THURSDAY:

OR,

THE SPELL.

HOBNELIA.

HOBNELIA, seated in a dreary vale,

In pensive mood rehears'd her piteous tale,
Her piteous tale the winds in sighs bemoan,
And pining Echo answers groan for groan.
I rue the day, a rueful day I trow,
The woful day, a day indeed of wo!
When Lubberkin to town his cattle drove,
A maiden fine bedight he hapt to love;
A maiden fine bedight his love retains,
And for the village he forsakes the plains.
Return, my Lubberkin! these ditties hear,
Spells will I try, and spells shall ease my care.

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,
Therein I spy'd this yellow frizzled hair,

As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue,
As if upon his comely pate it grew.

30

With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around.
At eve last midsummer no sleep I sought,
But to the field a bag of hempseed brought;
I scatter'd round the seed on ev'ry side,
And three times in a trembling accent cry'd,
This hempseed with my virgin hand I sow,
Who shall my truelove be the crop shall mow,
I straight look'd back, and if my eyes speak truth,
With his keen sithe behind me came the youth.
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground,
And turn me thrice around, around, around.

Last Valentine, the day when birds of kind
Their paramours with mutual chirpings find,
I early rose, just at the break of day,
Before the sun had chas'd the stars away;
Afield I went, amid the morning dew,

To milk my kine (for so should huswives do)
Thee first I spy'd, and the first swain we see,
In spite of fortune, shall our truelove be.
See Lubberkin! each bird his partner take,

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,
That might my secret lover's name reveal;
Upon a goosberry bush a snail I found,
For always snails near sweetest fruit abound.
I seiz'd the vermin, home I quickly sped,
And on the hearth the milk-white embers spread:
Slow crawl'd the snail, and if I right can spell,
In the soft ashes mark'd a curious L:
Oh! may this wondrous omen lucky prove!
For L is found in Lubberkin and love.

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.
Eftsoons I join'd it with my wonted sleight;
So may his love again with mine unite:

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.
Fly, ladybird, north, south, or east, or west,
Fly where the man is found that I love best.
He leaves my hand; see to the west he's flown,
To call my truelove from the faithless Town.

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;
This on my cheek for Lubberkin is worn,
And Boobyclod on t' other side is borne:
But Boobyclod soon drops upon the ground,
A certain token that his love's unsound,
While Lubberk in sticks firmly to the last;
Oh! were his lips to mine but join'd so fast!
With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground, -
And turn me thrice around, around, around.
As Lubberkin once slept beneath a tree,

I twitch'd his dangling garter from his knee;
He wist not when the hempen string I drew;
Now mine I quickly doff of inkle blue;
Together fast I tie the garters twain,

And, while I knit the knot, repeat this strain;
Three times a truelove's knot I tie secure,
Firm be the knot, firm may his love endure.

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
To Town, with new-laid eggs preserv'd in hay.
I made my market long before 'twas night,
My purse grew heavy, and my basket light.
Straight to the 'potecary's shop I went,
And in love-powder all my money spent ;

120

Ver. 109. Necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli,

colores

Necte, Amarylli modo; et Veneris dic vincula necto.