Lovely Molly of the county of Down/Three jolly paper-makers

THREE JOLLY PAPER-MAKERS.

To its own Proper Tune.

THREE Jolly batchelors jolly and gay,
Being all Paper-makers, by what I've heard ſay,
And they on a frolick by chance took their way,
⁠For to ramble abroad at their pleaſure.

The very firſt place that they ſat themſelves down,
It happen'd to be into Kiſhorton town,
There at the King's arms to drink bear that was brown,
⁠Which they did with abundance of pleaſure.

In drinking I found they were merrily inclin'd,
And I join'd with them although I was blind,
The thing was accepted, to me they prov'd kind,
⁠Which I always ſhall think upon ever.

When that the day we had merrily ſpent,
From Kiſhorton town to Crowden we went,
And there in the evening to ſpend in content,
⁠Which we all of us did our endeavour.

'Twas at the Green Dragon we ſat ourſelves down,
When one of theſe barchelors kick'd up a ſtone,
And promiſing all to ſee me ſafe home,
⁠If that I would ſtay till next morning.

Which I did agree for the ſake of good beer,
And from ſuch good fellows I never could ſteer,
And when we had done, to the bed did repair,
⁠There for to ſleep till day dawning.

As we on our frolick next day did proceed,
As a trip unto Badentown that was agreed,
There at the Red Lyon our fancy to feed,
⁠And tipple the juice of good barley..

And having there arrived, we ſcarce had ſat down,
'Till two of the ladies of that little town,
As good for the game as ever was known,
⁠And they told us they wanted employment.

Then two of us inſtantly made them ſit down,
It was no hard matter, and that I muſt own,
For they were as good cattle as e'er ſun ſhin'd on,
⁠And keen as attorneys for money.

But as they were kiſſing and hugging their laſs,
In came one of their daughters as freſh as a roſe,
And ſeeing her mother ſo lovingly diſpos'd,
⁠Cauſed the girl burſt out into laughter.

This made the old woman in a paſſion to fly,
Get home you young ſtrumpet, and this ſhe did cry,
So ready ſhe was in her face for to fly,
⁠For fear ſhe had been flung by her daughter.

Then one of theſe batchelors took this amiſs,
He ſtept to the daughter, and gave her a kiſs,
He aſk'd her to drink, and ſhe anſwer'd him yes,
⁠So we all of us ſat down together.

O you would have laugh’d, had you ſeen the fun,
For I was diverted though I could ſee none,
Yet I did my endeavour to hold the joke on,
⁠For I found they were birds of a feather.

But if I have wrong'd them I'm ſorry for that,
Both the old and the young I am ſure I will hate,
For ſome of them drank till they piſs'd where they ſat,
⁠So I end with my Badentown cattle.

And now to conclude with this ditty of mine,
Thoſe Badentown ladies that proved ſo kind,
Thoſe three jolly batchelors left them all behind,
⁠And that was but what they intended.

To Kiſhorten town as we came along,
It was at the King's arms where firſt we began,
And there we all parted with the ſame merry ſong,
⁠So my batchelors ſong I have ended.