A Ballad Call’d Blew Cap for Me
Come hither thou merriest of all the Nine, [p. 29.]
Come, sit you down by me, and let us be jolly;
And with a full Cup of Apollo’s wine,
Wee’l dare our Enemy mad Melancholly;
And when we have done, wee’l between us devise
A pleasant new Dity by Art to comprise:
And of this new Dity the matter shall be,
If ever I have a man, blew cap for me.
There dwells a blith Lass in Falkland Town
And she hath Suitors I know not how many,
And her resolution she had set down
That she’l have a Blew Cap, if ever she have any.
An Englishman when our geod Knight was there,
Came often unto her, and loved her dear,
Yet still she replyed, Geod Sir, La be,
If ever I have a man, blew cap for me.
A Welchman that had a long Sword by his side,
Red Doublet, red Breech, and red Coat, and red Peard,
Was made a great shew of a great deal of pride,
Was tell her strange tales te like never heard;
Was recon her pedegree long pefore Prute[,]
No body was near that could her Confute;
But still she reply’d, Geod Sir la be,
If ever I have a man, blew Cap for me.
A Frenchman that largely was booted and spurr’d,
Long Lock with a ribbon, long points and long preeshes,
Was ready to kisse her at every word,
And for the other exercises his fingers itches;
You be prety wench a Metrel, par ma Foy,
Dear me do love you, be not so coy;
Yet still replyed, Geod Sir, la be;
If ever I have a man, blew Cap for me.
An Irishman, with a long skeen in his Hose,
Did think to obtain her, it was no great matter,
Up stairs to the chamber so lightly he goes,
That she never heard him until he came at her,
Quoth he, I do love thee, by Fait and by Trot,
And if thou wilt know it, experience shall sho’t,
Yet still she reply’d, Geod sir, la be,
If ever I have a man, blew Cap for me.
A Netherland Mariner came there by chance,
Whose cheekes did resemble two rosting pome-watters,
And to this Blith lasse this sute did advance;
Experience had taught him to cog, lie, and flatter;
Quoth he, I will make thee sole Lady of the sea,
Both Spanyard and English man shall thee obey:
Yet still she replyed, [Geod sir, La be,
If ever I have a man, blew cap for me].
At last came a Scotchman with a blew Cap,
And that was the man for whom she had tarryed,
To get this Blyth lass it was his Giud hap,
They gan to Kirk and were presently married;
She car’d not whether he were Lord or Leard,
She call’d him sick a like name as I ne’r heard,
To get him from aw she did well agree,
And still she cryed, blew Cap thou art welcome to mee.
[p. 30.]