Page:Fortunate lover, or, The old man outwitted.pdf/5

( 5 ) The young man immediately fell to the ground,

Pretending as if he had been in a ſwoon;

In a paſſion then ſmiting his hand on his ſide,

What have you done, cruel maſter? he cried.

Maſter, with a vengeance, the old man replied,

Yes, yes, your my maſter the young man he cried

O pray be but eaſy and to you I'll tell,

The ſaddeſt misfortune that ever befel.

When my miſtreſs heard I to London muſt go,

She craved, nay, begg'd and intreated me ſo,

To be dreſs'd in my clothes for to go with you,

Becauſe ſhe had a mind that city to view.

Adzooks ſaid the old man what have I done,

I've ruin'd my daughter, 'O where ſhall I run?

The Devil's bewitch'd me for covering gold,

The life of my innocent daughter I've ſold.

The old man ran raving away to the barn,

And ſnatching a halter under his arm,

To a beam near at hand he immediately run,

With a rope about his neck away be ſwung.

The young man immediately whipp'd out his knife,

And cut him down 'e'er he finiſh'd his life,

Said, dear Sir, have patience and do not complain,

And I'll do what I can to fetch her again.

The old man he ſtar'd like a fox in a fnare,

Saying, Bring my darling whom I love ſo dear,

And that very minute you bring her to town,

That moment I'll pay the five hundred pound.

Nay, that is not all, to finiſh the ſrife,

I freely agree to make her your wife,

And if that I forty years longer remain,

I never, no never, will croſs her again.

The young man replied, I'm not free to truſt,

But if you will give me a writing firſt,

I'll bring her though never ſuch hazards I run,

A match ſaid the old man the same ſhall be done.