A CAROL
Reading edition · Edition 2
Our Lord Who did the Ox command To kneel to Judah’s King, He binds His frost upon the land To ripen it for Spring— To ripen it for Spring, good sirs, According to His word; Which well must be as ye can see— And who shall judge the Lord? When we poor fenmen skate the ice Or shiver on the wold, We hear the cry of a single tree That breaks her heart in the cold— That breaks her heart in the cold, good sirs, And rendeth by the board; Which well must be as ye can see— And who shall judge the Lord? Her wood is crazed and little worth Excepting as to burn, That we may warm and make our mirth Until the Spring return— Until the Spring return, good sirs, When people walk abroad; Which well must be as ye can see— And who shall judge the Lord? God bless the master of this house, And all that sleep therein! And guard the fens from pirate folk, And keep us all from sin, To walk in honesty, good sirs, Of thought and deed and word! Which shall befriend our latter end— And who shall judge the Lord?
THE END
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.
Transcriber’s Note
Some quotes are opened with marks but are not closed or closed with the wrong mark. Possible errors and omissions have been silently corrected, while those requiring interpretation have been left open. Spelling is preserved except as noted below.
The following misprints have been corrected: "Winters bee-thronged ivy-bloom" was changed to "Winter’s bee-thronged ivy-bloom". (page x) A missing period was added to the final word. (page xiii) "(good teacher she had too!)" changed to "(good teacher he had too!)" (page 18) A missing period was added after "she laughed". (page 45) "King Philip's fleet!" was changed to "King Philip's fleet?" (page 49) A missing period was added after "called gratitude". (page 226) "soeclum" was changed to "saeclum". (page 241) A missing comma was added after "That’s tellin’s’" (page 335)