JOHN AND JOAN.
If I had known so much before,
I wou'd have giv'n thee two Shillings more.[1]
- ↑ John and Joan, strictly speaking, is a variant of three stories quoted earlier on in this volume, (The Instrument, The Timorous Fiancee and The Enchanted Ring), inasmuch as all contain the same idea—the possibility of purchasing a membrum virile. At the same time, our ballad has a totally different setting, the maid in this case obtaining her first knowledge from the actions of others.
