Love

Why I be squire Ned of Gobble-hall

by Charles Dibdin 1745–1814

From A Collection of Songs, Selected from the Works of Mr. Dibdin (1790)

Love

Why I be squire Ned of Gobble-hall,
I be come to London town with father,
And they that little I a goose goes to call,
Should call me a fox much rather.
I be silent and sly,
And cunning and dry,
And with a hawk's eye
To watch what's said and done am ready;
So they that goes to hope
To hang me for a fool,
Will find in the rope
A knave, that he wool:
So you never must
To faces trust,
For I be sly,
And queer, and dry,
And they that thinks to make a fool of I,
Are all deceived in little Neddy.

When the comely captain on his knees I find,
Who to mother has vowed and has kiss'd her,
Why 'tis nothing more than kind after kind,
For the dancing-master kisses sister:
So they thinks me to chouse,
While I goes about the house,
As tame as a mouse,
By the nick name of simple Teddy;
But 'tis all one to me
If, in day time, d'ye see,
They meets their spark,
I kiss maids in the dark,
So you never must
To faces trust, &c.

If father be in love with a bouncing dame,
Thinking I be a lout and no better,
And spells me out good madam's name,
And gives me a guinea and a letter,
What does I do d'ye think?
To myself while I wink,
I pockets the chink,
Burns the letter and makes love to the leady:
So down to the ground
I tricks them all round,
Pretty sister and mamma,
And my reverend pappa:
So you never must
To faces trust, &c.

MLA

Dibdin, Charles. “Why I be squire Ned of Gobble-hall.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dibdin/25/.

Chicago

Dibdin, Charles. “Why I be squire Ned of Gobble-hall.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dibdin/25/.

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