Volume 5 — Words to a Tune of Mr. Barret’s, call’d the Catherine.

[Listen]

IN the pleasant Month of May, When the merry, merry Birds began to sing; And the Blossoms fresh and gay; Usher’d in the welcome Spring, When the long cold Winter’s gone, And the bright enticing Moon, In the Evening sweetly shon: When the bonny Men and Maids tript it on the Grass; At a jolly Country Fair, When the Nymphs in the best appear; We resolv’d to be free, with a Fiddle and a She, E’ery Shepherd and his Lass. In the middle of the Sport, When the Fiddle went brisk and the Glass went round, And the Pretty gay Nymphs for Court, With their Merry Feet beat the Ground; Little Cupid arm’d unseen, With a Bow and Dart stole in, With a conquering Air and Mien, And empty’d his Bow thro’ the Nymphs and the Swains; E’ery Shepherd and his Mate, Soon felt their pleasing Fate, And longing to try in Enjoyment to die, Love reign’d o’er all the Plains. Now the sighing Swain gave o’er, And the wearied Nymphs could dance no more, There were other Thoughts that mov’d, E’ery pretty kind Pair that Lov’d: In the Woods the Shepherds lay, And mourn’d the time away, And the Nymphs as well as they, Long’d to taste what it is that their Senses cloys, Till at last by consent of Eyes, E’ery Swain with his pretty Nymph flies, E’ery Buxom She retires with her He, To act Love’s solid Joys.