“Now, fare thee well, my winsome Jenny,
For I am a baron of high degree;
Now, fare thee well for ever, my hinny,
For the wife of a baron thou ne’er canst be.”

With a ha! ha! ha! and a tra-la-lalla,[A]
He stroked the red beard on his chin,
With a ha! ha! ha! and a tra-la-lalla,
And I have never seen him again.

[Footnote A:  The reader may here recollect the fine ballad of Buerger, “Der Ritter und sein Liebchen;” and the verse—­

  Drauf ritt der Ritter hop sa! sa! 
  Und strich sein Bartchen trallala;
  Sein Leibchen sah ihn reiten
  Und hoerte noch von weiten
  Sein Lachen ha! ha! ha!
]

[The maidens thought the humour gala, And, laughing, they chorused to the strain, “With a ha! ha! ha! and a tra-la-lalla, And you have never seen him again.”]

Now, dears! if your lovers you would not lose them, Tak’ counsel—­it is not an hour ower sune:  Be sure that in holy bands ye noose them Before you let them tak’ aff their shune.

[The maidens thought they would amuse them, And, laughing, they chorused to the tune, “Oh yes, we in holy bands will noose them Before we let them tak’ aff their shune.”]

XXI.

THE BALLAD OF MATRIMONY.

“Come, now tell me, Clarabella,
  How that wondrous thing befell,
Why you took that sorry fellow,
  Leaving me who loved you well? 
It was, good faith! a sad miscarriage,
  And cost me many a pang of pain;
Indeed, when I heard of your marriage,
  I vowed I ne’er would love again.”

“Well, I don’t mind, since you’re pathetic,
  And so the reason you shall hear: 
Th’ affair was one of arithmetic—­
  A matter of so much a year. 
His father left five thousand good
  Of pounds per annum, as you know,
And you possessed, I understood,
  Of yearly thousands only two.”

“Well, why did I, who knew of Cupid,
  Display so much stupid-ity
As not to know—­the thing was lucid—­
  From Cupid comes Cupid-ity?”
“But not too late,” cried Clarabella: 
  “My husband dear has gone to heaven;
He left the five to me, good fellow! 
  And five and two, you know, make seven.”

I laughed and bowed to Clarabella,
  And quickly homewards bent my way,
And there became a rustic fellow,
  And donned a suit of hodden-grey. 
And then I hired me to a farmer,
  Concealing every sign of pelf,
One Hodge, who had a pretty charmer,
  Who might love me for myself.

I laid bold siege to fair Lucinda,
  And tho’ she loved another swain
(I had observed them through the window),
  I was resolved her love to gain
Then I would be a lucky fellow,
  Assured one loved me for my merit,
And not, like widowed Clarabella,
  For the lucre I inherit.

At length I boldly purposed marriage,
  And found Lucinda at my call,
And soon thereafter in my carriage
  I drove my wife to Border Hall. 
Well! she wondered at the mansion,
  And all the grandeur that was there,
The servants bowing all attention
  To the lady of their squire.