Astrologer, The

DESCRIPTION: A servant girl comes to consult an astrologer; he bids her come upstairs. She says she will not go upstairs with any man. He points out that she lay with her master not long before. (She flounces out -- but only after displaying the coin her master paid)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1820 (Bodleian broadside Johnson Ballads 718)
KEYWORDS: sex commerce prophecy
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South),Scotland)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "ASTROLOGER, THE"
Kinloch-TheBalladBook X, pp. 37-39, "The Astrologer" (1 text)
Purslow-MarrowBones, p. 1, "The Astrologer" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, ASTROLGR*
Roud #1598
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(85), "The Astrologer," J. Jennings (London) 1790-1840; also Harding B 25(85), ibid.; also Johnson Ballads 718, J. Pitts/G. Jennings (London), 1802-1819; also Harding B 11(2698), J. Pitts (London), 1819-1844; also Harding B 17(223b), "The Old Astrologer," Sanderson (Edinburgh), 1830-1910; also Harding B 26(378), "A NEW called The London Astrologer" (sic.), unknown (n.d.); also 2806 c.17(49), "The Bold Astrologer," unknown (n.d.)
NOTES [35 words]: I find it interesting that the "astrologer" in this song never actually engaged in astrology -- that is, he never consulted a horoscope to make his prophesies. Presumably that's why said prophesies worked. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: KinBB10

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