The Merry-Thought | Page 9

and I returned Home.

Z----ds, thinks I, if I don't understand their barbarous Language, must I
let them have any Thing of my ancient Language? No, Messieurs! I'll
let my Opera remain in its Infancy, and you shall curse yourselves
before you have it compleat; but that you shall know what Fools you
have been, I'll stick a Needle through my Nose, that you may look sharp;
and then you will say, why did not US take it, for in the first Scene I
saw all the Audience laugh. But to the Point, i.e. the second Preamble
or Argument,
OPERA.
Scene is the City of Athens, and an old Woman lives in a hollow Tree,
where she sells Gin and Gingerbread to the Grenadiers; her Name is
Gammer Hocus. Then there comes a Goddess, who sells Butter and
Eggs at Athens Market, upon her Uncle's bald Mare; and as the Mare
is a stumbling Jade, so she falls down before Hocus's Tree, and hurts
her Rump, and then we begin.
N. B. When the Goddess Cinderaxan falls down before Gammer
Hocus's Door, or Tree, she begins in Ricitativo----Greek Fashion.
O! mega mar, hocus the baldmare has cantedme ontoss; * Phillàdram
sukami, some Spirit offerme to suckon. Dear Hokey behasty, forbum
sufferssore by a Thumpon't; No baldmare my Gammon shall
contuseagain by one moretoss.
* Fill.
English'd thus for the Benefit of the Ladies, though 'tis much the same
in the Greek.
O my Gammer Hocus, the bald Mare has canted me one Toss; Fill a
Dram, sick am I, some Spirit offer me to suck on. Dear Hokey be hasty,
for Bum suffers sore by a Thump on't. No bald Mare my Gammon shall
contuse again by one more Toss.
Then out comes Gammer Hocus, when the Goddess had called for a
Dram in the second Line, and sings with an Air, seeing her

Goddessship as dirty as the Devil.
Cinderaxan's sablehew'd Aspect,---- Fulloffun, though the Doxey can
seemcoy.
And here we leave off. Is not the Devil in the People, that they will not
encourage a good Thing, when they have it before them.
Crown at Uxbridge, 1708.
An Acrostick upon something or other.
Commodious for a Haven made, Under a rising Bank, Nature has fix'd
a Place of Trade, To Men of any Rank.
Underwritten.
Riddle my ree, &c. And read the four first Letters, and you'll see.
R. M.
A Man hanging for Love, drawn when Painting was in its Cradle, with
his Dog barking at him, viva voce. From the three Pigeons at Brentford.
[Illustration]
The Occasion of this dangling Story, was from a Lady who hated him,
and set him about it.
Go hang thyself, quoth cruel She, Go hang thyself I say. The Man
obey'd her presently, And made himself away. Mary Worthless.
The Criticks do not make out whether he walk'd off, or went off, neither
does the Figure determine which.
Hang me, if I will hang for any Woman, For most of them alike are very
common; I'd sooner trudge as I have done before, Than hang upon a
d----d confounded Whore.

Underwritten.
No Matter if the Man is longer than the Gallows, He smokes and drinks
his Glass like honest Fellows.
Upon a Drinking-Glass at Charing-Cross.
Nanny Sach----l is all my Toast; She's all I wish for, and is all my
Boast.
Egham, at the Red Lion.
Help me, ye Pow'rs, to sing my Sylvia's Praise; Nor P - - pe nor Sw - -
ft can do it now a-days. But you, nor I, or them, can ever boast, } There
ever was in Europe such a Toast; } All we can say, is, Lucy rules the
Roast. }
At a Place not to be recorded.
A d - - - d confounded Bitch, Ugly and cunning as a Witch. Her Bill
shall be preferr'd by Law; The House we wish we'd never saw. One
Pound five and ten Pence; Grant her Repentance; We'll never come
here again; And let her alone remain.
J. S. R. S. 17 July. 1722. very truly.
I do not complain of my Phillis, Because I know what her proud Will is;
For I know how she'll rant, And I know what I want; G - - d d - - - n her
old Aunt; I stand here, and wait for her, THAT still is.
On a beautiful Sempstress, in a Window at Charing-Cross.
Dolly, with Beauty and Art, Has so hemm'd in my Heart, That I cannot
resist the Charm. In Revenge I will stitch Up the Hole near her Breach,
With a Needle as long as my Arm.
R.
Two Girls at a Bar, that would do't, and one Gentleman would chatter

too long.
What the Devil should we meddle With diddle daddle, fiddle faddle; We