P. 109, 1.1. Girls and boys. The tune to this may be found in all the late editions of Playford's "Dancing Master." P 112, No. 194. The following is a Scotch version of this game: "1. Buff With a very good grace, And passes the staff to another." P. 116, 1. 1. A game on a slate. P. 113, 1. 17. Queen Anne. A different version of No. 184, P. 114, 1. 15. Then comes. Sometimes, "Then comes down." P. 117, 1. 6. Eleven comets in the sky. This ought to be said in one breath. The following is another version of it: "Eight ships on the main, P. 133, 1. 5. I wish them all safe back again; Seven eagles in the air, I wonder how they all came there; Six spiders on the wall, Close to an old woman's apple-stall ; Five puppies in Highgate Hall, Who daily for their breakfast call; Four mares stuck in a bog; Three monkies tied to a log; Two pudding-ends will choke a dog, With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.” The rule of the road. I am told that this is a very modern composition. P. 131, 1. 1. For "dee," read "D." P. 131, 1. 3, No. 123. See page 124. P. 133, 1. 4. thus: E. with a figure fiftie. This ought to be "E. with a figure of L. fiftie." This is probably an epigram on one of the family of the Noels, or Nowels. P. 134, 1. 9. Cowslips. Some read "muscles." I have a copy of the date 1797, which has "cuckolds," probably the genuine old reading. P. 137, No. 251. When I was a little girl. A friend has kindly furnished me with a different version of these curious lines : It is a singular fact, that a comparatively modern discovery in physiology was anticipated in the original version of this song. P. 142, No. 263. This is a game. P. 144, I. 1. We'll go a shooting. This is an English version of a very curious song, used on the occasion of "hunting the wran," on St. Stephen's Day, in the Isle of Man. On that day the children of the villagers procure a wren, attach it with a string to a branch of holly, decorate the branch with pieces of ribbon that they beg from the various houses, and carry it through the village, singing these lines. An extract from an Irish work, from which it appears that this custom is likewise prevalent in Ireland, is given in Sir Henry Ellis's edition of Brand's "Popular Antiquities," vol. ii. p. 516 :— "The Druids represented this as the king of all birds. The great respect shown to this bird gave great offence to the first Christian missionaries, and, by their command, he is still hunted and killed by the peasants on Christmas Day, and on the following (St. Stephen's Day) he is carried about hung by the leg in the centre of two hoops, crossing each other at right angles, and a procession made in every village, of men, women, and children, importing him to be the king of birds." I am glad to be able to give the genuine traditional song, as recited in the Isle of Man: THE HUNTING OF THE WRAN. “We'll hunt the wran, says Robin to Bobbin; "Where shall we find him? says Robin to Bobbin ; "In yon green bush, says Robin to Bobbin; "How shall we kill him? says Robin to Bobbin; "With sticks and stones, says Robin to Bobbin; "How shall we get him home? says Robin to Bobbin; "We'll borrow a cart, says Robin to Bobbin; "How shall we boil him? says Robin to Bobbin; "In the brewery pan, says Robin to Bobbin; In the copy which was given to me, there were two additional stanzas, beginning respectively, “How shall we eat him?" and, "With knives and forks :" but these are probably modern interpolations. P. 149, No. 297. There is another couplet on this sovereign, which runs thus, "THOMAS a Didymus had a black beard, P. 149, No. 282. Bobby Shaft. Shaftoe," a member of a celebrated seventeenth century. This ought to be, “Bobby family at the end of the P. 151, 1. 17. Of all the gay birds. These four lines are part of an old song, the whole of which may be found in "Deuteromelia," 4to. Lond. 1609, and it is singular that it should have come down to us from oral tradition. This ver sion was obtained from Lincolnshire. The following copy is taken from the work here quoted: but there are considerable variations in later copies, some of which may be more correct. "OF all the birds that ever I see, The owle is the fayrest in her degree: And when the night comes, away flies she! Sir knave to thou, This song is well sung, I make you a vow, And he is a knave that drinketh now. Nose, nose, nose, nose ! And who gave you that jolly red nose? |