Project Gutenberg's The Diverting History of John Gilpin, by William Cowper

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Title: The Diverting History of John Gilpin

Author: William Cowper

Illustrator: Anonymous

Release Date: December 6, 2007 [EBook #23753]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: The Diverting History of John Gilpin

Finely Illustrated]

[Illustration]

THE

DIVERTING HISTORY

OF

John Gilpin.

BY WILLIAM COWPER

Illustrated.

LONDON: WILLIAM TEGG.

1865.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS

[Illustration]

THE DIVERTING HISTORY

OF

JOHN GILPIN.

John Gilpin was a citizen
Of credit and renown,
A train-band captain eke was he
Of famous London town.

John Gilpin's spouse said to her dear,
Though wedded we have been
These twice ten tedious years, yet we
No holiday have seen.

To-morrow is our wedding-day,
And we will then repair
Unto the Bell at Edmonton,
All in a chaise and pair.

My sister and my sister's child,
Myself and children three,
Will fill the chaise; so you must ride
On horseback after we.

He soon replied, I do admire
Of womankind but one,
And you are she, my dearest dear,
Therefore it shall be done.

I am a linendraper bold,
As all the world doth know,
And my good friend the calender
Will lend his horse to go.

Quoth Mrs. Gilpin, That's well said,
And for that wine is dear,
We will be furnish'd with our own,
Which is both bright and clear.

John Gilpin kiss'd his loving wife,
O'erjoy'd was he to find,
That, though on pleasure she was bent,
She had a frugal mind.

The morning came, the chaise was brought
But yet was not allow'd
To drive up to the door, lest all
Should say that she was proud.

So three doors off the chaise was stay'd,
Where they did all get in;
Six precious souls, and all agog
To dash through thick and thin.

Smack went the wh