Nursery Rhyme. CL. Songs.

        [From W. Wager's play, called 'The longer thou livest, the more foole thou art,' 4to, Lond.]

    The white dove sat on the castle wall,
    I bend my bow and shoot her I shall;
    I put her in my glove both feathers and all;
    I laid my bridle upon the shelf,
    If you will any more, sing it yourself.

Unknown

The identity of this poet is not known. Their works, which are often of significant historical or cultural value, have been attributed to 'Unknown'. This designation is commonly used when the creator of works, ranging from ancient texts to more modern writings, remains anonymous or uncredited. Despite the lack of personal details, the impact and importance of these works endure, offering insight into the eras and cultures from which they originated.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CXCII. Riddles.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. CCCXL. Games.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Drinking

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. CLVI. Songs.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

Nursery Rhyme. CLVI. Songs.

        [The following lines are part of an old song, the whole of which may be found in 'Deuteromelia,' 1609, and also in MS. Additional, 5336, fol. 5.]

    Of all the gay birds that e'er I did see,
    The owl is the fairest by far to me;
    For all the day long she sits on a tree,
    And when the night comes away flies she.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. DLIV. Natural History.

    The dove says coo, coo, what shall I do?
    I can scarce maintain two.
    Pooh, pooh, says the wren, I have got ten,
    And keep them all like gentlemen!

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. LXII. Tales.

        [The following lines, slightly altered, occur in a little black-letter book by W. Wagner, printed about the year 1561; entitled, 'A very mery and pythie commedie, called, the longer thou livest, the more foole thou art.' See also a whole song, ending with these lines, in Ritson's 'North Country Chorister,' 8vo, Durham, 1802, p. 1.]

    Bryan O'Lin, and his wife, and wife's mother,
    They all went over a bridge together:
    The bridge was broken, and they all fell in,
    The deuce go with all! quoth Bryan O'Lin.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. DCL. Relics.

    High diddle doubt, my candle out,
        My little maid is not at home:
    Saddle my hog, and bridle my dog,
        And fetch my little maid home.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CLXII. Songs.

        [The following catch is found in Ben Jonson's 'Masque of Oberon,' and is a most common nursery song at the present day.]

    Buz, quoth the blue fly,
        Hum, quoth the bee,
    Buz and hum they cry,
        And so do we:
    In his ear, in his nose,
        Thus, do you see?
    He ate the dormouse,
        Else it was he.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CLIII. Songs.

    Old Father of the Pye,
    I cannot sing, my lips are dry;
    But when my lips are very well wet,
    Then I can sing with the Heigh go Bet!

Unknown