Collection of eighty street ballads: Country John

Collection of eighty street ballads on forty sheets, mostly with a woodcut printed at London, the majority by J. Catnach (1820ñ1830). London: n.p., n.d.

University of Minnesota Libraries. WILSON Rare Books Quarto 820.1 C683. Pasted to left side of album leaf 6: half-sheet broadside containing "Country John."

<Image: small woodcut showing a country scene: in the foreground, a rooster silhouetted against the sky and a tree trunk to the left; a building showing in the background behind it.>

Country John

A country John in a village of late,
Courted young Dorothy, Bridget and Kate,
He went up to London to pick up a lass,
To show what a wriggle he had in his a...

<O> when he got there it was late in the night
Two pretty young damsels appear<ed> in his sg<h>t
Said one to the other h<e>re's country John
We'd show him a trick before it be long

Then one stept up to him and gave hm a b<o>b
And said honest fellow can you do the job,
What j<o>b do you mean, do you mean for to stitch,
Ga<d>zooks says the wench you're as good as wi<t>ch<.>

Then what is your prce<,> be it little or much
I'm just in the humour to give you a toc<h>,
I'm as handsome a girl as any in town,
Why dang it says he then I'll give thee a crown.

O where shall we go for to find a bed,
That I may enjoy your sweet maidenhead.
Why dang it says she there's <n>o bed to be found
But I'll show you f<in>e sport as I lie on the ground<.>

The bargain was made and he tipt her the c<o>in
She tipt him the glim in the heighth of his p<r>i<m>e
O then she got up and away she did run,
Saying Molly you w...., I've tpt hm the glim.

Then John he arose and how he did swear
He'd p... the whole town in spite of that w....
He knew that the women would <c>uckold the men
Says he I will p.. the whole town if I can.

There was old mother Jenkins he owd her a spite
He went and he s.... her the very same night
Because she denied him a touch on the grass
As good as his word he set fi<r>e to her ....

In a night or two after she p... her spou<s>e
And he p.. Dolly a milking her cows,
Then Dolly aro<s>e and run into the barn
And there she p... Roger a thrashing his corn<.>

Then Roger he p.. the innkeeper's maid,
And she p.. her master as its been said,
The innkeeper's wife she loved a young spark,
In less than a week she p.. parson and clerk

Oh, then were all in a woeful condition
They sent up to L<o>n<d>on to find a physician.
And when doctor Mendcock heard of their ills
He sent down amongst them a cart load of pills.

Basic transcription by Kirsten Culler. Pointed brackets mark emendations (many letters have dropped out); ellipses marks as printed.

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Michael Hancher Department of English, University of Minnesota URL: <http://umn.edu/home/mh/country.html> Comments to: mh@umn.edu Created 15 April 1997