300 OLD SARXIA. 



Tu n' ^ras p\i r'bondi I'aire, 



A rejouite efc a son, 

 Et inc, j'men vais sous terre. 



Ma pourre vielle. adi don I 



[The above Avas a countryman's farewell to his hurdy- 

 gurdy which, like him, was completely worn out Avith age and 

 Avork. The farewell Avas ahvays sung to the most ])athetic 

 air, and as the song itself included many verses of eight lines 

 each, [)ossibly the tAvo that are quoted will be sufficient. 

 HoAvever, there is a pathos in the Avords which proves that 

 the composer must have been animated Avith very tender 

 feelings tOAvards his old musical instrument Avhen he sat doAvn 

 and committed his sentiments to paper. — Ed.] 



Le Sieur Aberlian's Avaggon load of Guernsey chansons 

 is buried for ever. Alas, for our forefathers Avho allowed 

 these fine old compositions to pass into obscurity. Here is a 

 portion, how^ever, of one that has been rescued : — 



An jar din de men pere, 



O vive ramonr! 

 Un oranger y a, 



Vive la lauriere! 

 Une oranger y a, 



Yive la rose et le dama ! 



Then there Avas " Les avirons d'argent," " Je plumie 

 I'allouette," " J'ai du bon toubac dans ma tabattiere," and 



" Ou vas tu, Nicolas, de ce pas ? 

 Ou vas tu, Nicolas ? 

 Qu'as tu qui te chagrine?" 



Then there Avas " La fille des dix paresses," of Avliich only 

 tAvo couplets survive : — 



Au Yalle et a St. Samson, 



Je n'en counie aucunes, 

 Mais j'ai ouie dire, sans fa9on, 



Qui sont pu neres que brunes. 



HoAv omit a parting Avord on good Sieur Jean du Tertre. 

 The venerable old man never left his paste d'/wiuieur, the 

 inmost corner of the chimney ingle, Avithout raising a con- 

 tagious Avhirlwind of involuntary mirth. I have seen La 

 Vielle Tante Marteau, in her 99th year, laugh till she literally 

 cried, or as the saying goes, till she Avas " nere paumaie d'rire," 

 Avhile Sieur Jean, illumining his comely features AA^itli a 

 knavish simper, half leer, half bonhomme, delighted the 

 company Avith the fifty-ninth edition of his inimitable 



Ell, s'il avait, mais il n'a pas, 



De metier a faire la touaille. 

 Et, s'il avait, mais il n'a pas, 



De metier a faire le guiablle. 



