OLD DORSET SONGS. 27 



I'll sing you three, oh ! 



Green grow the rushes, oh ! 



What is your three, oh ? 



Three, three for the rivals ; 



Two, two for the lily-white boys, clothed all in green, oh ! 



One and one is all alone, and evermore shall be so. 



The same plan is continued throughout the song. The other 

 numbers are as follows : 



Four for the Gospel-makers. 



Five for the symbol at your door. 



Six for the six proud walkers. 



Seven for the seven stars in the sky. 



Eight for the eight bold rainers (or rangers). 



Nine for the nine bright shiners. 



Ten for the Ten Commandments. 



Eleven for the eleven that went up to heaven. 



Twelve for the twelve Apostles. 



The meaning of some of the allusions is very difficult to 

 determine. The "one and one all alone" probably refers to 

 God ; " the two lily-white babes " may allude to Christ and St. 

 John the Baptist. " Three of them are thrivers " is supposed to 

 refer to the three wise men from the East, in which case 

 "thrivers" is a corruption of "wisers." "The four Gospel- 

 makers" are the four Evangelists. "Five for the symbol at 

 your door " may refer to the sign of the pentacle or pentagram, 

 which was very commonly inscribed on the threshold to keep 

 away the evil one. " The six bold waiters" are usually identified 

 with the six water pots used in the miracle at Cana of Galilee. 

 " The seven stars in the sky " are, of course, the group in Ursa 

 Major, usually called "Charles' Wain." "The eight Gabriel 

 angels " are supposed to refer to archangels ; but why the 

 number eight is associated with archangels is not known. The 

 phrase "the nine bright shiners" remains, more or less, a 



