"Larence! why doos'n let I up? Oot let I up?" Naw, I be sleapid, I
can't let thee up eet.--"Now, Lareuce! do let I up. There! bimeby
maester'll come, an a'll beät I athin a ninch o' me life; do let I
up!"--Naw I wunt.
"Larence! I bag o'ee, do ee let I, up! D'ye zee! Tha shee-ape be âll
a breakin droo tha hadge inta tha vivean-twenty yacres; an Former
Haggit'll goo ta Lâ wi'n, an I sholl be kill'd. _--Naw I wun't--
'tis zaw whot: bezides I hant a had my nap out._ "Larence! I da
zâ, thee bist a bad un! Oot thee hire what I da zâ? Come now an let
I scooce wi'. Lord a massy upon me! Larence, whys'n thee let I up?"
_Câz I wunt. What! muss'n I hâ an hour like wither vawk ta ate my
bird an cheese? I do zâ I wunt; and zaw 'tis niver-tha-near to keep
on._
"Maester tawl'd I, nif I wer a good bway, a'd gee I iz awld wasket;
an I'm shower, nif a da come an vine I here, an tha shee-ape a brawk
inta tha vive-an-twenty yacres, a'll vleng't awâ vust! Larence, do
ee, do ee let I up! Ool ee, do ee!"--_Naw, I tell ee I wunt._
"There's one o' tha sheep 'pon iz back in tha gripe, an a can't turn
auver! I mis g'in ta tha groun an g'out to'n, an git'n out. There's
another in tha ditch! a'll be a buddled! There's a gird'l o' trouble
wi' shee-ape! Larence; cass'n thee let I goo. I'll gee thee a _hâ
peny_ nif oot let me."--_Naw I can't let thee goo eet._
"Maester'll be shower to come an catch me! Larence! doose thee hire?
I da zâ, oot let me up. I zeed Farmer Haggit zoon âter I upt, an a
zed, nif a voun one o' my shee-ape in tha vive-an-twenty yacres, a'd
drash I za long as a cood ston auver me, an wi' a groun ash' too!
There! Zum o'm be a gwon droo tha vive-an-twenty yacres inta tha
drauve: thâ'll zoon hirn vur anow. Thâ'll be poun'd. Larence! I'll
gee thee a _penny_ nif oot let I up." _Naw I wunt._
"Thic not sheep ha got tha shab! Dame tawl'd I whun I upt ta-da ta
mine tha shab-wâter; I sholl pick it in whun I da goo whim. I vorgot
it! Maester war desperd cross, an I war glad ta git out o' tha
langth o' iz tongue. I da hate zitch cross vawk! Larence! what, oot
niver let I up? There! zum o' tha shee-ape be gwon into _Leek-
beds_; an zum o'm be in _Hounlake_; dree or vour o'm be gwon
zâ vur as _Slow-wâ_; the ditches be, menny o'm zâ dry 'tis all
now rangel common! There! I'll gee thee _dree hâ pence_ ta let
I goo." _Why, thee hass'n bin here an hour, an vor what shood I
let thee goo? I da zâ, lie still!_
"Larence! why doos'n let I up? There! zim ta I, I da hire thic pirty
maid, _Fanny o' Primmer Hill_, a chidin bin I be a lyin here
while tha shee-ape be gwain droo thic shord an tuther shord; zum
o'm, a-mâ-be, be a drown'd! Larence; doose thee thenk I can bear tha
betwitten o' thic pirty maid? She, tha Primrawse o' Primmer-hill;
tha Lily o' tha level; tha gawl-cup o' tha mead; tha zweetist
honeyzuckle in tha garden; tha yarly vilet; tha rawse o' rawses; tha
pirty pollyantice! Whun I seed er last, she zed, "Ben, do ee mind
tha sheeape, an tha yeos an lams, an than zumbody ool mine
_you_." Wi'that she gid me a beautiful spreg o' jessamy, jist
a pickt vrom tha poorch,--tha smill war za zweet.
"Larence! I mus goo! I ool goo. You mus let I up. I ont stâ here na
longer! Maester'll be shower ta come an drash me. There, Larence!
I'll gee _tuther penny_, an that's ivry vard'n I a got. Oot let
I goo?" _Naw, I mis ha a penny moor._
"Larence! do let I up! Creeplin Philip'll be shower ta catch me!
Thic cockygee! I dwont like en. at âll; a's za rough, an za zoür. An
_Will Popham_ too, ta betwite me about tha maid: a câll'd er a
ratheripe _Lady-buddick_. I dwont mislike tha name at âll,
thawf I dwont care vor'n a stra, nor a read mooäte; nor thatite o' a
pin! What da thâ câll _he_? Why, tha _upright man_, câs a
da ston upright; let'n; an let'n wrassly too: I dwont like zitch
_hoss-plâs_, nor _singel-stick_ nuther; nor _cock-
squailin'; nor menny wither mâ-games that Will Popham da volly. I'd
rather zitin tha poorch, wi' tha jessamy ranglin roun it, and hire
Fanny zeng. Oot let I up, Larence?"--_Naw, I tell ee I ont athout
a penny moor._
_"Rawzey Pink_, too, an _Nanny Dubby_ axed I about Fanny.
What bisniss ad thâ ta up wi't? I dwont like norn'om? _Girnin
Jan_ too shawed iz teeth an put in his verdi.--I--wish theeäze
vawk ood mine ther awn consarns an let I an Fanny alooäne.
"Larence! doose thee meän to let I goo?"--_Eese, nif thee't gee me
tuther penny_.--"Why I han't a got a vard'n moor; oot let I up!"-
-_Not athout tha penny.--"Now Larence! doo ee, bin I liant naw
moor money. I a bin here moor than an hoür; whaur tha yeos an lams
an âll tha tuthermy sheep be now I dwon' know.--_Creeplin
Philip_[Footnote: Even remote districts in the country have their
satirists, and would-be-wits; and Huntspill, the place alluded to in
the Soliloquy, was, about half a century ago, much pestered with
them. Scarcely a person of any note escaped a pariah libel, and even
servants were not excepted. For instance:--_Creeplin Philip_,
(that is "creeplin," because he walked lamely,) was Farmer Tidball
himself; and his servant, William Popham, was the _upright
man_. _Girnin Jan_ is Grinning John.] ool gee me a lirropin
shower anow! There!--I da thenk I hired zummet or zumbody auver tha
wâll."--
"_Here, d--n thee!_ I'll gee tha _tuther penny, an zummet
besides!_" exclaimed _Farmer Tidball_, leaping down the
bank, with a stout sliver of a crab-tree in his hand.--The sequel
may be easily imagined.
Nanny Dubby, Sally Clink,
Long Josias an Raway Pink,
--Girnin Jan,
Creeplin Philip and the upright man.