The Bab Ballads, vol 2

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bab Ballads, by W. S. Gilbert (#3 in our series by W. S. Gilbert)
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Title: The Bab Ballads
Author: W. S. Gilbert
Release Date: June, 1997 [EBook #931]?[This file was first posted on June 2, 1997]?[Most recently updated: May 20, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
? START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BAB BALLADS ***
Transcribed by David Price, email [email protected]
THE BAB BALLADS
Contents:
Captain Reece?The Rival Curates?Only A Dancing Girl?General John?To A Little Maid--By A Policeman?John And Freddy?Sir Guy The Crusader?Haunted?The Bishop And The 'Busman?The Troubadour?Ferdinando And Elvira; Or, The Gentle Pieman?Lorenzo De Lardy?Disillusioned--By An Ex-Enthusiast?Babette's Love?To My Bride--(Whoever She May Be)?The Folly Of Brown--By A General Agent?Sir Macklin?The Yarn Of The "Nancy Bell"?The Bishop Of Rum-Ti-Foo?The Precocious Baby. A Very True Tale?To Phoebe?Baines Carew, Gentleman?Thomas Winterbottom Hance?The Reverend Micah Sowls?A Discontented Sugar Broker?The Pantomime "Super" To His Mask?The Force Of Argument?The Ghost, The Gallant, The Gael, And The Goblin?The Phantom Curate. A Fable?The Sensation Captain?Tempora Mutantur?At A Pantomime. By A Bilious One?King Borria Bungalee Boo?The Periwinkle Girl?Thomson Green And Harriet Hale?Bob Polter?The Story Of Prince Agib?Ellen McJones Aberdeen?Peter The Wag?Ben Allah Achmet;--Or, The Fatal Tum?The Three Kings Of Chickeraboo?Joe Golightly--Or, The First Lord's Daughter?To The Terrestrial Globe. By A Miserable Wretch?Gentle Alice Brown
Captain Reece
Of all the ships upon the blue,?No ship contained a better crew?Than that of worthy CAPTAIN REECE,?Commanding of The Mantelpiece.
He was adored by all his men,?For worthy CAPTAIN REECE, R.N.,?Did all that lay within him to?Promote the comfort of his crew.
If ever they were dull or sad,?Their captain danced to them like mad,?Or told, to make the time pass by,?Droll legends of his infancy.
A feather bed had every man,?Warm slippers and hot-water can,?Brown windsor from the captain's store,?A valet, too, to every four.
Did they with thirst in summer burn,?Lo, seltzogenes at every turn,?And on all very sultry days?Cream ices handed round on trays.
Then currant wine and ginger pops?Stood handily on all the "tops;"?And also, with amusement rife,?A "Zoetrope, or Wheel of Life."
New volumes came across the sea?From MISTER MUDIE'S libraree;?The Times and Saturday Review?Beguiled the leisure of the crew.
Kind-hearted CAPTAIN REECE, R.N.,?Was quite devoted to his men;?In point of fact, good CAPTAIN REECE?Beatified The Mantelpiece.
One summer eve, at half-past ten,?He said (addressing all his men):?"Come, tell me, please, what I can do?To please and gratify my crew.
"By any reasonable plan?I'll make you happy if I can;?My own convenience count as nil:?It is my duty, and I will."
Then up and answered WILLIAM LEE?(The kindly captain's coxswain he,?A nervous, shy, low-spoken man),?He cleared his throat and thus began:
"You have a daughter, CAPTAIN REECE,?Ten female cousins and a niece,?A Ma, if what I'm told is true,?Six sisters, and an aunt or two.
"Now, somehow, sir, it seems to me,?More friendly-like we all should be,?If you united of 'em to?Unmarried members of the crew.
"If you'd ameliorate our life,?Let each select from them a wife;?And as for nervous me, old pal,?Give me your own enchanting gal!"
Good CAPTAIN REECE, that worthy man,?Debated on his coxswain's plan:?"I quite agree," he said, "O BILL;?It is my duty, and I will.
"My daughter, that enchanting gurl,?Has just been promised to an Earl,?And all my other familee?To peers of various degree.
"But what are dukes and viscounts to?The happiness of all my crew??The word I gave you I'll fulfil;?It is my duty, and I will.
"As you desire it shall befall,?I'll settle thousands on you all,?And I shall be, despite my hoard,?The only bachelor on board."
The boatswain of The Mantelpiece,?He blushed and spoke to CAPTAIN REECE:?"I beg your honour's leave," he said;?"If you would wish to go and wed,
"I have a widowed mother who?Would be the very thing for you--?She long has loved you from afar:?She washes for you, CAPTAIN R."
The Captain saw the dame that day--?Addressed her in his playful way--?"And did it want a wedding ring??It was a tempting ickle sing!
"Well, well, the chaplain I will seek,?We'll all be married this day week?At yonder church upon the hill;?It is my duty, and I will!"
The sisters, cousins, aunts, and niece,?And