No. 41 The Miller of Gosport
That the prejudice against the honesty of the miller was not confined to the Old World will appear from the following ballad:
There was an old miller in Gosport did dwell:
He had three sons whom he loved full well;
He called them to him, one—by—one,
Saying, “My—life—is—al—most—done!”82
He called to him his eldest son,
Saying, “My life is almost done,
And if I to you the mill shall make,
Pray, say what toll you mean to take?”
“Father,” says he, “my name is Dick,
And aout of each bushel I’ll take one peck—
Of every bushel—that—I—grind,
I’ll take one peck to ease my mind.”
“Thou foolish son,” the old man said,
“Thou hasn’t but one half larnt thy trade!
The mill to you I’ll never give,
For by such toll no man can thrive.”
He called to him his second son,
Saying, “My life is almost done,
And if I to you the mill shall make,
Pray, say what toll you mean to take?”
“Father,” says he, “my name is Ralph,
And aout of each bushel I’ll take one half—
Of every bushel that I grind,
I’ll take one half to ease my mind.”
“Thou foolish son,” the old man said,
“Thou hasn’t but one half larnt thy trade;
The mill to you I’ll never give,
For by such toll no man can thrive.”
He called to him his youngest son,
Saying, “My life is almost done;
And if I to you the mill shall make,
Pray, say what toll you mean to take?”
“Father,” says he, “I am your boy,
And in taking of toll shall be all my joy;
That an honest living I ne’er may lack,
I’ll take the whole, and steal the sack.”
“Thou art my son,” the old man said;
“Thou’st larnt thy good—old—fayther’s trade;
The mill to you I do—betide”—
And—so—he—closed—his eyes—and—died.
Another version finds its way to us from the West, and ends with an uncomplimentary opinion as to the habitation of the miller in the other world.
Footnotes
80 Donne-moi ton bras que je te guérisse,
Car tu m’as l’air malade,
Loula,
Car tu m’as l’air malade!
81 The Canadian words are, “J’entends le moulin, tique, tique, tique.” Probably the old English dance ended, “How merrily the mill goes, clack, clack, clack!” after which, as now in Canada, partners were changed, and the odd player in the centre had an opportunity to secure a place, or to find a mate.
82 The pauses lengthen as the patient grows weaker.