The Shepherd's Week : Thursday; Or, The Spell Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Hobnelia	A
Hobnelia seated in a dreary vale	A
In pensive mood rehears'd her piteous tale	A
Her piteous tale the wind in sighs bemoan	B
And pining echo answers groan for groan	B
I rue the day a rueful day I trow	C
The woful day a day indeed of wo	C
When Lubberkin to town his cattle drove	D
A maiden fine bedight he hap'd to love	E
The maiden fine bedight his love retains	F
And for the village he forsakes the plains	F
Return my Lubberkin these ditties hear	G
Spells will I try and spells shall ease my care	H
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
When first the year I heard the cuckoo sing	K
And call with welcome note the budding spring	K
I straightway set a running with such haste	L
Deborah that won the smock scarce ran so fast	M
'Till spent for lack of breath quite weary grown	B
Upon a rising bank I sat adown	B
Then doff'd my shoe and by my troth I swear	H
Therein I spy'd this yellow frizzled hair	H
As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue	N
As if upon his comely pate it grew	N
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
At eve last midsummer no sleep I sought	O
But to the field a bag of hemp seed brought	O
I scatter'd round the seed on every side	P
And three times in a trembling accent cried	P
'This hemp seed with my virgin hand I sow	Q
Who shall my true love be the crop shall mow '	J
I straight look'd back and if my eyes speak truth	R
With his keen scythe behind me came the youth	R
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
Last Valentine the day when birds of kind	S
Their paramours with mutual chirpings find	S
I rearly rose just at the break of day	T
Before the sun had chas'd the stars away	T
A field I went amid the morning dew	N
To milk my kine for so should huswifes do	N
Thee first I spy'd and the first swain we see	U
In spite of fortune shall our true love be	U
See Lubberkin each bird his partner take	V
And canst thou then thy sweet hear dear forsake	V
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
Last May day fair I search'd to find a snail	A
That might my secret lover's name reveal	A
Upon a gooseberry bush a snail I found	I
For always snails near sweetest fruit abound	I
I seiz'd the vermin home I quickly sped	W
And on the hearth the milk white embers spread	W
Slow crawl'd the snail and if I right can spell	A
In the soft ashes mark'd a curious L	A
Oh may this wondrous omen lucky prove	X
For L is found in Lubberkin and Love	E
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
Two hazel nuts I threw into the flame	Y
And to each nut I gave a sweet heart's name	Y
This with the loudest bounce me sore amaz'd	Z
That in a flame of brightest colour blaz'd	Z
As blaz'd the nut so may thy passion grow	C
For 'twas thy nut that did so brightly glow	C
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
As peascods once I pluck'd I chanc'd to see	U
One that was closely fill'd with three times three	U
Which when I crop'd I safely home convey'd	A2
And o'er the door the spell in secret laid	A2
My wheel I turn'd and sung a ballad new	N
While from the spindle I the fleeces drew	N
The latch mov'd up when who should first come in	B
But in his proper person Lubberkin	B
I broke my yarn surpris'd the sight to see	U
Sure sign that he would break his word with me	U
Eftsoons I join'd it with my wonted slight	B2
So may again his love with mine unite	B2
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
This lady fly I take from off the grass	C2
Whose spotted back might scarlet red surpass	C2
'Fly lady bird North South or East or West	D2
Fly where the man is found that I love best '	J
He leaves my hand see to the West he's flown	B
To call my true love from the faithless town	B
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
I pare this pippin round and round again	B
My shepherd's name to flourish on the plain	B
I fling the unbroken paring o'er my head	W
Upon the grass a perfect L is read	W
Yet on my heart a fairer L is seen	B
Than what the paring makes upon the green	B
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
This pippin shall another trial make	V
See from the core two kernels brown I take	V
This on my cheek for Lubberkin's is worn	B
And Boobyclod soon drops upon the ground	I
A certain token that his love's unsound	I
While Lubberkin sticks firmly to the last	M
Oh were his lips to mine but join'd so fast	M
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
As Lubberkin once slept beneath a tree	U
I twitch'd his dangling garter from his knee	U
He wist not when the hempen string I drew	N
Now mine I quickly doff of inkle blue	N
Together fast I tie the garters twain	B
And while I knit the knot repeat this strain	B
'Three times a true lover's knot I tie secure	E2
Firm be the knot firm may his love endure '	J
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
As I was wont I trudg'd last market day	T
To town with new laid eggs preserv'd in hay	T
I made my market long before 'twas night	B2
My purse grew heavy and my basket light	B2
Straight to the 'pothecary's shop I went	F2
And in love powder all my money spent	F2
Behap what will next Sunday after prayers	G2
When to the ale house Lubberkin repairs	G2
These golden flies into his mug I'll throw	C
And soon the swain with fervent love shall glow	C
'With my sharp heel I three times mark the ground	I
And turn me thrice around around around '	J
But hold our Lightfoot barks and cocks his ears	H2
O'er yonder stile see Lubberkin appears	H2
He comes he comes Hobnelia's not bewray'd	I
Nor shall she crown'd with willow die a maid	I
He vows he swears he'll give me a green gown	B
Oh dear I fall adown adown adown	B

John Gay

The Shepherd's Week : Thursday; Or, The Spell Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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