common broadside edition with which it has been collated, and from which the thirteenth and fifteenth verses were obtained. The ballad is very popular on the Border, and in the dales of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Craven. The late Robert Anderson, the Cumbrian bard, represents Deavie, in his song of the Clay Daubin, as singing The King and the Tinkler.] AND now, to be brief, let's pass over the rest, Who seldom or never were given to jest, And come to King Jamie, the first of our throne, A pleasanter monarch sure never was known. As he was a hunting the swift fallow-deer, He dropped all his nobles; and when he got clear, In hope of some pastime away he did ride, Till he came to an alehouse, hard by a wood-side. And there with a tinkler he happened to meet, And him in kind sort he so freely did greet: 'Pray thee, good fellow, what hast in thy jug, Which under thy arm thou dost lovingly hug?' 'By the mass!' quoth the tinkler, 'it's nappy brown ale, And for to drink to thee, friend, I will not fail; For although thy jacket looks gallant and fine, I think that my twopence as good is as thine.' 'By my soul! honest fellow, the truth thou hast spoke,' And straight he sat down with the tinkler to joke; They drank to the King, and they pledged to each other; Who'd seen'em had thought they were brother and brother. leg being shorter than the other, and his limping gait used to give occasion to the remark that few Kings had had more ups and downs in the world.' He met his death by drowning on the night of December 13, 1844. He had been at a merry-making' at Gargrave, in Craven, and it is supposed that, owing to the darkness of the night, he mistook the road, and walked into the river. As a musician his talents were creditable; and his name will long survive in the village records. The minstrel's grave is in the quiet churchyard of Gargrave. Further particulars of Francis King may be seen in Dixon's Stories of the Craven Dales, published by Tasker and Son, of Skipton. As they were a-drinking the King pleased to say, ' And truly I wish I so happy may Beseeching for mercy; the King to him said, 'Rise up, Sir John, I will honour thee here,— This was a good thing for the tinkler indeed; THE KEACH I' THE CREEL. [THIS old and very humorous ballad has long been a favourite on both sides of the Border, but had never appeared in print till about 1845, when a Northumbrian gentleman printed a few copies for private circulation, from one of which the following is taken. In the present impression some trifling typographical mistakes are corrected, and the phraseology has been rendered uniform through. Keach & the Creel means the catch in the basket.] out. A FAIR young May went up the street, Some white fish for to buy; And a bonny clerk's fa'n i' luve wi' her, And he's followed her by and by. 'O! where live ye my bonny lass, I pray thee tell to me; For gin the nicht were ever sae mirk, I wad come and visit thee, thee; 'O! my father he aye locks the door, And gin ye were ever sic a wily wicht, Ye canna win in to me.' But the clerk he had ae true brother, And he has made a lang ladder, Was thirty steps and three, three; He has made a cleek but and a creel- And he's away to the chimley-top, And he's letten the bonny clerk in, in ; The auld wife, being not asleep, Tho' late, late was the hour; 'I'll lay my life,' quo' the silly auld wife, 'There's a man i' our dochter's bower, bower; There's a man i' our dochter's bower.' The auld man he gat owre the bed, To see if the thing was true; But she's ta'en the bonny clerk in her arms, 'O! where are ye gaun now, father?' she says, 'And where are ye gaun sae late? Ye've disturbed me in my evening prayers, And O! but they were sweit.' 'O! ill betide ye, silly auld wife, She has the muckle buik in her arms, The auld wife being not asleep, 6 There's a man by our dochter's bed, bed; The auld wife she gat owre the bed, To see if the thing was true; But what the wrack took the auld wife's fit? For into the creel she flew. The man that was at the chimley-top, He wrappit the rape round his left shouther, And fast to him he drew. 'O, help! O, help! O, hinny, noo, help! For him that ye aye wished me at, He's towed her up, he's towed her down, He's towed her up, he's towed her down, O! the blue, the bonny, bonny blue, And every auld wife that's sae jealous o' her May she get a good keach i' the creel, creel; THE MERRY BROOMFIELD; OR, THE WEST COUNTRY WAGER. [THIS old West-country ballad was one of the broadsides printed at the Aldermary press. We have not met with any older im |