In stories 'a day' is often added on to a period of time, especially to a year. A person is banished out of Ireland for a year and a day.
The battle of Ventry Harbour lasted for a year and a day, when at last the foreigners were defeated.
There's a colleen fair as May,
For a year and for a day
I have sought by ev'ry way
Her heart to gain.
(Petrie.)
'Billy MacDaniel,' said the fairy, 'you shall be my servant for seven years and a day.' (Crofton Croker.) Borrowed from the Irish.
The word all is often used by our rustic poets exactly as it is found in English folk-songs. Gay has happily imitated this popular usage in 'Black-eyed Susan':—
'All in the Downs the fleet was moored'—
and Scott in 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel':—
'All as they left the listed plain.'
Any number of examples might be given from our peasant songs, but these two will be sufficient:—
'As I roved out one evening two miles below Pomeroy
I met a farmer's daughter all on the mountains high.'
'How a young lady's heart was won
All by the loving of a farmer's son.'
(The two lovely airs of these will be found in two of my books: for the first, see 'The Mountains high' in 'Ancient Irish Music'; and for the second
