GO BRING ME A LASS

Ho, boy, hey, boy, come, come away, boy,
And bring me my longing desire:
A lass that is neat and can well do the feat
When lusty young blood is on fire.

Let her body be tall, let her waist be small
And her age not above eighteen;
Let her care for no bed but here let her spread
Her mantle upon the green.

Let her have cherry lips, where I nectar may sip,
Let her eyes be as black as a sloe -
Dangling locks I do love, so that those hang above
Are the same with what grows below.

Let her face be fair, her breasts be bare
And a voice let her have that can warble;
Let her belly be soft, but to mount me aloft
Let her bounding buttocks be marble.

THE TROOPER

There was an old woman lived under a hill.

Lolly, lolly, lolly, lo.

She had good beer and ale for to sell.

Lolly, lo, lolly, lo, lolly, lolly, lolly, lo.

She had a daughter, her name was "Siss." ---

She kept her at home for to welcome her guest. ---

There came a trooper riding by. ---

He called for drink so plentifully. ---

When one pot was out he called for another. ---

He kissed the daughter before the mother. ---

When night came on, to bed they went. ---

It was with the mother's own consent. ---

Quoth she, "What is this so stiff and warm?" ---

"'Tis Ball, my nag, he will do you no harm." ---

"But what is this hangs under his chin?" ---

"'Tis the bag he puts his provender in." ---

Quoth he, "What is this?" Quoth she, "'Tis a well ---

Where Ball, your nag, can drink his fill." ---

"But what if my nag should chance to slip in?" ---

"Catch hold of the grass that grows on the brim!"

"But what if the grass should chance to fail?" ---

"Shove him in by the head, pull him out by the tail!"

2

A YOUNG MAN AND HIS MAID

A young man and his maid, put in all, put in all,

Together lately played, put in all.

The young man was in jest,

0, the maid she did protest,

She bid him do his best,

Put in all, put in all.

With that her rolling eyes, put in all put in all,

Turned upward to the skies, put in all.

The young man was in heat,

The maid did soundly sweat

A little farther get,

Put in all, put in all.

According to her will, put in all, put in all,
The young man tried his skill, put in all,
But the proverb plain does tell
That, use them ne'er so well,
For an inch they'd take an ell,
Put in all, put in all.

When they had ended sport, put in all, put in all,
She found him all too short, put in all.
For when he'd done his best
The maid she did protest
'Twas nothing but a jest,
Put in all, put in all.

A WANTON TRICK

If anyone long for a musical song,
Although that his hearing be thick,
The sound that it bears will ravish his ears -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

A pleasant young maid on an instrument played
That knew neither note nor prick.
She had a good will to live by her skill -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

A youth in that art, well seen in his part,
They called him Darbyshire Dick,
Came to her a suitor and would be her tutor -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

He pleased her so well that backward she fell
And swooned as though she were sick.
So sweet was his note that up went her coat -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

The string of his viol she put to the trial
'Til she had the full length of the stick.

Her white bellied lute she set to his flute -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

Thus she with her lute and he with his flute

Held every crotchet and prick.

She learned at her leisure yet paid for her pleasure -

'Tis but a wanton trick.

His viol string burst, her tutor she cursed;
However, she played with the stick.
From October to June she was quite out of tune -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

And then she repented that e'er she consented
To have either note or prick;

For learning so well made her belly to swell -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

All maids that make trial of a lute or a viol,
Take heed how you handle the stick;
If you like not this order, come, try my recorder -
'Tis but a wanton trick.

3

A LUSTY YOUNG SMITH

A lusty young smith at his vice stood a-filing,
His hammer laid by but his forge still aglow,
When to him a buxom young damsel came smiling
And asked if to work at her forge he would go.

With a Jingle, bang, Jingle, bang, jingle, bang, jingle.
With a jingle, bang, jingle, bang, jingle, hi, hoi

"I will," said the smith, and they went off together,
Along to the young damsel's forge they did go.
They stripped to go to it, 'twas hot work and hot weather;
She kindled a fire and she soon made him blow.

Her husband, she said, no good work could afford her;
His strength and his tools were worn out long ago.
The smith said, "Well, mine are In very good order
And now I am ready my skill for to show."

Red hot grew his iron, as both did desire,
And he was too wise not to strike while 'twas so.
Quoth she, "What I get, I get out of the fire,
Then prithee, strike home and redouble the blow."

Six times did his iron, by vigorous heating,

Grow soft in the forge In a minute or so

And often was hardened, still beating and beating,

But the more it was softened, it hardened more slow.

The smith then would go; quoth the dame, full of sorrow,
"Oh, what would I give, could my husband do so!
Good lad, with your hammer come hither tomorrow
But, pray, can't you use it once more, ere you go?"

5

6

A RIDDLE
My pretty maid, fain would I know
What thing it is 'twill breed delight;
That strives to stand, that cannot go,
That feeds the mouth that cannot bite.
With a humbledum, grumbledum, humbledum, hey -
Humbledum, grumbledum, humbledum, heyt

It is a pretty pricking thing,
A pleasing and a standing thing;
It was the truncheon Mars did use,
A bedward bit that maidens choose.

It is a friar with a bald head,
A staff to beat a cuckold dead;
It is a gun that shoots point-blank,
It hits betwixt a maiden's flank.

It is a shaft of Cupid's cut,
'Twill serve to rove, to prick, to butt;
'Twas ne'er a maid but by her will
Will keep it in her quiver still.

It has a head much like a mole's
And yet it loves to creep in holes.
The fairest maid that e'er took life
For love of this became a wife.

A MAIDEN DID A-BATHING GO

The four-and-twentieth day of May,
Of all days in the year, sir,
A virgin lady, fresh and gay,
Did privately appear, sir.
Hard by a riverside got she
And did sing loud the rather,
'Cause she was sure she was secure
And had intent to bath her.

With glittering, glancing, jealous eye:

She shyly looks about, sir,

To see if any lurking spies

Were hid to find her out, sir,

And being well resolved that none

Could see her nakedness, sir,

She pulled her robes off, one by one,

And did herself undress, sir.

Into a fluent stream she leapt;
She looked like Venus' glass, sir.
The fishes from all quarters crept
To see so fair a lass, sir.
Each fish did wish himself a man;
About her all were drawn, sir,
And at the sight of her began
To spread about their spawn, sir.

A lad that long her love had been
And could obtain no grace, sir,
For all her prying lay unseen,
Hid In a secret place, sir.
Who had often been repulsed
When he had come to woo her,
Pulled off his clothes and furiously
Did run and leap into her.

She squeaked, she cried, and down she dived;

He brought her up again, sir.

He brought her o'er upon the shore

And then, and then, and then, sir ...

As Adam did old Eve enjoy,

You may guess what I mean, sir.

Because she all uncovered lay,

He covered her again, sir.

With watered eyes she pants and cries,

"I'm utterly undone, sir.

If you will not be wed to me

By the next morning sun, sir."

He answered her he would not stir

Out of her sight 'til then, sir.

We'll clasp both hands in wedlock bands,

Marry, and to it again, sir.

7

THE JOLLY TINKER

A comely dame of Islington had got a leaky copper;
The hole that let the liquor run was wanting of a stopper.
A Jolly tinker undertook and promised her most fairly
(With a thump, thump, thump and a knick, knack, knock)
To do her business rarely.

He turned the vessel to the ground, said he, "A good old copper
But it well may leak, for I have found a hole in it that's a whopper.
But never doubt a tinker's stroke; although he's black and surly
He'll do your business rarely."

The man of mettle opened wide his budget's mouth to please her.
Says he, "This tool I've oft employed about such jobs as these are."
With that the jolly tinker took a stroke or two most kindly.
He did her business finely.

As soon as he had done the feat he cried, "'Tis very hot, 0.
This thrifty labour makes me sweat; give me a cooling pot 0."
Says she, "Bestow the other stroke before you take your farewell,
And you may drink a barrel."

8

9

10

THE FOUR ABLE PHYSICIANS

You maidens and wives and young widows, rejoice.
Declare your thanksgiving with heart and with voice.
Since waters were waters, I dare boldly say,
There ne'er was such cause for a thanksgiving day.

For from London Town there's lately come down
Pour able physicians that never wore gown.
Their physick is pleasant, their dose, it is large,
And you may be cured without danger or charge.

They have a new drug which is called the close hug,
Which will mend your complexions and make you look smug;
A sovereign balsam which, once well applied,
Though grieved at the heart, the patient ne'er died.

In the morning you need not be robbed of your rest
For in your warm beds your physick works best
And though, in the taking, some stirring's required,
The motion's so pleasant you cannot be tired.

On your backs you must lie with your body raised high
And one of these doctors must always be nigh
Who still will be ready to cover you warm,
For if you take cold all physick doth harm.

On silver and gold they never lay hold
For what comes so freely should never be sold;
Then join with the doctors and heartily pray
Their power of healing will never decay.

SYLVIA THE FAIR

Sylvia, the fair, at the age of sixteen,

Felt an innocent warmth as she lay on the green.

She'd heard of a pleasure and something she guessed

By the towsing and tumbling and touching her breast.

She saw the men eager but was at a loss

What they meant by their sighing and kissing so close,

By their preying and whining and clasping and twining

And panting and wishing and sighing and kissing

And sighing and kissing so close.

"Ah," she cried, "Ah, for a languishing maid

In a country of Christians to die without aid.

Not a Whig nor a Tory nor Triber, at least,

A Protestant parson or Catholic priest

To Instruct a poor virgin who is at a loss

What they meant by their sighing and kissing so close,

By their . . (etc.) . . "

Cupid, in shape of a swain, did appear.

He saw the sad wound and in pity drew near.

Then he showed her his arrow and bid her not fear,

For the pain was no more than a maiden could bear.

When the balm was infused she was not at a loss

What they meant by their sighing and kissing so close,

By their ... (etc.) . .

11

TECHNICAL DATA

These recordings were made on Ampex tape equipment employing a spe-
cial Telefunken M-221 condenser microphone, built to ELEKTRA specifica-
tions, and a selected Telefunken U-47 microphone. The tapes were edited
in the New York studios of ELEKTRA and were subsequently mastered on a
modified Presto 8DG lathe (Bartok Studios) with fully automatic margin
control, Grampian Cutterhead and a Capps ANM cutting stylus equipped
with heat. This record conforms to the RIAA curve.