Merrie England in the Olden Time, Vol. 2Daniel, George
History
Merrie England in the Olden Time, Vol. 2
Daniel, George
England -- Social life and customs
Your spark from Dublin up, I'll soon be doubling up in
town!
If, Pat, you would divine the cause, behold this nymph
divine;
You 've won the hand of Betsy Brown, now try a taste
of mine!”
The Corp'ral laid a bet he'd beat, but Betsy held her rib--
“Be aisy, daisy I--Lying lout! we'll see which best can
fib!
A trick worth two I'll shew you, by St. Patrick, merry
saint!”
Poor Betsy fainted in his arms--the Corp'ral made a
feint.
Jack ey'd the pump, and thither hied, and filled a bucket
quick,
And chuck'd it o'er his chuck, for fear she should the
bucket kick;
Then gave a tender look, and join'd a tender in the
river--
What afterwards became of him we never could diskiver.
“The City of London and the trade thereof,” and other standing toasts,
having been drunk with the accustomed honours, Uncle Timothy addressed
Mr. Bosky,
“Thy _Epilogue_, Benjamin. Drop we the curtain on this mountebank drama,
and cry quittance to conjurors.”
Mr. Bosky. But what is an _Epilogue_ without a dress coat, a _chapeau
bras_, black velvets and paste buckles? _Nous verrons!_
And the Lauréat rose, put on a stage face, stood tea-pot fashion, and
poured out his soul.
Mr. Bosky. Knights of the Table Round! in verse
sublime,
I fain would tell how once upon a time,
When George the Second, royally interr'd,
Resign'd his sceptre to King George the
Third-
Uncle Tim. Bosky, dismounting Pegasus, suppose
You sit, and speak your epilogue in prose,
Not in falsetto flat, and thro' the nose,
Like those
Who warble “knives to grind,” and cry
“old clothes!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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