And we shall caper a-heel and toeing A Newgate hornpipe some fine day With the mots their ogles throwing [20] Tol lol, etc. And old Cotton humming his pray. [21] XIV With the mots their ogles throwing And old Cotton humming his pray, And the fogle hunters doing Tol lol, etc. Their morning fake in the prigging lay. [1: shop; house] [2: thieving] [3: girl, strumpet, sweetheart] [4: 'cute in business] [5: spoke in slang] [6: drink and food] [7: porter, beer] [8: family = fraternity of thieves] [9: nose] [10: gentleman; drunk] [11: pockets; fingers] [12: take his sovereigns] [13: watch] [14: seals] [15: hat] [16: clothes] [17: plunder] [18: taken; police] [19: hanging] [20: girl's; eyes] [21: Notes] ON THE PRIGGING LAY [Notes] [1829] [By H. T. R....: a translation of a French Slang song ("Un jour à la Croix Rouge") in Vidocq's _Memoirs_, 1828-9, 4 vols.] I Ten or a dozen "cocks of the game," [1] On the prigging lay to the flash-house came, [2] Lushing blue ruin and heavy wet [3] Till the darkey, when the downy set. [4] All toddled and begun the hunt For readers, tattlers, fogies, or blunt. [5] II Whatever swag we chance for to get, [6] All is fish that comes to net: Mind your eye, and draw the yokel, Don't disturb or use the folk ill. Keep a look out, if the beaks are nigh, [7] And cut your stick, before they're fly. [8] III As I vas a crossing St James's Park I met a swell, a well-togg'd spark. [9] I stops a bit: then toddled quicker, For I'd prigged his reader, drawn his ticker; [10] Then he calls--"Stop thief!" thinks I, my master, That's a hint to me to mizzle faster. [11] IV When twelve bells chimed, the prigs returned, [12] And rapped at the ken of Uncle ----: [13] "Uncle, open the door of your crib If you'd share the swag, or have one dib. [14] Quickly draw the bolt of your ken, Or we'll not shell out a mag, old ----." [15] V Then says Uncle, says he, to his blowen, [16] "D'ye twig these coves, my mot so knowing? [17] Are they out-and-outers, dearie? [18] Are they fogle-hunters, or cracksmen leary? [19] Are they coves of the ken, d'ye know? [20] Shall I let 'em in, or tell 'em to go?" VI "Oh! I knows 'em now; hand over my breeches-- I always look out for business--vich is A reason vy a man should rouse At any hour for the good of his house, The top o' the morning, gemmen all, [21] And for vot you vants, I begs you'll call." VII But now the beaks are on the scene, [22] And watched by moonlight where we went:-- Stagged us a toddling into the ken, [23] And were down upon us all; and then Who should I spy but the slap-up spark [24] What I eased of the swag in St James's Park. [25] VIII