work, | |
| That little time that he wrought here it cost me twenty mark.” | |
| “If you had been so wise,” quoth he, “for to have held your own, | |
| Before you set him to this work the price you might have known.” | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 60 |
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| “Pray hold your peace, my Lord,” quoth she, “and think it not to[o] dear. | |
| If you could do’t so well ’twould save you forty pound a year.” | |
| With that the Lord most lovingly, to make all things amends, | |
| He kindly kist his Lady gay, and so they both were friends. | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 65 |
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| You merry Tinkers, every one, that hear this new-made Sonnet, | |
| When as you do a Lady’s work be sure you think upon it; | |
| Drive home your nails to the very head, and do your work profoundly, | |
| And then no doubt your Mistresses will pay you for it soundly. | |
| With hey ho, hey, derry derry down; with hey trey, down down, derry. | 70 |
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