Produced by Irma pehar, Eleni Christofaki and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired. A list of other changes made, can be found at the end of the book. For this text version, diacritical marks that cannot be represented in plain text are shown in the following manner:
[Among the verses in this Collection may be found a few which have previously appeared in a Volume, by the same Author, now out of print.]
_And while his merry Banjo rang, 'Twas thus the Lazy Minstrel sang!_
LONDON _T. FISHER UNWIN_ 26 PATERNOSTER SQUARE MDCCCLXXXVII
_The Author reserves all rights of translation and reproduction._
TO NINA, MARY, AND FLORENCE, THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED.
_Within this Volume you will find, No project to "improve the mind"! No "purpose" lurks within these lays-- These idle songs of idle days. They're seldom learnëd, never long-- The best apology for song! Should e'er they chance to have the pow'r, To pass away some lazy hour-- They'll serve all "purpose," it is true, The Minstrel ever had in view!_
A CAPITAL luncheon I've had at the "Lion," I've drifted down here with the light Summer breeze; I land at the bank, where the turf's brown and dry on, And lazily list to the music of trees! O, sweet is the air, with a perfume of clover, O, sleepy the cattle in Remenham meads! The lull of the lasher is soothing, moreover, The wind whistles low in the stream-stricken reeds! With sail closely furled, and a weed incandescent-- Made fast to a post is the swift _Shuttlecock_-- I think you will own 'tis uncommonly pleasant To dream and do nothing by Hambleden Lock!
See a barge blunder through, overbearing and shabby, With its captain asleep, and his wife in command; Then a boatful of beauties for Medmenham Abbey, And a cargo of campers all tired and tanned. Two duffers collide, they don't know what they're doing-- They're both in the ways of the water unskilled-- But here is the Infant, so great at canoeing, Sweet, saucy, short-skirted, and snowily frilled. I notice the tint of a ribbon or feather, The ripple of ruffle, the fashion of frock; I languidly laze in the sweet Summer weather, And muse o'er the maidens by Hambleden Lock!