The Irish Poet and the Natural World: An Anthology of Verse in English from the Tudors to the Romantics

Anonymous (c.1636)

88 ANONYMOUS (c.1636) The setting for this very early hunting song is the countryside of Fingal, north of Dublin, and the location for the meet of huntsmen and hounds is Howth Castle, the seat of the St Lawrence family, Lords of Howth. Since those named in the first stanza were active in the 1630s, the song clearly dates from that period. The earliest written text, however, is a scribal copy of the mid-eighteenth century. Since the song had been sung for a hundred years before it was captured on paper, it is not surprising that its metrical pattern had become muddled and some of its words garbled in transmission. The text has been lightly edited for this printing. Though the song is in English, the influence of the Irish language can be seen in the use of assonance rather than end-rhyme in places. Some words are also spelled to indicate Hiberno-English pronunciation. Ye merry Boyes all that live in Fingaule Ye merry Boyes all that live in Fingaule I will tell you a Tale, how a Hare catch’t a fall. There was Michael St Lawrence and Patrick Aspoor, Robbin Hod-goor, and Jacky Radmoor. With Robbin Hilliard (with his gay little Grey) And Stephen Ash-pole, a gay merry Boy. They met on a Day in St Lawrences1 Hall, Where he gave ’em hot waters, good meat, and strong Ale. And one ting more may be said for his fame, For his Sport he ventur’d his Ey and his Arm. 10 There was St Lawrence’s Scutty,2 and her Daughter Betty, Short cropt curryd3 Iron, and Merry-hunting Don, Ho[d]goiers Hector’s a Gay Gray-hound, Hee’l take three Yards at every Bound, And tho’ he had a blemish upon one Eye, It was hard for all that to give him the go-by.4 The head of the family in the 1630s was Nicholas St Lawrence, 1 23rd Lord Howth. These are names of hunting dogs. 2 combed. 3 not to include him. 4 89 Anonymous They went over the Ditches with their Dogs and Bitches, They spar’d not to beat Bear,5 Barley and wheat. Last out of some Bryars, they got their Desires, There started a Hare, that runned most rare6 20 Which set ’em a barking with all their train, Till the merry light Hare was very ny Slain. But in a fine Mead, she being almost spent, She made her last Will, ay7 and Testament;8 Cropt Curr, with thee, says she, I will not stay, Nor with true running Cutty, that show’d such fair play, But to thee, brave Hector, I yeild up my Leef; And so Hector bore her and ended the Streef.9 Then Hodgier came in to bear up the Hare His Breeches fell down, and his Ars it was bare, 30 But Patrick Ash pole he spoke a bold word, He woud go to Baldoyle10 to see what the Town coud afford. And when the Boys came to the gay Town, They got salt pork and Yellow Ba-coon,11 Which they then just cut down from the smoke. And Patrick Ash pole play’d a very good Cook, He slash’d it, and wash’d it, and I12 know not what, But13 not one bit he left on’t but ’twas all he Eat. barley. To beat is to move noisily through the fields to scare out game. 5 exceptionally well. 6 MS reads: ‘EE’. 7 The belief that a hare makes a will as it dies and gives permission to a particular dog to 8 kill it is of ancient origin. strife. 9 MS reads: ‘Baldoit.’ Baldoyle is a town in Fingal, not far from Howth. 10 An indication of the conservative pronunciation of Hiberno-English in seventeenth11 century Fingal. Richard Stanihurst had noted in 1577 that, in Wexford (where the pronunciation of English was very similar to that of Fingal), ‘most commonly in wordes of two sillables, they give the last the accent.’ (Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande (London, 1577) f.31r, col.1). MS reads: ‘EE’. 12 Conjectural reading: MS reads: ‘Mut’. 13 90 The Drink it was good and so was the Bread, They took off their Liquors till they were all Red,14 40 And when they had done they sang the...