In a box[180] of the stone jug[181] I was born, Of a hempen widow[182] the kid[183] forlorn, Fake away! And my father, as I’ve heard say, Fake away! Was a merchant of capers gay, Who cut his last fling with great applause, Nix my doll pals, fake away![184] To the tune of hearty choke with caper sauce. Fake away! The knucks[185] in quod[186] did my schoolmen[187] play, Fake away! And put me up to the time of day,[188] Until at last there was none so knowing, No such sneaksman[189] or buzgloak[190] going, Fake away! Fogles[191] and fawnies[192] soon went their way, Fake away! To the spout[193] with the sneezers[194] in grand array, No dummy hunter[195] had forks so fly,[196] No knuckler so deftly could fake a cly,[197] Fake away! No slourd hoxter[198] my snipes[199] could stay, Fake away! None knap a reader[200] like me in the lay.[201] Soon then I mounted in swell street-high, Nix my doll pals, fake away! Soon then I mounted in swell street-high, And sported my flashest toggery,[202] Fake away! Fainly resolved I would make my hay, Fake away! While Mercury’s star shed a single ray; And ne’er was there seen such a dashing prig,[203] Nix my doll pals, fake away! And ne’er was there seen such a dashing prig, With my strummel faked[204] in the newest twig,[205] Fake away! With my fawnied famms[206] and my onions gay,[207] Fake away! My thimble of ridge,[208] and my driz kemesa,[209] All my togs[210] were so niblike[211] and plash.[212] Readily the queer screens[213] I then could smash.[214] Fake away! But my nuttiest blowen,[215] one fine day, Fake away! To the beaks[216] did her fancy man betray, And thus was I bowled at last, And into the jug for a lay was cast, Fake away! But I slipped my darbies[217] one morn in May, And gave to the dubsman[218] a holiday. And here I am, pals, merry and free, A regular rollicking romany.[219] [180] Box, _cell_. [181] Stone jug, _Newgate_. [182] Hempen widow, _woman whose husband has been hanged_. [183] Kid, _child_. [184] Nix my doll pals, fake away! _never mind, friends, work away!_ [185] Knucks, _thieves_. [186] Quod, _prison_. [187] Schoolmen, _fellows of the gang_. [188] Put me up to the time of day, _made a knowing one of me_, _taught me thieving_. [189] Sneaksman, _shoplifter_. [190] Buzgloak, _pickpocket_. [191] Fogles, _silk handkerchiefs_. [192] Fawnies, _rings_. [193] Spout, _pawnbroker’s_. [194] Sneezers, _snuff-boxes_. [195] Dummy hunter, _stealer of pocket books_. [196] Forks so fly, _such nimble fingers_. [197] No knuckler so deftly could fake a cly, _no pickpocket so skilfully could pick a pocket_. [198] Slourd hoxter, _inside pocket buttoned up_. [199] Snipes, _scissors_.