28 OLD DORSET SONGS. 



puzzle. Ten and twelve need no explanation. " The eleven 

 that went up to heaven " are the eleven Apostles, Judas Iscariot 

 being missing. 



The whole subject is fairly fully discussed in Broadwood and 

 Maitland's English County Songs, to which book I am indebted 

 for some of the matter contained in this paper. 



II. POLITICAL FOLK-SONGS. Some of these take us back for 

 hundreds of years. Songs exist which refer to the Civil Wars, 

 others to Tudor events ; but ballad-squibs against Oliver 

 Cromwell and Charles II. are the most common. I do not 

 know of any such songs which are still sung in Dorset ; but 

 probably there are many awaiting search. 



III. AGRICULTURAL FOLK - SONGS. Under this heading 

 come the songs of shepherds, carters, and ploughboys ; songs 

 relating to fairs ; harvest feast songs sung at the old harvest 

 homes ; and many others pertaining to pastoral life. Dorset 

 should be rich in such old songs. Probably it is, but a 

 collection needs to be made. Most of us, doubtless, have heard 

 " Tumult-hoeing." It is often sung in this county, but in many 

 other counties as well. 



TURMUT-HOEING. 



'Twas on a jolly summer's morn, the twenty-first of May, 



Giles Scroggins took his turmut hoe, with which he trudged 



away ; 



For some delights in haymakin', and some they fancies mowin', 

 But of all the trades as I like best, give I the turmut-hoeing. 



Chorus. 



For the fly, the fly, the fly be on the turmut. 



And it's all my eye for we to try to keep fly off the turmut. 



