There’ll be Ikey Bill from Petticoat Lane His sherbet will be selling, And gipsies come from far and near Your fortune to be telling. The gents that on the stools will stand, And in your faces smiling, Hear’s three half-crowns and a purse, my lads, And the lot is but a shilling. All sorts of games will be that day, To please both old and young, sir; If the volunteers should want a rest, The girls will hold his gun, sir. For good-tempered girls there will be there, No better in England found, sir, For if you ask them there to sit, They’re sure to tumble down, sir. The flags so gay the bands will play, And thousands will be mingling, And welcome with a loud huzza The volunteers of England. May Queen Victoria happy be, And all the royal family, The Prince of Wales, cheer three times three And the Princess Alexandra. Now merry Punch with voice so strong, He is all for fun and chaffing, If you listen to his song You’ll burst your sides with laughing. THE FROLICSOME PARSON OUTWITTED. Come all you hearty roving blades, and listen to my song, A verse or two I will unfold, and will not keep you long, It is of a frolicsome parson, as you shall quickly hear, That dwelt in the town of Ledbury, in the county of Herefordshire. The parson being a rakish blade, and fond of sporting games, He fell in love with the pretty cook, as I have heard the same; The parlour-maid found out the same, and in the fruit room looked, And there she saw the parson sporting with the cook. It was in nine months after she brought him forth a child, Within the rectory it was born, it drove him nearly wild: It proved to be a male child, at least they tell us so, Then this damsel from the rectory was quickly forced to go. Then the secret to unfold, it was her full intent, During the time of service into the church she went, Holding the child up in her arms, and on the parson gazed, Saying, lovely babe, that is your dad, which filled him with amaze. The congregation they all stared, the parson seemed confused, And many a lad and lass no doubt, within them felt amused; Such a scene as this was never known within this church before, Let us hope that it will be the last, and the like shall be no more. ’Twas then a court was called in town, for to invest the case. There the parson, cook, and parlour-maid they met face to face, And many more in court appeared, to hear the sport and fun, This damsel swore the parson was the father of her son. Your reverence; you are found to blame the Justices declared, Although some honest country lad you thought for to ensnare; So with all your doctrine and your skill unto him they did say, A half-a-crown each week to the child you’ve got to pay.