Beggars of Coudingham Fair The first time that I gaed to Coudingham fair, I there fell in with a jolly beggare; The beggar's name, O, it was Harry, And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Mary; O Mary and Harry, and Harry and Mary, And Janet and John; That's the beggars one by one; But now I will gie you them pair by pair, All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair. The next time that I gaed to Coudingham fair, I there fell in with another beggare; The beggar's name, O, it was Willie, And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Lillie; And Harry and Mary, and Willie and Lillie, And Janet and John, That's the beggars one by one; Now I will gie you them pair by pair, All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair. The next time that I gaed to Coudingham fair, I fell in with another beggare; The beggar's name, O, it was Wilkin, And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Gilkin; And Harry and Mary, and Willie and Lillie, And Wilkin and Gilkin, and Janet and John; That's the beggars all one by one; Now I will gie you them pair by pair, All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair. ________________________________________________________ Chambers PRS (1847), 197; (1870), 40, from Tait's Magazine, x.121; Montgomerie SNR (1946), 113 (No. 142). Cf. Dean-Smith, s.v. Donnybrook: refs. to FSJ 1941, 77- 8; pt. 33, 132-4. MS
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