Will you come and dance with me?
-Devon (Miss E. Chase)].
XVII. Here comes a duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding; Here comes a duke a-riding to the ransy, tansy, tay!
Pray what do you come riding for? &c.
For one of your fairy [? fair] daughters, &c.
Will either one of these do? &c.
They"re all too black and too dirty, &c.
They"re quite as clean as you, sir, &c.
Suppose, then, I take you, Miss, &c.
-Clapham, London (Mrs. Herbertson).
[Another version is played by the duke announcing that he wants a wife.
The circle of maids and duke then reply to each other as follows:-
Open the door and let him in.
They"re all as stiff as pokers.
Quite as good as you, sir.
I suppose I must take one of them?
Not unless you like, sir.
I choose the fairest of you all, The fairest one that I can see Is --, come to me.
-Clapham Middle-cla.s.s Girls School (Mrs. Herbertson)].
XVIII. Here comes the duke a-riding, With my rantum, tantum, tantum, tee!
Here comes the duke a-riding, With my rantum, tantum, tee!
What does the duke a-riding want?
With his rantum, tantum, tantum, tee, &c.
The youngest and fairest daughter you"ve got, &c.
-Dublin (Mrs. Coffey).
XIX. Here comes a duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding; Here comes a duke a-riding, a ransom, tansom, tee!
What is your good will, sir, &c.
My will is for to marry, &c.
Will ever a one of us do? &c.
You"re all so black and so browsy.
You sit in the sun and get frowsy, With golden chains about your necks, You"re all so black and so browsy.
Quite as good as you, sir, &c.
[There is more of this, but it has been forgotten by my authority.]
-Thos. Baker, junr. (_Midland Garner_, N. S., ii. 32).
XX. Here comes a duke a-riding, With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tta pa.s.see!
Here comes a duke a-riding, With a ransom, tansom, tee!
Pray what is your good will, sir?
With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tta pa.s.see!
Pray what is your good will, sir?
With a ransom, tansom, tee!
My will is for to marry you (as above).
Pray which of us will you have, sir? &c.
Through the gardens and through the hall, With a ransom, tansom, t.i.tta pa.s.see!
I choose the fairest of you all, With a ransom, tansom, tee!
-Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. G. Sykes).
XXI. There came three dukes a-riding, ride, ride, riding; There came three dukes a-riding, With a tinsy, tinsy, tee!
Come away, fair lady, there is no time to spare; Let us dance, let us sing, Let us join the wedding ring.
-West of Scotland (_Folk-lore Record_, iv. 174).
XXII. Here come three dukes a-riding, A-riding, a-riding.
They will give you pots and pans, They will give you bra.s.s; They will give you pots and pans For a pretty la.s.s.
-Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).
XXIII. Here come four dukes a-riding, Ring a me, ding a me, ding.
What is your good will, sirs?
Ring a me, ding a me, ding.