Musa Pedestris - Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536 - 1896] Part 21

d.i.c.k h.e.l.lfinch was the pick of all the slang. [7]

_Progress._

His Nell sat on Newgate steps, and scratch'd her poll, Her eyes suffus'd with tears, and bung'd with gin; The Session's sentence wrung her to the soul, Nor could she lounge the gag to shule a win; The knowing bench had tipp'd her buzer queer, [8]

For d.i.c.k had beat the hoof upon the pad, Of Field, or Chick-lane--was the boldest lad That ever mill'd the cly, or roll'd the leer. [9]

And with Nell he kept a lock, to fence, and tuz, And while his flaming mot was on the lay, With rolling kiddies, d.i.c.k would dive and buz, And cracking kens concluded ev'ry day; [10]

But fortune fickle, ever on the wheel, Turn'd up a rubber, for these smarts to feel.

_Triumph._

Both'ring the flats a.s.sembled round the quod, [11]

The queerum queerly smear'd with dirty black; [12]

The dolman sounding, while the sheriff's nod, Prepare the switcher to dead book the whack, While in a rattle sit two blowens flash, [13]

Salt tears fast streaming from each bungy eye; To nail the ticker, or to mill the cly [14]

Through thick and thin their busy muzzlers splash, The mots lament for Tyburn's merry roam, That bubbl'd prigs must at the New Drop fall, [15]

And from the start the scamps are cropp'd at home; All in the sheriff's picture frame the call [16]

Exalted high, d.i.c.k parted with his flame, And all his comrades swore that he dy'd game.

[1: penny]

[2: man; woman]

[3: half-penny]

[4: spent the money]

[5: made a lot of money]

[6: cute fellow]

[7: i.e. fraternity]

[8: sentenced the pick-pocket]

[9: picked pockets]

[10: burgling]

[11: goal]

[12: gallows]

[13: coach; women]

[14: steal a watch; pick a pocket]

[15: Newgate]

[16: hangman's noose]

THE TRUE BOTTOM'D BOXER [1825]

[By J. JONES in _Universal Songster_, ii. 96]. Air: "_Oh!

nothing in life can sadden us._"

I

Spring's the boy for a Moulsey-Hurst rig, my lads, Shaking a flipper, and milling a pate; Fibbing a n.o.b is most excellent gig, my lads, Kneading the dough is a turn-out in state.

Tapping the claret to him is delighting, Belly-go-firsters and clicks of the gob; For where are such joys to be found as in fighting, And measuring mugs for a chancery job: With flipping and milling, and fobbing and n.o.bbing, With belly-go-firsters and kneading the dough, With tapping of claret, and clipping and gobbing, Say just what you please, you must own he's the go.

II

Spring's the boy for flooring and flus.h.i.+ng it, Hitting and stopping, advance and retreat, For taking and giving, for sparring and rus.h.i.+ng it, And will ne'er say enough, till he's down right dead beat; No crossing for him, true courage and bottom all, You'll find him a rum un, try on if you can; You shy-c.o.c.ks, he shows 'em no favour, 'od rot 'em all, When he fights he trys to accomplish his man; With giving and taking, and flooring and flus.h.i.+ng, With hitting and stopping, huzza to the ring, With chancery suiting, and sparring and rus.h.i.+ng, He's the champion of fame, and of manhood the spring.

III

Spring's the boy for rum going and coming it, Smas.h.i.+ng and das.h.i.+ng, and tipping it prime, Eastward and westward, and sometimes back-slumming it, He's for the scratch, and come up too in time; For the victualling-office no favor he'll ask it, For smeller and ogles he feels just the same; At the pipkin to point, or upset the bread-basket, He's always in twig, and bang-up for the game; With going and tipping, and priming and timing 'Till groggy and queery, straight-forwards the rig; With ogles and smellers, no piping and chiming, You'll own he's the boy that is always in twig.

BOBBY AND HIS MARY [Notes]

[1826]

[From _Universal Songster_, iii. 108].

Tune--_Dulce Domum_.

In Dyot-street a booze-ken stood, [1]

Oft sought by foot-pads weary, And long had been the blest abode Of Bobby, and his Mary.

For her he'd nightly pad the hoof, [2]

And gravel tax collect [3]

For her he never shammed the snite.

Though traps tried to detect him; [4]

When darkey came he sought his home While she, distracted blowen [5]

She hailed his sight, And, ev'ry night The booze-ken rung As they sung, O, Bobby and his Mary.

II

But soon this scene of cozey fuss Was changed to prospects queering The blunt ran shy, and Bobby brush'd, [6]

To get more rag not fearing; [7]

To Islington he quickly hied, A traveller there he dropped on; The traps were fly, his rig they spied [8]

And ruffles soon they popped on. [9]

When evening came, he sought not home, While she, poor stupid woman, Got lushed that night, [10]

Oh, saw his sprite, Then heard the knell That bids farewell!

Then heard the knell Of St. Pulchre's bell! [11]

Now he dangles on the Common.

[1: Notes; ale-house]

[2: walk around]

[3: rob pa.s.sers-by]

[4: police]

[5: girl]

[6: money; went off]

[7: notes or gold]

[8: object]

[9: handcuffs]

[10: drunk]

[11: Notes]