Page:Comical history of the collier's wedding.pdf/14

 14 And mad with joy, like Bedlam follow,

Some ſhout the bride, aud ſome the groom,

Till juſt as mad to church they come;

Knock, ſwear, and rattle at the gate,

And vow to break the beadle's pate,

And call his wife a bitch and whore,

They will be in, or break the door?

They rive and tear, and make a noiſe,

Like rude diſtracted fools, or boys.

Now ſome ſlip out as ſure as fate,

To tell the prieſt the people wait;

He picks and comes, when he does know,

For at the beſt he's very ſlow,

The gates fly open, all ruſh in,

The church is full with folks and din:

And all the crew, both great and ſmall,

Behave as in a common hall;

For ſome, perhaps, that were threeſcore:

Were never twice in church before;

They ſcamper, climb, and break the pews,

To ſee the couple make their vows.

With ſolemn face the prieſt draw near,

Poor Tom and Jenny quake for fear;

Are ſingl'd out from all the band

That round about them gaping ſtand.

In decent order when they're got,

The prieſt proceed to tie the knot:

Then hands are join'd and loos'd again,

And Tommy ſays, I take thee, Jane;

Then Jenny looks a little ſhy,

And kneels, and ſays, 'I take Tommy,

But here's the bleſſing, or the curſe,