The Fleet: Its Rivers, Prison, and MarriagesAshton, John
History
The Fleet: Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages
Ashton, John
Fleet Prison (London, England); Fleet, River (England)
"The Chums salute, the old Collegian first
Bending his Body almost to the Dust;
Upon his Face unusual Smiles appear
And long abandon'd Hope his Spirits chear
Thought he, Relief's at hand, and I shall eat; }
Will you walk in, good Sir, and take a Seat! }
We have what's decent here, tho' not compleat; }
As for myself, I scandalize the Room,
But you'll consider, Sir, that I'm at Home;
Tho' had I thought a Stranger to have seen,
I should have ordered Matters to've been clean;
But here, amongst ourselves, we never mind,
Borrow or lend--reciprocally kind;
Regard not Dress;--tho' Sir, I have a Friend
Has Shirts enough, and, if you please, I'll send.
No Ceremony, Sir, you give me Pain;
I have a clean Shirt, Sir.--But have you twain?
O, yes, and twain to boot, and those twice told,
Besides, I thank my Stars, a Piece of Gold.
Why, then I'll be so free, Sir, as to borrow,
I mean a Shirt, Sir,--only till To-morrow.
You're welcome, Sir,--I'm glad you are so free.
Then turns the old Collegian round with Glee;
Whispers the Chamberlain with secret Joy,
We live to-night!--I'm sure he'll pay his Foy:
Turns to his Chum again with Eagerness,
And thus bespeaks him with his best Address;
"See, Sir, how pleasant, what a Prospect's there;
Below you see them sporting on the Bare;
Above, the Sun, Moon, Star, engage the Eye,
And those Abroad can't see beyond the Sky:
These rooms are better far than those beneath,
A clearer Light, a sweeter Air we breath;
A decent Garden does our Window grace,
With Plants untainted, undistain'd the Glass;
And welcome Showers descending from above
In gentle Drops of Rain, which Flowers love:
In short, Sir, nothing can be well more sweet:
But, I forgot--perhaps you chuse to eat;
Tho', for my part, I've nothing of my own,
To-day I scrap'd my Yesterday's Blade Bone;
But we can send--Ay, Sir, with all my Heart,
(Then very opportunely enters _Smart_).[138]
O, here's our Cook, he dresses all Things well;
Will you sup here, or do you chuse the Cell?
There's mighty good Accommodations there,
Rooms plenty, or a Box in Bartholm' Fair;[139]
There, too, we can divert you, and may shew
Some Characters are worth your while to know,
Replies the new Collegian, nothing more }
I wish to see, be pleas'd to go before; }
And, _Smart_, provide a handsome Dish for Four.}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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