¶Coridons Song. +Thomas Lodge, Rosalind (1590), fols. 64v-65, prefaced by ‘About mid dinner, to make them merrie Coridon came in with an olde crowne, and plaide them a fit of mirth, to which he sung this pleasant song’. Reprinted in Westminster Drollery (1671), pp. 59-60. Author: Thomas Lodge. Structure (May/Ringler): 40: 5×8 a8a6abc8c6cd8
A Blithe and bonny Country-Lasse, heigh hoe bonny-Lasse, Sate sighing on the tender grasse, and weeping sayd: will none come woo me? (5) A smickerhandsome Boy, a litherlithe, agreeable, rather than lither, rascally, base Swaine, heigh hoe a smicker Swaine: That in his loue was wanton faineliked to be sportive , with smiling lookes straite came vnto her.
When as the wantonsportive, amorous Wench espied, (10) heigh hoe when she espied, The meanes to make her selfe a Bride, she simpred smooth like bonnie-bell: The Swaine that sawe her squint-eyed kindehaving a squint, cannot see straight , heigh hoe squint-eyed kinde, (15) His armes about her body twin’d and sayd, Faire Lasse, how fare ye, well?
The Country-Kit sayd, well forsooth, heigh hoe well forsooth, But that I haue a longing tooth, (20) a longing tooth that makes me crie: Alas (said he) what garresgars, makes thy greefe, heigh hoe what garres thy greefe? A wound (quoth she) without releefe, I feare a mayde that I shall die.
(25) If that be all, the Sheepheard sayd, heigh hoe the Sheepheard sayd,
