'The Highwayman': original poem by Alfred Noyes, a somewhat shortened version sung by Loreena McKennitt here (there's a delay in the audio on the video, so you may just want to listen to it):
And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
A highwayman comes riding—
Riding—riding—
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.
That's how the moon looks to me, tonight, as the clouds pass in front of it so very quickly and it shines its full face upon the night.
Gun owners have often puzzled over this poem. If the musket was a standard full-length musket of the period, it would be impossible to reach the trigger with a finger if the muzzle was pointed at your breast. Indeed, a full-length musket would be taller than many women. The musket must have been a shortened version such as a musketoon or blunderbuss.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about guns, but I've often wondered about that. It seemed rather short from my study of history. Thanks for your comment.
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