THE Fair MAID of Islington: OR, THE London Vintner Overreached.  

This is a pretty FANCY if you mind,  
He thought to fool her, since she was so kind;  
But she was crafty, and resolved to fit him,  
And in the end it proved she did Out-wit him;  
She for her CELLAR made him pay her Rent,  
As by a Wile, which made him to repent.   
To the Tune of, Sellenger' s Round: or, Caper and Firk it, etc. Licenced and Entered according to Order.  
 

THere was a fair Maid at Islington,  
as I heard many tell,  
And she would to fair London go  
fine Apples and Pears to sell:  
And as she passed along the Street,  
with her Basket on her arm,  
There did she with a Vintner meet,  
this fair Maid thought no harm.   

Good morrow, fair Maid, the Vintner said,  
What have you got here to sell?  
Fine Apples & Pears, kind Sir, she said,  
if you please to taste them▪ well.  
He tasted of this fair Maid's Fruit,  
and he liked it wondrous well;  
And then he craved of this fair Maid,  
how many a penny she'd sell.   

Sir, here you shall have six, she said,  
and here you shall have ten;  
I sold no more, but just before,  
to some Inns of Court Gentlemen.  
Now while he by the Damsel stayed,  
her Body he did eye,  
At length he craved of this fair Maid,  
one night with him to lie:   

Thy Beauty doth so please my eye,  
and dazzles so my sight,  
That now of all my Liberty,  
I am deprived quite:  
And therefore Love be kind to me,  
and let us toy and play,  
It is but one small Courtesy,  
then do not say me nay.   

Sir, if you lie with me one night,  
as you propound to me,  
I do expect that you should prove  
both courteous, kind, and free:  
And for to tell you all in short,  
it will cost you Five Pound.  
A match, a match, the Vintner said,  
and so let this go round.   

When he had lain with her all night,  
her Money she did crave:  
O stay, quoth he, the other night,  
and thy Money thou shalt have.  
I cannot stay, nor I will not stay,  
I needs must now begun,  
Why then thou mayst thy Money go look,  
for Money I'll pay thee none.   

This Maid she made no more ado,  
but to a justice went,  
And unto him she made her moan,  
who did her Case lam●nt:  
She said she had a Cellar let out,  
to a Vintner in the Town,  
And how that he did then agree,  
Five Pound to pay her down:   

But now, quoth she, the case is such,  
no Rent that he will pay,  
Therefore your Worship I beseech,  
to send for him this day.  
Then straight the justice for him sent,  
and asked the reason why,  
That he would pay this Maid no Rent;  
to which he did reply,   

Although I hired a Cellar of her,  
and the Possion was mine,  
I ne'er put any thing into it  
but one poor Pipe of Wine;  
Therefore my Bargain it was hard,  
as you may plainly see,  
I from my Freedom was debarred;  
then good Sir favour me.   

This fair Maid being ripe of Wit,  
she straight replied again,  
There was two Butts lay at the Door,  
why did you not roll them in?  
You had your Freedom and your Will,  
as is to you well known,  
Therefore I do desire still  
for to receive my own.   

The justice hearing of their Case,  
did there give order strait,  
That he the Money should pay down,  
she should no longer wait:  
Withal he told the Vintner plain,  
if he a Tenant be,  
He must expect to pay the same,  
for he could not sit Rent-free.   

But when her Money she had got,  
she put it into her Purse,  
And clapped her hand on the Celler-door,  
and said it was never the worse:  
Which caused the People all to laugh  
to see this Vintner fine,  
Out-witted by a Country Girl  
about his Pipe of Wine.    

London: Printed by and for W. O. and sold by C. Bates, at the Sun and Bible in Pie corner.