I'm come to court Janet jo, I'm come to court Janet jo, Goodwife sings What'll ye gi'e for Janet jo, Wooer I'll gi'e ye a peck o' siller, Goodwife says Gae awa, ye auld carle! Then sings Ye'se never get Janet jo, Janet jo, Janet jo; Ye'se never get Janet jo, The wooer hereupon retires, singing a verse expressive of mortification, but soon re-enters with a reassured air, singing I'll gi'e ye a peck o' gowd, A peck o' gowd, peck o' gowd; For Janet, my jo. The matron gives him a rebuff as before, and he again retires discomfited, and again enters, singing an offer of 'twa pecks o' gowd,' which, however, is also refused. At his next entry, he offers three pecks o' gowd, at which the goodwife brightens up, and sings Come ben beside Janet jo, Janet jo, Janet jo; Ye're welcome to Janet jo, The suitor then advances gaily to his sweetheart, and the affair ends in a scramble for kisses. WE ARE THREE BRETHREN COME FROM SPAIN. The dramatis personæ form themselves in two parties, one representing a courtly dame and her daughters, the other the suitors of the daughters. The last party, moving backwards and forwards, with their arms entwined, approach and recede from the mother party, which is stationary, singing to a very sweet air We are three brethren come from Spain, We are come to court your daughter Jean, They recede, while the mother replies- She cannot bide your flattering tongue, The suitors again advance, rejoining Be she young, or be she old, The mother still refuses her consent A bride, a bride she shall not be, Till she go through this world with me, And adieu to you, my darlings. [There is here a hiatus, the reply of the lovers being wanting.] The mother at length relenting, says→ Come back, come back, you courteous knights, All in French garlands; Clear up your spurs, and make them bright, And adieu to you, my darlings. [Another hiatus.] The mother offers a choice of her daugh ters in the next verse Smell my lilies, smell my roses, All in French garlands; Which of my maidens do you choose? The lover now becomes fastidious in proportion to his good fortune, and affects to scruple in his choice Are all your daughters safe and sound? All in French garlands; Are all your daughters safe and sound? But it would appear that he is quite assured by the answer, and marries the daughter Jean' accordingly, as no further demur is made. In every pocket a thousand pounds, On every finger a gay gold ring, And adieu to you, my darlings. The game, as it is called, then ends by some little childish trick. MISCELLANEOUS PUERILE RHYMES. THE present section is composed of the rhymes prevalent amongst young boys, and most of which are appropriate to the little affairs of that section of the community. In vituperation of the schoolmaster— A, B, buff, Tak' the master a cuff; Hit him ane, hit him twa, Ding him to the stane-wa'. In contempt for effeminate or missyish boys Half a laddie, half a lassie, Half a yellow yoldrin. In vituperation of liars Liar, liar, lick-spit, In behind the candle-stick! What's good for liars? Brimstone and fires. A contemptuous answer to unwelcome advice Speak when ye're spoken to, Drink when ye're drucken to; Gang to the kirk when the bell rings, And ye'll aye be sure o' a seat ! Said on finding anything, to prevent others from claiming a part Nae bunchers, nor halvers, But a' my ain. As a challenge to a guess— Chaw, chaw, babee ba', Guess what's in my pouch, and I'll gi'e ye't a'. The following explains itself, as accompanying a piece of harmless practical waggery :— My mother gied me butter and bread, my father gied me claes, To sit about the fireside, and knap folk's taes. Said with shut eyes and an open palm, in solicitation of a part of any good thing which another boy may haveKing, King Capper,* Or Fill my happer, And I'll gi'e you cheese and bread Fill a pot, fill a pan, Fill a blind man's hand; And be buried in the sea. When, however, a boy is saluted by a companion with a longing 'gie's'—that is, 'give us,' or 'give me'—he is apt to answer insolently The geese is a' on the green, And the gan'er [gander] on the gerse. If on this, or any other occasion, the phrase 'I'll gar [compel] ye' is used, the reply probably is Gaur gerse is ill to grow, And chuckie stanes is ill to chow. Said in reproach of a companion who takes back, or asks back a thing formerly given Gi'e a thing, take a thing, Auld man's gowd ring; * Capper is a Scotch term for a piece of bread and butter with cheese upon it. Lie but, lie ben, Lie amang the dead men. Said when anxious to get more of some delicacy, such as comfits, which a companion may chance to have Ane's nane, Twa's some, Six 'll gar his back bow, Aught'll bear him to the grund, Said to boys caught helping themselves at the cupboard- Said on catching a cat in the same circumstances- The cat's at the ream, The following is said by children on the flowing of the tide: Nip, nip taes, The tide's coming in, An address to the hiccup— Hiccup, hiccup, gang away, * Curn-one of several words in Scotland to express a small quantity. Pickle is another. It happened, strangely enough, that one of the managers of the Opera-house in London was the son of a respectable but plain man who resided in Aberdeen. This old person regarded his son's exaltation in no pleasant light; and on some one asking him one day what the young man was now about, he gave for answer, 'He keeps a curn o' queynies, and a wheen widdy-fu's, and gars them fussle, and loup, and mak' murgeons, to please the grit folk!' That is, in English, He keeps a number of indifferent women, and a few blackguard men, and makes them play on instruments, and dance, and make grimaces, to please the great people.' |