Yorkshire Dialect Poems (1673-1915) and traditional poems

I'm Yorkshire too

     Anonymous

     From A Garland of New Songs, published by W. Appleton,
     Darlington, 1811.

     By t' side of a brig, that stands over a brook,
        I was sent betimes to school;
     I went wi' the stream, as I studied my book,
        An' was thought to be no small fool.
     I never yet bought a pig in a poke,
        For, to give awd Nick his due,
     Tho' oft I've dealt wi' Yorkshire folk,
        Yet I was Yorkshire too.

     I was pretty well lik'd by each village maid,
        At races, wake or fair,
     For my father had addled a vast(1) in trade,
        And I were his son and heir.
     And seeing that I didn't want for brass,
        Poor girls came first to woo,
     But tho' I delight in a Yorkshrre lass,
        Yet I was Yorkshire too!

     To Lunnon by father I was sent,
        Genteeler manners to see;
     But fashion's so dear, I came back as I went,
        And so they made nothing o' me
     My kind relations would soon have found out
        What was best wi' my money to do:
     Says I, "My dear cousins, I thank ye for nowt,
        But I'm not to be cozen'd by you!
        For I'm Yorkshire too."

     1. Earned a lot.