The Dialect of the West of England; Particularly Somersetshire by James Jennings (ebooks children's books free .TXT) đ
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Jan sarâd a varmer vour long years, An now iz haups da brighten: A gennelman of high degree Choosâd en iz hunsman vor to be; His Fannyâs hort da lighten!
âNow, Fan,â zed he, ânif I da live, Nex zummer thee bist mine; Sir John ool gee me wauges good, Amâ-be too zum viĂŤr ood!â His Fanâs dork eyes did shine.
âTo haw vor thee, my Fan,â a cried, âI iver sholl delight; Thawf I be poor, âtool be my pride To ha my Fan vor a buxom brideâ My lidden dâ an night.â
A took er gently in iz orms An kissâd er za zweetly too; His Fan, vor jay, not a word cood speak, Bit a big roun tear rawlâd down er cheak, It zimmâd as thawf er hort ood breakâ She cood hordly thenk it true.
To zee our hunsman goo abroad, His houns behind en volly; His tosselâd capâhis whipâs smort smack, His hoss a prancin wiâ tha crack, His whissle, horn, an holler, back! Ood cure âll malancholy.
It happâd on a dork an wintry night, Tha stormy wine a blawin; Tha houns made a naise an a dismal yell; Jitch as zum vawk zâ da death vaurtell, The cattle loud war lawin.
Tha hunsman wâkid an down a went; A thawt ta keep âem quiet; A niver stopped izzel ta dress, Bit a went in iz shirt vor readiness A voun a dirdful riot.
Bit âll thic night a did not come back; All night tha dogs did raur; In tha mornin thâ lookâd on tha kannel stwons An zeed âem coverâd wiâ gaur an bwons, The vlesh âll vrom âem a taur.
His head war leftâthe head oâ Jan Who lovâd hiz Fanny za well; An a bizzy gossip, as gossips be Whoâve work oâ ther awn bit vrom it vlee, To Fanny went ta tell.
She hirnâd, she vleed ta meet tha man Who corrâd er dear Janâs head: An when she zeed en âll blood an gaur, She drappâd down speechless jist avaur, As thauf she had bin dead.
Poor Fanny comâd ta erzel again, Bit her senses left her vor iver! An all she zed, ba dâ or nightâ Vor sleep it left her eye-lids quiteâ War, âwhy did he goo in the cawld ta shiver?â Niver, O Jan! sholl I zee the, niver!â
[Footnote: See a letter by Edward Band, on this subject, in the prose pieces.]
JERRRY NUTTY; OR THE MAN OF MORK.
Awa wiâ âll yer tales oâ grief, An dismal storry writin;
A mâ-be zumthin I mâ zing Ool be as much delightin.
Zumtime agoo, bevaur tha moors War tinâd in, lived at Mork One JERRY NUTTYâspry a war; A uppâd avaur the lork.
Iz vather in a little cot Livâd, auver-right tha moor, An thaw a kipt a vlock oâ geese, A war a thoughted poor.
A niver teachâd tha cris-cross-lain Ta any of his bways, An Jerry, mangst the rest oâm, did Not much appruv his ways.
Vor Jerry zumtimes went ta church Ta hire tha Pâson preach, An thawt what pity that ta read Izzel a coodân teach.
Vor than, a zunday âternoon, Tha Bible, or good book Would be companion vit vorâm âll Who choosâd therein ta look.
Bit Jerry than tha naise oâ geese Bit little moor could hire;
An dâly goose-aggs ta pick up Droo-out tha moor did tire.
A Ă´ten lookâd upon tha hills An stickle mountains roun, An wished izzel upon their taps: What zights a ood be bĂłun!
Bit what did mooäst iz fancy strick War Glassenberry Torr: A âlways zeed it when tha zun Gleamâd wiâ tha mornin stor.
Oâ Wellâs grate church a Ă´ten hired, Iz fancy war awake; An zaw a thawt that zoon a ood A journey ta it make.
An Glassenberryâs Torr, an Thorn The hawly blowth of which A hired from one and tother too; Tha like war never jitch!
Bit moor oâ this I need not zâ, Vor off went Jerry Nutty, In hiz right hon a wâkin stick, An in hiz qut a tutty.
Now, lock-y-zee! in whimly dress Trudgâd chearful Jerry on;
Bit on tha moor not vur a wentâ A made a zudden ston.
Which wâ ta goo a cood not thenk, Vor there war many a wâ; A put upright iz walking stick; A vâllâd ta tha zon oâ dâ.
Ta tha suthard than iz wâ a took Athert tha turfy moors, An zoon oâ blissom Cuzziton, [Footnote: Cossington.] A passâd tha cottage doors.
Tha maidens oâ tha cottages, Not usâd strange vawk to zee, Comâd vooäth and stood avaur tha door; Jer wonderâd what cood be.
Zum smilâd, zum wheckerâd, zum oâm blishâd. âOd dang it!â Jerry zed, âWhat do tha think that I be like?â An nodded to âm iz head.
âWhich is tha wâ to Glassenberry? Iâve hired tha hawly thorn War zet there by zum hawly hons Zoon âter Christ war born;
An Iâve a mine ta zee it too, An oâ tha blowth ta take.â âAn how can you, a seely man, Jitch seely journey make?
âWhat! dwont ye knaw that now about It is the midst oâ June? Tha hawly thorn at Kirsmas blawsâ You be zix months too zoon.
Goo whim again, yea gâwky! goo!â Zaw zed a damsel vair As dewy mornin late in Mâ; An Jerry wide did stare.
âLord Miss!â zed he, âI niver thawt, Oâ Kirsmas!âwhile Iâve shoes, To goo back now I be zet out, Is what I sholl not choose.
Iâll zee the Torr an hawly thorn, An Glassenberry too; An, nif youâll put me in tha wâ, Iâll gee grate thanks ta you.â
Goo droo thic veel an up thic lane, An take tha lift hon path, Than droo Miss Crossmanâs backzid strait, Ool bring ye up ta Wrath.
Now mine, whaur you do turn again At varmer Vealâs long yacker, Clooäse whaur Jan Lide, tha cobler, lives Who makes tha best oâ tacker;
You mist turn short behine tha house An goo right droo tha shord, An than youâll pass a zummer lodge, A builded by tha lord.
Tha turnpick than is jist belaw, An Cock-hill strait avaur ye.â Za Jerry doffâd his hat an bowâd, An thankâd er vor er storry.
Bit moor oâ this I need not zâ, Vor off went Jerry Nutty; In his right hand a wâkin stick, An in hiz qut a tutty.
Bit I vorgot to zâ that Jer A zatchel wiâ en took To hauld zum bird an cheese ta ate;â Iz drink war oâ tha brook.
Za when a got upon Cock-hill Upon a linch a zawt; The zun had climmerâd up tha sky; A voun it very hot.
An, as iz stomick war za good, A made a horty meal; An werry war wiâ wâkin, zaw A sleepid zoon did veel.
That blessed power oâ bâmy sleep, Which auver ivery sense Da wiâ wild whiverin whings extend A happy influence;
Now auver Jerry Nutty drowâd Er lissom mantle wide; An down a drappâd in zweetest zleep, Iz zatchel by iz zide.
Not all tha nasty stouts could wâke En vrom iz happy zleep, Nor emmets thick, nor vlies that buz, An on iz hons da creep.
Naw dreams a had; or nif a had Mooäst pleasant dreams war thâ: Oâ geese an goose-aggs, ducks and jitch; Or Mally, vur awâ,
Zum gennelmen war dreavin by In a gilded cawch za gâ; Thâ zeed en lyin down asleep; Thâ bid the cawchman stâ.
Thâ bâllâd thâ hoopâdâa niver wâkâd; Naw houzen there war handy; Zed one oâm, âNif you like, my bways, âWeâll ha a little randy!â
âJist put en zâtly in tha cawch An dreav en ta Bejwâter; An as we âll canât gâin wiân here, Iâll come mysel zoon âter.â
Twar done at once: vor norn oâm carâd A strâ vor wine or weather; Than gently rawlâd the cawch along, As zât as any veather.
Bit Jerry snaurâd za loud, tha naise Tha gennelmen did gally; Thââd hâf a mind ta turn en out; A war dreamin oâ his Mally!
It war the morkit dâ as rawlâd Tha cawch athin Bejwâter; Thâ drauv tip ta the Crown-Inn door, Ther Mâ-game man comâd âter.
âHere Maester Wâter! Lock-y-zee! A-mâ-be you mid thenk Thic mon a snauren in tha cawch Is auvercome wiâ drenk.
Bit âtis not not jitchy theng we knaw; A is a cunjerin mon, Vor on Cock-hill we vound en lyâd Iz stick stif in his hon.
Iz vace war coverâd thick wiâ vlies An bloody stouts a plenty; Nif heâd o pumple voot bezide, An a brumstick vorân to zit ascride, Oâ wizards a mid be thawt tha pride, Amangst a kit oâ twenty.â
âLord zur! an why dâye bring en here To gally âll tha people? Why zuggers! nif we frunt en than, Heâll auver-dro tha steeple.
I bag ye, zur, to take en vooäth; There! how iz teeth da chatter; Lawk zur! vor Christâlook there again! Aâll witchify Bejwâter!â
Tha gennelman stood by an smiled To zee tha bussle risin: Yor zoon, droo-out tha morkit wide Tha news wor gwon saprisin.
An round about tha cawch thâ dringâdâ Tha countryman and townsman; An young an awld, an man an maidâ Wiâ now an tan, an here an there, Amang tha crowd to gape an stare, A doctor and a gownsman.
Jitch naise an bother wâkid zoon Poor hormless Jerry Nutty, A lookâd astunnâd;âa coodân speak! An daverâd war iz tutty.
A niver in his life avaur âad been athin Bejwâter; A thawt, an if a war alive, That zummet war tha matter.
Tha houzen clingâd together zaw! Tha gennelmen an ladies! Tha blacksmithâs, brazierâs hammers too! An smauk whauriver trade is.
Bit how a comâd athin a cawch A war amazâd at thenkin; A thawt, vor sartin, a must be A auvercome wiâ drenkin.
Thâ axâd en nif aâd please to gâout An ta tha yalhouse gâin; Bit thâ zo clooäse about en dringâd A coodân goo athin.
Ta gâunder âem or gâauver âem A tryâd booâth grate and smâll; Bit gâunder, gâauver, gâin, or gâout, A coodân than at âll.
âLord bless ye! gennel-vawk!â zed he, Iâm come to Glassenberry To zee tha Torr an Hawly Thorn; What makes ye look za merry?â
âWhy mister wizard? dwont ye knaw, Theäse town is câllâd Bejwâter!â Cried out a whipper-snapper man: Thâ all bust out in lâughter.
âI beânt a wizard, zur!â a zed; âBit Iâm a little titchâd; [Footnote: Touched.] âOr, witherwise, you mid well thenk Iâm, zure anow, bewitchâd!â
Thaw Jerry war, vor âll tha wordle, Like very zel oâ quiet, A veelâd iz blood ta bwile athin At jitchy zort oâ riot;
Za out a jumpâd amangst âem âll! A made a desperd bussle; Zum hirnâd awââzum made a ston; Wiâ zum a had a tussle.
Iz stick now sarâd âem justice good; It war a tough groun ash; Upon ther heads a plââd awâ, An round about did drash.
Thâ belgâd, thâ raurâd, thâ scamperâd âll. A zoon voun rum ta stoory; A thawt aâd be revengâd at once, Athout a judge or jury.
An, thaw a brawk navy-bodyâs bwons, A gid zum bloody nawzes; Tha pirty maids war fainty too; Hirnâd vrom ther cheaks tha rawzes.
Thinks he, me gennelmen! when nex I goo to Glassenbery, Yea shant ha jitch a rig wiâ I, Nor at my cost be merry.
Zaw, havin clearâd izzel a wâ. Right whim went Jerry Nutty; A flourished roun iz wâkin stick; An vlengâd awâ iz tutty.
A LEGEND OF GLASTONBURY.
[First Printed in âGraphic Illustrator, p. 124.]
I cannot do better than introduce here âA Legend of Glastonbury,â made up, not from books, but from oral tradition once very prevalent in and near Glastonbury,
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