Come all you lads and lasses gay, and banish care and strife,--In the market-place, a mason did by auction sell his wife;--Thirteen shillings and a penny for the lady was the sum,--And to see the curious spree, some thousands soon did run;--In the market-place, I do declare, it’s true upon my life,--A mason did the other day, by auction sell his wife. This man and wife, good lack-a-day, did often disagree;--For she often pawned her husband’s clothes to go upon the spree. So he led her to the market, with a halter, I am told,--And there she was, so help my Bob, by public auction sold. When the auctioneer began the sale, a jolly farmer cried,--Here’s five and fourpence half-penny for the mason’s lushy bride; a tanner cried out seven and six, and then a butcher said,--I’ll give you ten and sevenpence, besides a bullock’s head. She’s going, cried the auctioneer, she’s going, upon my life;--Tinkers, coblers, sailors, will you buy a charming wife? Such fighting, scratching, tearing too, before no one did see;--Such roaring, bawling, swearing, O! blow me, it was a spree. At length a rum old cobler did give a dreadful bawl,--Here’s thirteen and a penny, with my lapstone and my awl. Thirteen and a penny, when down the hammer dropt,--With whiskers, apron, bustle, shawl, stays, petticoat, and----A lushy mason’s lady was this blooming damsel gay,--She did unto the hammer come upon a market day;--Bakers, butchers, masons, did bid for her, we hear,--While a lot of rum old women pitched into the auctioneer. Young men and maids did halloa, while married folks did sneer, They frightened the old cobler and knocked down the auctioneer. The cobler took the lady up just like a Scotchman’s pack, and the funny mason’s lady rode upon the cobler’s back. Some laughed till they bursted, while others were perplexed, But the cobler bristled up his wife with two big balls of wax; The cobler sat her on his knee, and joyfully did bawl,--While the lady knocked about the seat the lapstone and the awl. Then the mason he did sell his wife, as you shall understand, And thirteen and a penny was popt into his hand; he whistled and capered, for to banish care and strife,--He went into a gin-shop, singing, I have sold my wife; So the divorced mason he may go, to banish care and strife,--Unto the market place again and buy another wife. Now the cobler and the lady are both in a stall, While the cobler works the bristle, and the lady works the awl. And they upon the lapstone do so merry play together,--Singing, heel and toe, gee up, gee woe, big balls of wax and leather. And day and night in sweet delight, they banish care and strife,--the merry little cobler and his thirteen-shilling wife. THE PERPETUAL ALMANACK, OR GENTLEMAN’S PRAYER BOOK.