[Page 86]

LOB's COURTSHIP.

1 As Lob among his cows one day,
2 Was filling of their cribs with hay;
3 As he to th' crib the hay did carry,
4 It came into his head to marry;
5 Says he, there's little merry Nell,
6 I think I like her very well;
7 But she, perhaps, at me will scoff,
8 Besides, she lives a great way off:
9 He mus'd a while, then judg'd it better,
10 The courtship to begin by letter;
11 So he a bit of paper found,
12 'Twas neither long, nor square, nor round;
13 It was the best that he could find,
14 And on it thus, he wrote his mind:
15 Dear Nelly, I make bold to send
16 My love to you, and am your friend;
17 I think you are a pretty maid,
18 And wonder much that you don't wed;
19 If you can like a country man,
20 I'll come and see you, if I can,
21 When roads are good, and weather fine,
22 But first I hope you'll send a line.
23 Then he in haste this letter sent,
[Page 87]
24 Also two apples did present,
25 Which Nell receiv'd, and read the letter,
26 (But she lik'd the apples better);
27 When read she into the fire threw it,
28 And never sent an answer to it.
29 When spring drew on, the cuckow sung,
30 The roads were dry, and days were long,
31 The cows were all turn'd out to grass,
32 Then Lob set out to see his lass;
33 He oil'd his shoes, and comb'd his hair,
34 As if a going to a fair:
35 He was a very clever clown,
36 His frock was of the sustian brown,
37 His stick was bended like a bow,
38 His handkerchief too made a show,
39 His hat stood like the pot-lid round,
40 So on he went, and Nell he found.
41 What Nelly! how dost do? says he,
42 Come, will you go along with me
43 O'er yonder stile, a little way
44 Along that close; Nell, what dost say?
45 Me go with you o'er yonder stile?
46 Says Nell, indeed I can't a-while;
47 So she stept in, and shut the door,
48 And he shabb'd off, and said no more.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): LOB's COURTSHIP.
Author: Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert)
Themes:
Genres: comic verse

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Source edition

Hands, Elizabeth, 1746-1815. The death of Amnon. A poem. With an appendix: containing pastorals, and other poetical pieces. By Elizabeth Hands. [Coventry]: Printed for the author, by N. Rollason, Coventry, M,DCCLXXXIX., 1789, pp. 86-87. [40],127,[1]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T141063) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Dunston B 961 (1)].)

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Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Other works by Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert)