Weep all ye Nymphs, your Floods unbind, For Strephon's now no more; Your Tresses spread before the Wind, And leave the hated Shore: See, see, upon the craggy Rocks, Each Goddess stripp'd appears; They beat their Breasts, and rend their Locks, And swell the Sea with Tears. The God of Love that fatal hour, When this poor Youth was born, Had sworn by Styx to show his Power, He'd kill a Man e'er Morn': For Strephon's Breast he arm'd his Dart, And watch'd him as he came; He cry'd, and shot him through the Heart, Thy Blood shall quench my Flame. On Stella's Lap he laid his Head, And looking in her Eyes, He cry'd, Remember when I'm dead, That I deserve the Prize: Then down his Tears like Rivers ran, He sigh'd, You Love, 'tis true; You love perhaps a better Man, But Ah! he loves not you. CHORUS. Why should all things bow to Love, Men below, and Gods above? Why should all things bow to Love? Death and Fate more awful move, Death below, and Fate above, Death below, and Fate above. Mortals, Mortals, try your skill, Seeking Good, or shunning Ill, Fate will be the burden still, Will be the burden still, Fate will be the burden still, Fate will be the burden still.Come Jug, my Honey, let's to bed John. Come Jug, my Honey, let's to bed, It is no Sin, sin we are wed; For when I am near thee by desire, I burn like any Coal of Fire. Jug. To quench thy Flames I'll soon agree, Thou art the Sun, and I the Sea; All Night within my Arms shalt be, And rise each Morn as fresh as he. CHO. Come on then, and couple together, Come all, the Old and the Young, The Short and the Tall; The richer than Croesus, And poorer than Job, For 'tis Wedding and Bedding, That Peoples the Globe. John. My Heart and all's at thy command, And tho' I've never a Foot of Land, Yet six fat Ewes, and one milch Cow, I think, my Jug, is Wealth enow. Jug. A Wheel, six Platters and a Spoon, A Jacket edg'd with blue Galloon; My Coat, my Smock is thine, and shall And something under best of all.

Now listen a while, and I will tell

Now listen a while, and I will tell,
Of the Gelding of the Devil of Hell;
And Dick the Baker of Mansfield Town,
To Manchester Market he was bound,
And under a Grove of Willows clear,
This Baker rid on with a merry Cheer:
Beneath the Willows there was a Hill,
And there he met the Devil of Hell. Baker, quoth the Devil, tell me that,
How came thy Horse so fair and fat?
In troth, quoth the Baker, and by my fay,
Because his Stones were cut away:
For he that will have a Gelding free,
Both fair and lusty he must be:
Oh! quoth the Devil, and saist thou so,
Thou shalt geld me before thou dost go.
Go tie thy Horse unto a Tree,
And with thy Knife come and geld me;
The Baker had a Knife of Iron and Steel,
With which he gelded the Devil of Hell,
It was sharp pointed for the nonce,
Fit for to cut any manner of Stones:
The Baker being lighted from his Horse,
Cut the Devil's Stones from his Arse.
Oh! quoth the Devil, beshrow thy Heart,
Thou dost not feel how I do smart;
For gelding of me thou art not quit,
For I mean to geld thee this same Day seven-night.
The Baker hearing the Words he said,
Within his Heart was sore afraid,
He hied him to the next Market Town,
To sell his Bread both white and brown.
And when the Market was done that Day,
The Baker went home another way,
Unto his Wife he then did tell,
How he had gelded the Devil of Hell:
Nay, a wondrous Word I heard him say,
He would geld me the next Market Day;
Therefore Wife I stand in doubt,
I'd rather, quoth she, thy Knaves Eyes were out.
I'd rather thou should break thy Neck-bone
Than for to lose any manner of Stone,
For why, 'twill be a loathsome thing,
When every Woman shall call thee Gelding
Thus they continu'd both in Fear,
Until the next Market Day drew near;
Well, quoth the good Wife, well I wot,
Go fetch me thy Doublet and thy Coat.
Thy Hose, thy Shoon and Cap also,
And I like a Man to the Market will go;
Then up she got her all in hast,
With all her Bread upon her Beast:
And when she came to the Hill side,
There she saw two Devils abide,
A little Devil and another,
Lay playing under the Hill side together.
Oh! quoth the Devil, without any fain,
Yonder comes the Baker again;
Beest thou well Baker, or beest thou woe,
I mean to geld thee before thou dost go:
These were the Words the Woman did say,
Good Sir, I was gelded but Yesterday;
Oh! quoth the Devil, that I will see,
And he pluckt her Cloaths above her Knee.
And looking upwards from the Ground,
There he spied a grievous Wound:
Oh! (quoth the Devil) what might he be?
For he was not cunning that gelded thee,
For when he had cut away the Stones clean,
He should have sowed up the Hole again;
He called the little Devil to him anon,
And bid him look to that same Man.
Whilst he went into some private place,
To fetch some Salve in a little space;
The great Devil was gone but a little way,
But upon her Belly there crept a Flea:
The little Devil he soon espy'd that,
He up with his Paw and gave her a pat:
With that the Woman began to start,
And out she thrust a most horrible Fart.
Whoop! whoop! quoth the little Devil, come again I pray,
For here's another hole broke, by my fay;
The great Devil he came running in hast,
Wherein his Heart was sore aghast:
Fough, quoth the Devil, thou art not sound,
Thou stinkest so sore above the Ground,
Thy Life Days sure cannot be long,
Thy Breath it fumes so wond'rous strong.
The Hole is cut so near the Bone,
There is no Salve can stick thereon,
And therefore, Baker, I stand in doubt,
That all thy Bowels will fall out;
Therefore Baker, hie thee away,
And in this place no longer stay.

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