Classic Poem

As I walked between Bolton and Bury.
'twas on a moonshiny night,
I met with a buxom young weaver whose
company gave me delight.
She says: Young fellow, come tell me if your
level and rule are in tune.
Come give me an answer correct, can you
get up and square my new loom?

I said: My dear lassie, believe me, I am a
good joiner by trade,
And many a good loom and shuttle before
me in my time I have made.
Your short lams and jacks and long lams I
quickly can put in tune.
My rule is in good order to get up and
square a new loom.

She took me and showed me her loom, the
down on her warp did appear.
The lams, jacks and healds put in motion, I
levelled her loom to a hair.
My shuttle run well in her lathe, my treadle
it worked up and down,
My level stood close to her breast-bone, the
time I was reiving her loom.

The cords of my lams, jacks and treadles at
length they began to give way.
The bobbin I had in my shuttle, the weft in
it no longer would stay.
Her lathe it went bang to and fro, my main
treadle still kept in tune,
My pickers went nicketty-nack all the time
I was squaring her loom.

My shuttle it still kept in motion, her lams
she worked well up and down.
The weights in her rods they did tremble;
she said she would weave a new gown.
My strength now began for to fail me. I
said: It's now right to a hair.
She turned up her eyes and said: Tommy,
my loom you have got pretty square.