THURSDAY: OR, THE SPELL. HOBNELIA. HOBNELIA, seated in a dreary vale, In pensive mood rehears'd her piteous tale, With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. When first the year I heard the cuckoo sing, And call, with welcome note, the budding spring, I straightway set a-running with such haste, Deb'rah, that won the smock, scarce ran so fast; Till spent for lack of breath, quite weary grown, Upon a rising bank I sat adown, 20 Ver. 8.1 Dight, or bedight, from the Saxon word dightan, which signifies to set in order. Gay.1 Nij Then doff'd my shoe, and, by my troth, I swear, As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue, 30 With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, Last Valentine, the day when birds of kind To milk my kine (for so should huswives do) And canst thou then thy sweetheart dear forsake? 40 Ver. 21. Doff, and don, contracted from the words do off, and do on. With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. Last May-day fair I search'd to find a snail, 50 With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. 60 Two hazel-nuts I threw into the flame, And to each nut I gave a sweetheart's name: This with the loudest bounce me sore amaz'd, That in a flame of brightest colour blaz❜d. As blaz'd the nut, so may thy passion grow, For 'twas thy nut that did so brightly glow. With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. As peasecods once I pluck'd, I chanc'd to see One that was closely fill'd with three times three, jo Which, when I cropp'd, I safely home convey'd, And o'er the door the spell in secret laid; Ver. 64.] έγω δ ̓ ἐπι Δέλφιδι δά φναν Αιθω. χ ως αυτὰ λακεει μέγα κατά πυρίσασα THEOC. Ver. 66. Daphnis me malus urit, ego hanc in Daphnide. N iij My wheel I turn'd, and sung a ballad new, While from the spindle I the fleeces drew; The latch mov'd up, when who should first come in, But, in his proper person---Lubberkin. I broke my yarn, surpris'd the sight to see, Sure sign that he would break his word with me. Sa With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. This ladyfly I take from off the grass, Whose spotted back might scarlet red surpass. 99 With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. This mellow pippin, which I pare around, My shepherd's name shall flourish on the ground: I fling th' unbroken paring o'er my head, Upon the grass a perfect L is read; Yet on my heart a fairer L is seen Than what the paring marks upon the green. With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. Ver. 91.1 pare this pippin round and round again, My shepherd's name to flourish on the plain. 12mo. ed. 1767: Ver. 9.3 Transque caput jace; ne respexeris, VIRG. This pippin shall another trial make, 100 See from the core two kernels brown I take; I twitch'd his dangling garter from his knee; And, while I knit the knot, repeat this strain; 110 With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, And turn me thrice around, around, around. As I was wont, I trudg'd last market-day 120 Ver. 109. Necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli, colores Necte, Amarylli modo; et Veneris dic vincula necto. |