I Hae Layen Three Herrings a Sa't (I Cannot Come Every Day to Woo)

DESCRIPTION: A young man steps up to a girl and says, "If you'll love me, love me now." He says he has a home and lands and pays (two penny) rent. He can come courting only occasionally. He gives other monotonous details. The outcome of the courtship is not told
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1611 (_Melismata, Musical phansies ...._ according to Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland)
KEYWORDS: love courting farming money home
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland, Song #5, pp. 173-175,245, "Wooing Song of a Yeoman of Kent's Son" (1 text)
Bell-Combined-EarlyBallads-CustomsBalladsSongsPeasantryEngland, pp. 373-374, "Wooing Song of a Yeoman of Kent's Sonne" (1 text)
ST BeCo373 (Partial)
Roud #8543
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "A Herring in Salt" (modified version)
cf. "The Clown's Courtship" (subject)
NOTES [60 words]: This is clearly the original that James Tytler rewrote as "A Herring in Salt"; I could argue for lumping them, since the two are very close in content. Steve Roud seems to be moving both songs, originally #8543 and #6138, to the latter number. But because this is a deliberate rewrite, I'm keeping them separate. Perhaps best to see both listings, though. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.2
File: BeCo373

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