75. THREE JOVIAL WELSHMEN. Taken down from "Old Capul," Nankivel, Merrivale Bridge. The song is given in Halliwell's "Nursery Rhymes of England," 290. It is probably a very old ballad, for in a ballad, "Choice of Inventions," printed by F. Coles, 1646-74, in the Roxburgh Collection (ed. Chappell, i. p. 105), is given a pot-pourri of scraps, "several sorts of the figure three," and it begins-- "There were three men of Gotham, as I've heard say, That needs would ride a hunting upon St. David's Day. Through all the day they hunting were, yet no sport could they see, Untill they spide an Owle as she sate on a tree. The first man said 'twas a Goose, the second man said Nay, The third man said 'twas a Hawke, but his Bells were falne away." The tune to which it was to be sung was "Rock the Cradle, sweet John," for which, see Chappell, i. p. 189. Another, and more modern version, is that of "The Three Jovial Huntsmen"-- "It's of three jovial huntsmen an' a hunting they did go; An' they hunted, an' they hallo'd, an' they blew their horns also," which has been illustrated by Caldecott. The original ballad is in "The Woody Chorister," B.M. (1162, e 2). This is one of the ballads Mr. Incledon Johns heard sung on the outskirts of Dartmoor in 1830, mentioned in his book, already noticed, published in 1832. A version, "Six Jovial Welshmen," is given in vol. i. p. 128, _Folk-Song Journal_, from Sussex. It runs-- "It's of six jovial Welshmen, six jovial men were they, And they would all a hunting ride, upon St. David's Day. Then fill each glass and let it pass, no sign of care betray, We'll drink and sing, 'Long live the King!' upon St. David's Day." "When crook-back'd Richard wore the crown, as regent of the land, No policy could pull him down, nor his proud foe withstand. A tribute he from them did seek, which they refused to pay, And in their caps they wore a leek, upon St. David's Day. Then fill each glass, and let it pass, etc." This is probably a re-edition of the older song.