Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

AND BALLADS. 205
Yet now and then, the maids to pleafe,
At midnight I card up their wooll
And while they fleepe, and take their eafe,
With wheel to threads their flax I pull.
I grind at mill 55
Their malt up ftill ;
I drefs their hemp, I fpin their tow.
If any 'wake,
And would me take,
I wend me, laughing, ho, ho, ho ! 60
When houfe or harth doth fluttifh lye,
I pinch the maidens blacke and blue 5
The bed-clothes from the bed pull I,
And lay them naked all to view.
'Twixt fleepe and wake, 65
I do them take,
And on the key-cold floor them throw.
If out they cry,
Then forth I fly,
And loudly laugh out, ho, ho, ho I 7»
When any need to borrowe ought,
We lend them what they do require 5
And for the ufe demand we nought ;
Our owne is all we do deflre.
If to repay,
They do delay,
Abroad amongil them then I go f
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