Classic Poem

A Ballad

When young, and artless, as the lamb,
That plays about the fondling dam,
Brisk, buxom, pert, and silly;
I slighted all the manly swains,
And put my virgin heart in chains,
For simple, smock-fac'd Billy

But when experience came with years,
And rais'd my hopes and quell'd my fears,
My blood grew blithe and bonny;
I turn'd off every beardless youth,
And gave my love and fix'd my truth
On honest, sturdy Johnny .

But when at Wake I saw the 'squire,
For lace I found a new desire,
Fond to outshine my mammy;
I sigh'd for fringe, and frogs, and beaux,
And pigtail'd wigs, and powder'd cloaths,
And silken Master Sammy .

For riches next, I felt a flame,
When to my cot old Gripus came,
To hold an am'rous parley;
For musick then I 'gan to burn,
And to my arms took in his turn
The warbling, quavering Charly .

At length alike the fools and wits,
Fops, fidlers foreigners, and cits,
All had me by rotation;
Then warn'd by me, ye Patriot Fair,
Ne'er make one single man your care,
But sigh for all the nation.