Musa Pedestris | Page 8

cole, and turns him into the street.
Toure you well, etc.
V
The thirteenth a famble, false rings for to sell, [17]?When a mob, he has bit his cole he will tell;?The fourteenth a gamester, if he sees the cull sweet [18]?He presently drops down a cog in the street; [19]?The fifteenth a prancer, whose courage is small, [20]?If they catch him horse-coursing, he's nooz'd once for all. [21]
Toure you well, etc.
VI
The sixteenth a sheep-napper, whose trade is so deep, [22]?If he's caught in the corn, he's marked for a sheep [23]?The seventeenth a dunaker, that stoutly makes vows, [24]?To go in the country and steal all the cows;?The eighteenth a kid-napper, who spirits young men,?Tho' he tips them a pike, they oft nap him again.
Toure you well, etc.
VII
The nineteenth's a prigger of cacklers who harms, [25]?The poor country higlers, and plunders the farms; [26]?He steals all their poultry, and thinks it no sin,?When into the hen-roost, in the night, he gets in;?The twentieth's a thief-catcher, so we him call,?Who if he be nabb'd will be made pay for all.
Toure you well, etc.
[in Bacchus and Venus (1737) an additional stanza is given:--]
VIII
There's many more craftsmen whom here I could name, [27]?Who use such-like trades, abandon'd of shame;?To the number of more than three-score on the whole,?Who endanger their body, and hazard their soul;?And yet; though good workmen, are seldom made free,?Till they ride in a cart, and be noozed on a tree.?Toure you well, hark you well, see where they are rubb'd,?Up to the nubbing cheat, where they are nubb'd.
[1: hung]?[2: passer of base coin]?[3: Look! be on your guard]?[4: taken]?[5: gallows: hung]?[6: Tramp or foot-pad.]?[7: housebreaker]?[8: window thief]?[9: valuables]?[10: pickpocket; man or silly fop]?[11: sneaking-thief]?[12: accomplice who jostles whilst another robs: countryman] [13: thief who hooks goods from shop-windows]?[14: public-house thief]?[15: confidence-trick man; good-natured fool]?[16: steals all his money]?[17: Notes]?[18: an easy dupe]?[19: a lure]?[20: horse-thief]?[21: hung]?[22: sheep-stealer]?[23: as a duffer]?[24: cattle-lifter]?[25: poultry-thief]?[26: bumpkins]?[27: members of the Canting Crew]
FRISKY MOLL'S SONG?[1724]
[By J. HARPER, and sung by Frisky Moll in JOHN THURMOND'S _Harlequin Sheppard_ produced at Drury Lane Theatre].
I
From priggs that snaffle the prancers strong, [1]?To you of the Peter Lay, [2]?I pray now listen a while to my song,?How my Boman he kick'd away. [3]
II
He broke thro' all rubbs in the whitt, [4]?And chiv'd his darbies in twain; [5]?But fileing of a rumbo ken, [6]?My Boman is snabbled again. [7]
III
I Frisky Moll, with my rum coll, [8]?Wou'd Grub in a bowzing ken; [9]?But ere for the scran he had tipt the cole, [10]?The Harman he came in. [11]
IV
A famble, a tattle, and two popps, [12]?Had my Boman when he was ta'en;?But had he not bouz'd in the diddle shops, [13]?He'd still been in Drury-Lane.
[1: steal horses]?[2: carriage thieves]?[3: fancy man or sweetheart]?[4: obstacles; Newgate]?[5: cut fetters]?[6: Breaking into a pawn-broker's]?[7: imprisoned]?[8: good man]?[9: eat; ale-house]?[10: refreshments; paid]?[11: constable]?[12 ring; watch; pistols]?[13 gin-shops]
THE CANTER'S SERENADE [Notes]?[1725]
[from The New Canting Dictionary:--"Sung early in the morning, at the barn doors where their doxies have reposed during the night"].
I
Ye morts and ye dells [1]?Come out of your cells,?And charm all the palliards about ye; [2]?Here birds of all feathers,?Through deep roads and all weathers,?Are gathered together to toute ye.
II
With faces of wallnut,?And bladder and smallgut,?We're come scraping and singing to rouse ye;?Rise, shake off your straw,?And prepare you each maw [3]?To kiss, eat, and drink till you're bouzy. [4]
[1: women; girls]?[2: beggars [Notes]]?[3: mouth]?[4: drunk,]
"RETOURE MY DEAR DELL" [Notes]?[1725]
[From The New Canting Dictionary]
I
Each darkmans I pass in an old shady grove, [1]?And live not the lightmans I toute not my love, [2]?I surtoute every walk, which we used to pass, [3]?And couch me down weeping, and kiss the cold grass: [4]?I cry out on my mort to pity my pain,?And all our vagaries remember again.
II
Didst thou know, my dear doxy, but half of the smart [5]?Which has seized on my panter, since thou didst depart; [6] Didst thou hear but my sighs, my complaining and groans,?Thou'dst surely retoure, and pity my moans: [7]?Thou'dst give me new pleasure for all my past pain,?And I should rejoice in thy glaziers again. [8]
III
But alas! 'tis my fear that the false Patri-coe [9]?Is reaping those transports are only my due:?Retoure, my dear doxy, oh, once more retoure,?And I'll do all to please thee that lies in my power:?Then be kind, my dear dell, and pity my pain,?And let me once more toute thy glaziers again
IV
On redshanks and tibs thou shalt every day dine, [10]?And if it should e'er be my hard fate to trine, [11]?I never will whiddle, I never will squeek, [12]?Nor to save my colquarron endanger thy neck, [13]?Then once more, my doxy, be kind and retoure,?And thou shalt want nothing that lies in my power.
[1: night]?[2: day; see]?[3: know well]?[4: lie]?[5: mistress]?[6: heart]?[7: return]?[8: eyes]?[9: hedge-priest]?[10: turkey;