The Ballad Of Stewball
by Corny Held
by Corny Held
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You Gentlemen Sportsmen I pray listen all I'll sing you a song in the praise of Stewball And how they came over you shall understand By one Squire Irvine the Mell of our land. 500 bright guineas on the plains of Kildare I'll bet upon, Sportsmen, that bonny-grey mare Stewball hearing the wager, the wager was laid He said loving master, its don't be afraid. For on my side thou'st laid thousands of pounds I'll rig in thy castle a fine mass of gold. Squire Irvine he smiled, and thus he did say, You gentlemen-sportsmen to-morrow's the day Your saddles and bridles, and horses prepare, For we will away to the plains of Kildare. The day being come, & the horses bro't out, Squire Irvine he order'd his rider to mount. All the people then went to see them go round They swore in their hearts he ne'er touch'd the ground. And as they were riding this was the discourse The grey mare will never touch this horse. O, loving kind rider come tell unto me, How far is the grey mare behind you said he... O loving master you bear a great smile, Grey mare is behind me a large English mile For in this country I was ne'er seen before Thou hast won the race & broken lord Gore. |
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