THE METHODY PARSON

A Methody parson whose name it was George,
Knew a jovial tinker just come from the forge,
He'd a virtuous woman, who were George's good friend,
He oft came to see her, her soul for to mend,
Sing fal de lal lady de laddy-I-O.

Now this good woman's husband no Methody he,
But a good-hearted churchman both jovial and free,
He loved the brown jug as a good honest man,
And his house were hung round wi' fat bacon and ham.

One day he came home, and he found them at prayers,
He looked very honest, devout and sincere,
But he looked round the room for he'd reasons to guess,
And he plainly could see that his bacon grew less.

Now he looked round the room both cunning and sly,
And into George's pocket he cast a quick eye,
For he saw something in it, without any doubt,
Says he "Honest man, what's tha got i' that clout?"

"O-Oh" replied George "its God's holy-word:
The sacred scripture I have off the Lord".
For when I'm at home I never am idle,
I make it a study to read from the bible."

"Then pull out thy bible," the churchman replied,
"Or else, by Lord Harry, I'll bardle thy hide,
And I'll bray thee within half an inch of thy life,
For the bible's all bacon tha's sto'en off me wife."

George shuffled about and his bible pulled out
When a great lump of fat bacon rolled out of the clout.
He took to his heels, for he dursn't be idle
And from that day to this, he's preached without a bible.

So all you good men who lead honest lives
I would have you take care of your bacon and wives*
For where there's a fleecher+ great care must be taken
For they'll preach for ever where there's plenty fat bacon.

*in that order

+A fleecher.of bacon

JOHN HASTED WRITES: Sung to me by John Hill, aged eighty-seven, in the village of Goathland in the North Riding of Yorkshire some five years ago, this song was a great favourite in parts of the district where Catholicism was strong. A Roman Catholic priest once told John Hill it was "the best song ever written". In parts of America it is said that a white mule never dies: at the age of fifty he becomes a Methodist preacher. But in Yorkshire the slander is that they preach without a bible. This is the story behind the slander. A text, without tune, appears in Iolo Williams' 'Folk Songs of the Upper Thames'.

Wolfgang