We"re quite as white as you, sir, &c.
Up of the kitchen, down of the hall, Pick the fairest girl of all; The fairest one that I can see Is -- --, come to me.
-Suffolk (Mrs. Haddon).
XIII. Here comes the Duke of Rideo, Of Rideo, of Rideo; Here comes the Duke of Rideo, Of a cold and frosty morning.
My will is for to get married, &c.
Will any of my fair daughters do? &c.
[The word "do" must be said in a drawling way.]
They are all too black or too proudy, They sit in the sun so cloudy; With golden chains around their necks, That makes them look so proudy.
They"re good enough for you, sir! &c.
I"ll walk the kitchen and the hall, And take the fairest of them all; The fairest one that I can see Is Miss -- So Miss --, come to me.
Now we"ve got this pretty girl, This pretty girl, this pretty girl; Now we"ve got this pretty girl, Of a cold and frosty morning.
-Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 222-223).
XIV. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding, Here come three dukes a-riding; With a ransom, tansom, tisamy, tea!
What is your good will, sirs? &c.
My good will is to marry, &c.
One of my fair daughters? &c.
You"re all too black and browsy, &c.
Quite as good as you, sirs, &c.
[The dukes select a girl who refuses to go to them.]
O, naughty maid! O, naughty maid!
You won"t come out to me!
You shall see a blackbird, A blackbird and a swan; You should see a nice young man Persuading you to come.
-Wrotham, Kent (Miss Dora Kimball).
XV. Here comes a duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding; Here comes a duke a-riding, to my nancy, pancy, disimi, oh!
Which of us will you have, sir? &c.
You"re all so fat and greasy, &c.
We"re all as clean as you, sir, &c.
Come down to my kitchen, come down to my hall, I"ll pick the finest of you all. The fairest is that girl I shall say, "Come to me."
I will buy a silk and satin dress, to trail a yard as we go to church, Madam, will you walk? madam, will you talk?
Madam, will you marry me?
I will buy you a gold watch and chain, to hang by your side as we go to church; Madam, will you walk? madam, will you talk?
Madam, will you marry me?
I will buy you the key of the house, to enter in when my son"s out; Madam, will you walk? madam, will you talk?
Madam, will you marry me?
-Earls Heaton, Yorks. (H. Hardy).
XVI. Here comes one duke a-riding, With a rancey, tancey, tiddy boys, O!
Rancey, tancey, tay!
Pray which will you take of us, sir? &c.
You"re all as dark as gipsies, &c.
Quite good enough for you, &c.
Then we"ll take this one, &c.
[After all are taken, the dukes say]-
Now we"ve got this bonny bunch, &c.
-Hurstmonceux, Suss.e.x, about 1880 (Miss E. Chase).
[A Devon variant gives for the third verse-
You are all too black and ugly, and ugly, and ugly.
And-
You are all too black and _browsie_, &c.
With the additional verse-
I walked through the kitchen, I walked through the hall, For the prettiest and fairest Of you all.
Ending with-
Now I have got my bonny la.s.s, &c.
And something like-