Literature & Theatre > Durham garland

DURHAM Garland.

In F O U R PA R T S.

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A worthy Lord of vaſt eſtste,
Who did in Durham dwell of late ;
But I will not declare his name,
By reaſon of his birth and ſame.
But if you the truth would know,
This Lord he did a hunting go,
He had indeed a noble train,
Of Lords, and Kights, and gentlemen.

Unto fam'd Yorkſhire he would ride,
With all his gallants by his ſide.
In hunting paſs'd the time ;
But being weary, as they ſay,
His Lordſhip loſt his noble train
Of Lords, and Knights, and gentlemen,
And hearing not the horns to blow,
He could not tell which way to go.

But he did wander to and fro',
Being weary likewife full of woe :
At laſt dame fortune was ſo kind,
That he the keeper's houſe did find.
He went and knocked at the gate,
And tho' it was ſo very late,
The foreſter he let him in,
And kindly entertained him,

But in the middle of the night,
When as the ſtars did ſhine ſo bright,
The Lord was in a full ſurpriſe,
Being waked with a diſmal noiſe.
Then did he riſe and call with ſpeed,
To know the reaſon this indeed,
Of all that shrieking and that noiſe
Which did ſo much his ſoul ſurpriſe.

I'm ſorry, Sir, the keeper ſaid,
That you should be ſo much afraid.
But I hope that all will ſoon be well,
My wife is into labour fell.
This noble Lord was learn'd and wife,
And knew the planets of the skies,
He ſaw an evil planet reign,
So called the forreſter again.

And gave him then to underſtand,
He'd have the midwife hold her hand.
But he was anfwer'd by the maid,
Her miſtreſs was delivered,
At one o'clock that very morn,
A lovely infant there was born :
He was indeed a pretty boy,
Which gave his parents mickle joy.

The Lord was generous kind and free,
And proſfer'd Godfather to be :
This good man thank'd him heartily,
For his good will and courteſy.
A parſon was called for with ſpeed,
For to chriſten the child indeed.
And after as we did hear ſay,
In joy and mirth they ſpent the day,

This noble Lord did preſents give,
And all the ſervants did receive,
They beg'd God would increaſe his ſtore
For they had ne'er ſo much before ;
And likewiſe to the child he gave,
A noble preſent and a brave,
It was a charming cabinet,
That was with pearls and rubbies ſet.

Within it was a cabinet of gold,
Your eyes would dazzle to behold,
A richer gift, as I may ſay,
Has not been ſeen this many a day.