Nursery Rhyme. CCCCXC. Love And Matrimony.

    It's once I courted as pretty a lass,
    As ever your eyes did see;
    But now she's come to such a pass,
    She never will do for me.
    She invited me to her own house,
    Where oft I'd been before,
    And she tumbled me into the hog-tub,
    And I'll never go there any more.

    Saw ye aught of my love a coming from ye market!
        A peck of meal upon her back,
        A babby in her basket;
    Saw ye aught of my love a coming from the market?

    There was a little boy and a little girl
    Lived in an alley;
    Says the little boy to the little girl,
    "Shall I, oh! shall I?"

    Says the little girl to the little boy,
    "What shall we do?"
    Says the little boy to the little girl,
    "I will kiss you."

    As I was going up Pippen-hill,
        Pippen-hill was dirty,
    There I met a pretty miss,
        And she dropt me a curtsey.

    Little miss, pretty miss,
        Blessings light upon you!
    If I had half-a-crown a day,
        I'd spend it all on you.

    Curly locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
    Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine;
    But sit on a cushion and sow a fine seam,
    And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!

    Did you see my wife, did you see, did you see,
        Did you see my wife looking for me?
    She wears a straw bonnet, with white ribbands on it,
        And dimity petticoats over her knee.