A Poem by Anonymous

    Hub a dub dub,
    Three men in a tub;
And who do you think they be?
    The butcher, the baker,
    The candlestick-maker;
Turn ’em out, knaves all three!

A Poem by Anonymous

Sylvia, sweet as morning air,
Do not drive me to despair:
Long have I sighed in vain,
Now I am come again,
    Will you be mine or no, no-a-no, –
    Will you be mine or no?

Simon pray leave off your suit,
For of your courting you’ll reap no fruit,
I would rather give a crown
Than be married to a clown;
    Go for a booby, go, no-a-no, –
    Go, for a booby, go.

Curly locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine;
But sit on a cushion and sow a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!

A Poem by Anonymous

Can you make me a cambric shirt,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without any seam or needlework?
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

Can you wash it in yonder well,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where never sprung water, nor rain ever fell?
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

Can you dry it on yonder thorn,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born?
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

Now you have ask’d me questions three,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
I hope you’ll answer as many for me,
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

Can you find me an acre of land,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Between the salt water and the sea sand?
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

Can you plough it with a ram’s horn,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And sow it all over with one pepper-corn?
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

Can you reap it with a sickle of leather,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And bind it up with a peacock’s feather?
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

When you have done and finish’d your work,
    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Then come to me for your cambric shirt,
    And you shall be a true lover of mine.

A Poem by Anonymous

“Madam, I am come to court you,
If your favour I can gain.”
“Ah, Ah!” said she, “you are a bold fellow,
If I e’er see your face again!”

“Madam, I have rings and diamonds,
Madam, I have houses and land,
Madam, I have a world of treasure,
All shall be at your command.”

“I care not for rings and diamonds,
I care not for houses and lands,
I care not for a world of treasure,
So that I have but a handsome man.”

“Madam, you think much of beauty,
Beauty hasteneth to decay,
For the fairest of flowers that grow in summer
Will decay and fade away.”

A Poem by Anonymous

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean;
And so, betwixt them both, you see,
They lick’d the platter clean.