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Came you not from Newcastle?
Came you not there away?
O met you not my true love
Riding on a bonny bay?
Why should I not love my love?
Why should not my love love me?
Why should I love not my love?
Because my love loves me.

I have land at Newcastle
Will buy both hose and shoone;
And I have land at Durham
With housen in the toun.
Why should I not love my love?
Why should not my love love me?
Why should I love not my love?
Because my love loves me.

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Source: Sabine Baring Gould, 1895, Old English Songs from English Minstrelsie

Notes:
This is taken from the selection of the eight volume work by Baring Gould of the same name, reprinted by Llanerch Publishers.

This song appeared in volume 7 of Baring Gould's English Minstrelsie (xxi-xxii, 86-87).

This is another of the English Minstrelsie songs that is better known as a dance tune than as the song, in this case Newcastle (English Dancing Master, 1651 edition)

Chappell writes:

"This beautiful and very expressive melody is to be found in The Dancing Master, from 1650 to 1690, under the title of Newcastle. In The Grub Street Opera, 1731, it is named Why should not I love my love? from the burden of the song.

See the thread for a more complete quotation, together with Baring Gould's notes.

Roud: 8086 (Search Roud index at VWML)
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