Twenty, Eighteen- carpenter (Nor) 1871 Broadwood
From The Musical Herald and Tonic Sol-fa Reporter, 1891. Reprinted in English County Songs edited by Lucy Etheldred Broadwood and John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, 1908. Also reprinted in "The Espérance Morris Book" by Mary Neal, Clive Carey, Geoffrey Toye, 1910. Here are the notes from The Musical Herald and Tonic Sol-fa Reporter, 1891.
Folk Songs of Arcadia
by our Special Commissioner, [John Graham] Sept. 1. 1891
The first specimen was sung to me by the Rev. R. T. Howard, who wrote it out in Tonic Sol-fa as here given. It was sung to him more than twenty years ago by a young carpenter living at Besthorpe, near Attleborough. Mr. Howard at once wrote down the notes and asked for a copy of the words. He has since heard a variant of the song, but prefers the first specimen.
R. Matteson 2017]
Broadwood's words and tune were taken from Besthorpe, near Attleborough, as quoted in the Musical Herald for September, 1891. An additional note found in "The Espérance Morris Book" by Mary Neal, Clive Carey, Geoffrey Toye, 1910 about the same version states: Sung by a carpenter at Besthorpe, Norfolk, to the Rev. J. T. Howard, and collected by John Graham for The Musical Herald, September, 1891. An old settler in Massachusetts fifty years ago used to sing at the end of the refrain, "I've done," instead of "And one." This suggests that the "Charming creature" had to say "Yes" or "No" by the time the figures were counted.
TWENTY, EIGHTEEN.
1 "Ho! yonder stands a charming creature,
Who she is I do not know;
I'll go and court her for her beauty,
Until she do say yes or no."
CHORUS: Twenty, eighteen, sixteen, fourteen,
Twelve, ten, eight, six, four, two, nought;
Nineteen, seventeen, fifteen, thirteen,
Eleven, nine and seven, five, three, and one.
2 "Ho! Madam, I am come for to court you,
If your favour I may gain;
And if you will entertain me
Perhaps I may come this way again,'
Twenty, eighteen, &c.
3 "Ho! Madam I have rings and jewels,
Madam, I have house and land,
Madam, I have wealth of treasures,
All shall be at your command."
Twenty, eighteen, &c.
4 "Ho! what care I for your rings and jewels?
What care I for your house and land?
What care I for your wealth of treasures?
All I want is a handsome man."
Twenty, eighteen, &c.
5 "Ho! first come cowslips and then come daisies.
First comes night and then comes day;
First comes the new love, and then comes the old one,
And so we pass our time away."
Twenty, eighteen, &c.
6 "Ho! the ripest apple is the soonest rotten,
The hottest love is the soonest cold;
Lover's vows are soon forgotten,
So I pray, young man, be not too bold."
Twenty, eighteen, &c.
The following final verse is given in Shropshire Folk Lore, pp. 552, 652:
"But fare you well, my dearest creature,
Since I have no more to say;"
"O turn again, young man, I'll have you,''
But his answer was "Nay, nay!"