Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.: Or, The Rambles and Adventures of Bob Tallyho, Esq., and His Cousin, the Hon. Tom Dashall, Through the Metropolis; Exhibiting a Living Picture of Fashionable Characters, Manners, and Amusements in High and Low Life (1821)Badcock, John, active 1816-1830
General
Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.: Or, The Rambles and Adventures of Bob Tallyho, Esq., and His Cousin, the Hon. Tom Dashall, Through the Metropolis; Exhibiting a Living Picture of Fashionable Characters, Manners, and Amusements in High and Low Life (1821)
Badcock, John, active 1816-1830
London (England) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
“O yes, I acts Richard the Third sometimes--sometimes Macbeth and
Tom Thumb. I have played before Mr. Kean: then I acted Richard the
Third--'Give me a horse! '--(starting into the middle of the room)--'no,
stop, not so--let me see, let me see, how is it?--ah, this is the
way--Give me a horse--Oh! Oh! Oh!--then you know I dies.”--And down he
fell on the floor, which created a general roar of laughter; while
Billy Waters ~121~~struck up, “See the conquering Hero conies!” to the
inexpressible delight of all around him--their feet and hands all going
at the same time.
Mother Mapps dropp'd her pipe, and d----d the weed, it made her sick,
she said.
Limping Billy was also evidently in _queer-street_.
“Come,” said Sparkle, “won't you have a drop more?”
“Thank ye, Sir,” was the reply; and Sparkle, intent upon having his
gig out, ordered a fresh supply, which soon revived the fallen hero of
Bosworth-field, and Richard was himself again.
“Now,” said he, “I'll sing you a song,” and immediately commenced as
follows:--
“My name's Hookey Walker, I'm known very well,
In acting and eating I others excel;
The player-folks all take their patterns from me,
And a nice pattern too!--Don't you see? don't you see?
Oh! [_glancing at his fingers_] It will do--it will do.
At Chippenham born, I was left quite forlorn,
When my father was dead and my mother was gone;
So I came up to London, a nice little he,
And a nice pattern too!--Don't you see? don't you see?
Oh! it will do--it will do.
A courting I went to a girl in our court,
She laugh'd at my figure, and made me her sport;
I was cut to the soul,--so said I on my knee,
I'm a victim of love!--Don't you see? don't you see?
Oh! it won't do--it won't do.
Now all day I march to and fro in the street,
And a candle sometimes on my journey I eat;
So I'll set you a pattern, if you'll but agree,
And a nice pattern too! you shall see--you shall see.
Oh! it will do--it will do.”
This Song, which he declared was all _made out of his own head_, was
sung with grotesque action and ridiculous grimace, intended no doubt in
imitation of Mr. Wilkinson in his inimitable performance of this strange
piece of whimsicality. The dancing party was knock'd up and were lobbing
their _lollys_,{1} half asleep and half awake, on the table, bowing as
it were to the magnanimous influence
1 Lobbing their lollys--Laying their heads.
~122~~of _Old Tom_.{1} The Dustman and the Irishman laugh'd heartily;
and Das hall, Tallyho, and Sparkle, could not resist the impulse
to risibility when they contemplated the group before them. The
Bug-destroyer _munched_{2} a candle and _sluiced_{3} his greasy
_chops_{4} with _Jacky_{5} almost as fast as they could supply him
with it, when Sparkle perceiving the boy was still at the door with the
runaway ass,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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