Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, October 16, 1841Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, October 16, 1841
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
Jack--we call him Jack, though we confess we are uncertain of his
baptismal appellation--because Jack is a sort of generic name for his
species--Jack prides himself on his little Poll and his little ship, which
he boasts are the miniature counterparts of their lovely originals; and
with these at his back, trudges merrily along, trusting that Providence
will help him to "keep a southerly wind out of the bread-bag." Jack's
songs, as we have remarked, all relate to the sea--he is a complete
repository of Dibdin's choice old ballads and fok'sl chaunts. "Tom
Bowling," "Lovely Nan," "Poor Jack," and "Lash'd to the helm," with
"Cease, rude Boreas," and "Rule Britannia," are amongst his favourite
pieces, but the "Bay of Biscay" is his crack performance: with this he
always commenced, when he wanted to enlist the sympathies of his
auditors,--mingling with the song sundry interlocutory notes and comments.
Having chosen a quiet street, where the appearance of mothers with blessed
babbies in the windows prognosticates a plentiful descent of coppers, Jack
commences by pitching his voice uncommonly strong, and tossing Poll and
the Billy-ruffian from side to side, to give an idea of the way Neptune
sarves the navy,--strikes, as one may say, into deep water, by plunging
into "The Bay of Biscay," in the following manner;--
"Loud roar'd the dreadful thunder--
The rain a deluge pours--
Our sails were split asunder,
By lightning's vivid pow'rs.
"Do, young gentleman!--toss a copper to poor little Poll. Ah! bless you,
master!--may you never want a shot in your locker. Thank the gentleman,
Polly--
"The night both drear and dark,
Our poor desarted bark,
There she lay--(lay quiet, Poll!)
"There she lay--Noble lady in the window, look with pity on poor Jack,
and his little Polly--till next day,
In the Bay of Biscay O."
"Pray, kind lady, help the poor shipwrecked sailor--cast away on his
voyage to the West Ingees, in a dreadful storm. Sixteen hands on us took
to the long-boat, my lady, and was thrown on a desart island, three
thousand miles from any land; which island was unfortunately manned by
Cannibals, who roast and eat every blessed one of us, except the cook's
black boy; and him they potted, my lady, and I'm bless'd but they'd have
potted me, too, if I hadn't sung out to them savages, in this 'ere sort of
way, my lady--
"Come all you jolly sailors bold,
Whose hearts are cast in honour's mould,
While British valour I unfold--
Huzza! for the Arethusa!
She was a frigate stout and brave
As ever stemm'd the dashing wave--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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