Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series — John Shaqi
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second SeriesBottrell, William
General
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
Bottrell, William
Cornwall (England : County) -- Social life and customs; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
Where I do nothing but pine;
Whilst I grieve all the day,
And fret the long nights away,
In dreaming of my true-love, young Huey Lenine.
Would the devil but come at my call,
And take the old Squire—silks, satins, and all,
With jewels and rings so fine;
Then, merry and gay, I'd work through the day,
And cheerily pass the nights away,
Kissing my true-love, young Huey Lenine."
[11]
DUFFY AND THE DEVIL.
Part Second.
"Refinement, too, that smoothens all
O'er which it in the world hath pass'd,
Has been extended in its call,
And reach'd the devil, too, at last.
That Northern Phantom found no more can be,
Horns, tail, and claws, we now no longer see.
* * * * * *
But with your like, when we the name can learn,
Your nature too we commonly discern."
Goethe's Faust.
Filimore's Translation.
IN a mill scene, after the Squire's marriage, there is a long
dialogue, in rhyme, on "the cruel miseries to be endured"
by both husband and wife, "when a young maid is wedded
to an old man." This can not be given because much of
it would now be regarded as indelicate.
In another scene, the Squire's man Jack, and Huey Lenine,
discuss the same subject. This is also inadmissible for the same
reason. We are reluctant to dismember this old piece, even by
so much as may be deemed necessary by persons of fastidious
taste, because students of ancient manners would doubtless prefer
an unpruned version.
We shall give the remainder of the story as it may be gathered
from the play, without dividing it into scenes. And indeed great
part of it, for want of convenience in acting, was often recited by
Father Christmas, in his character of Chorus. We also omit the
mill scenes, as they afforded a kind of by-play, that had little or
nothing to do with the main story. Whenever time was required
for the principle personages to get ready, a bevy of women were
brought on to gossip about old times and the past year's events,
or they told stories, danced, or sung until their turn came to
"serge their flour," (bolt their meal.)
Duffy complaind to the kind old witch that she was very
dissatisfied with her aged spouse. The old crone advised her to[12]
have patience and well feather her nest, that she might secure a
youthful successor to Squire Lovell, who was'nt likely to trouble
her long. Notwithstanding Madam's griefs, she kept the Bucca-boo
to his work, so that all her chests and presses were filled with
stockings, blankets, yarn and home-spun cloth; and her husband
was clad, from top to toe, in devil-made garments. Squire Lovell,
as was his wont, being away hunting every week-day, from dawn
till dark, and the housekeeper and other servants hearing a
constant rumbling throughout the house like the noise of a
spinning-wheel, only varied by the clicking of cards, thought
their mistress busy at work, when she spent great part of her
time at the mill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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