[1: steal horses] [2: carriage thieves] [3: fancy man or sweetheart] [4: obstacles; Newgate] [5: cut fetters] [6: Breaking into a pawn-broker's] [7: imprisoned] [8: good man] [9: eat; ale-house] [10: refreshments; paid] [11: constable] [12 ring; watch; pistols] [13 gin-shops] THE CANTER'S SERENADE [Notes] [1725] [from _The New Canting Dictionary_:--"Sung early in the morning, at the barn doors where their doxies have reposed during the night"]. I Ye morts and ye dells [1] Come out of your cells, And charm all the palliards about ye; [2] Here birds of all feathers, Through deep roads and all weathers, Are gathered together to toute ye. II With faces of wallnut, And bladder and smallgut, We're come scraping and singing to rouse ye; Rise, shake off your straw, And prepare you each maw [3] To kiss, eat, and drink till you're bouzy. [4] [1: women; girls] [2: beggars [Notes]] [3: mouth] [4: drunk,] "RETOURE MY DEAR DELL" [Notes] [1725] [From _The New Canting Dictionary_] I Each darkmans I pass in an old shady grove, [1] And live not the lightmans I toute not my love, [2] I surtoute every walk, which we used to pass, [3] And couch me down weeping, and kiss the cold grass: [4] I cry out on my mort to pity my pain, And all our vagaries remember again. II Didst thou know, my dear doxy, but half of the smart [5] Which has seized on my panter, since thou didst depart; [6] Didst thou hear but my sighs, my complaining and groans, Thou'dst surely retoure, and pity my moans: [7] Thou'dst give me new pleasure for all my past pain, And I should rejoice in thy glaziers again. [8] III But alas! 'tis my fear that the false _Patri-coe_ [9] Is reaping those transports are only my due: Retoure, my dear doxy, oh, once more retoure, And I'll do all to please thee that lies in my power: Then be kind, my dear dell, and pity my pain, And let me once more toute thy glaziers again IV On redshanks and tibs thou shalt every day dine, [10] And if it should e'er be my hard fate to trine, [11] I never will whiddle, I never will squeek, [12] Nor to save my colquarron endanger thy neck, [13] Then once more, my doxy, be kind and retoure, And thou shalt want nothing that lies in my power. [1: night] [2: day; see] [3: know well] [4: lie] [5: mistress] [6: heart] [7: return] [8: eyes] [9: hedge-priest] [10: turkey; geese] [11: hang] [12: speak] [13: neck] THE VAIN DREAMER. [Notes] [1725] [From _The New Canting Dictionary_]. I Yest darkmans dream'd I of my dell, [1] When sleep did overtake her; It was a dimber drowsy mort, [2] She slept, I durst not wake her. II Her gans were like to coral red, [3] A thousand times I kiss'd 'em; A thousand more I might have filch'd' [4] She never could have miss'd 'em. III Her strammel, curl'd, like threads of gold, [5] Hung dangling o'er the pillow; Great pity 'twas that one so prim, Should ever wear the willow. IV