%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> THE / MERRY BROOMFIELD: / OR, THE / WEST COUNTRY WAGER. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1720-1720 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/04/2012 32492

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

A Noble young 'Squire that liv'd in the West, / He courted a young Lady gay; Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 289760 THE / MERRY BROOMFIELD: / OR, THE / WEST COUNTRY WAGER. THE MERRY BROOMFIELD: OR, THE WEST COUNTRY WAGER. THE MERRY BROOMFIELD: OR, THE WEST COUNTRY WAGER. 1720-1720

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 5/4/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America animals/ nature infidelity love sex/ sexuality trickery/ deceit virtue Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/4/2012 9:47:17 AM XBallad Becker, Charlotte Created XML Version of Ballad 5/4/2012 9:47:17 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2012 9:47:17 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2012 9:47:17 AM Transcriptionist Two Bell, Erik Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2012 9:47:17 AM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/28/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/28/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/14/2011 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">THE</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">MERRY BROOMFIELD:</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR, THE</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">WEST COUNTRY WAGER.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To a new Tune. Licensd according to Order.</hi></seg>
A Noble young Squire that livd in the West, He courted a young Lady gay; And as he was merry, he put forth a Jest, A Wager with her he would lay. A Wager with me, the young Lady replyd, I pray, about what must it be?
If I like the Humour, you shant be denyd, I love to be merry and free. Quoth he, I will lay you an hundred Pounds, A hundred Pounds, aye, and ten, That a Maid if you go, to the merry Broomfield, That a Maid you return not again.
Ill lay you that Wager the Lady she said, Then the Money she flung down amain, To the merry Broomfield Ill go a pure Maid, The same Ill return Home again. He coverd her Bett in the Midst of the Hall, With an hundred and ten jolly Pounds: And then to his Servant straightway he did call, For to bring forth his Hawk and his Hounds. A ready Obedience the Servant did yield; And all was made ready oer Night. Next Morning he went to the merry Broomfield, To meet with his Love and Delight. Now when he came there having waited a While, Among the green Broom down he lies, The Lady came to him and coud not but smile, For Sleep then had closed his Eyes. Upon his right Hand a Gold Ring she securd, Down from her own Fingers so fair, That when he awaked he might be assurd, His Lady and Love had been there. She left him a Posie of pleasant Perfume, Then stept from the Place where he lay; And hid herself close in the Besom of the Broom, To hear what her true Love would say. He wakend and found the Gold Ring on his Hand, Then Sorrow of Heart he was in, My Love has been here I do well understand, And this Wager I now shall not win. Oh where was you my goodly Gawshawk, The which I have purchasd so dear, Why did you not waken me out of my Sleep, When the Lady my Lo[ve]r was here.
O with my Bells did I ring Master, And eke with my Feet did I run, And still did cry, pray awake Master, Shes here now and soon will be gone. Oh where was you my gallant Greyhound, Whose Coller is flourishd with Gold, Why hadst thou not wakend me out of my Sleep, When thou didst my Lady behold. Dear Master I barkd with my Mouth when she came, And likewise my Coller I shook, And told you that here was the beautiful Dame, But no Notice of me then you took. O where was thou my serving Man, Whom I am cloathed so fine, If you had wakd me when she was here, The Wager then had been mine. In the Night you should have slept Master, And kept awake in the Day, Had you not been sleeping when hither she came, Then a Maid she had not gone away. Then Home he returnd when the Wager was los[t] With Sorrow of Heart I may say; The Lady she laughd to find her Love crost, This was upon Midsummer-day. O Squire I laid in the Bushes conceald, And heard you when you did complain: And thus I have been to the merry Broomfield, And a Maid returnd back again. Be chearful, be chearful, and do not repine, For now tis clear as the Sun: The Money, the Money, the Money is mine, The Wager I fairly have won.