Soon then I mounted in swell street-high,
Nix my doll pals, fake away!
Soon then I mounted in swell street-high,
And sported my flashest toggery,[202]
Fake away!
Fainly resolved I would make my hay,
Fake away!
While Mercury’s star shed a single ray;
And ne’er was there seen such a dashing prig,[203]
Nix my doll pals, fake away!
And ne’er was there seen such a dashing prig,
With my strummel faked[204] in the newest twig,[205]
Fake away!
With my fawnied famms[206] and my onions gay,[207]
Fake away!
My thimble of ridge,[208] and my driz kemesa,[209]
All my togs[210] were so niblike[211] and plash.[212]
Readily the queer screens[213] I then could smash.[214]
Fake away!
But my nuttiest blowen,[215] one fine day,
Fake away!
To the beaks[216] did her fancy man betray,
And thus was I bowled at last,
And into the jug for a lay was cast,
Fake away!
But I slipped my darbies[217] one morn in May,
And gave to the dubsman[218] a holiday.
And here I am, pals, merry and free,
A regular rollicking romany.[219]
[180] Box,cell.[181] Stone jug,Newgate.[182] Hempen widow,woman whose husband has been hanged.[183] Kid,child.[184] Nix my doll pals,fake away! never mind, friends, work away![185] Knucks,thieves.[186] Quod,prison.[187] Schoolmen,fellows of the gang.[188] Put me up to the time of day,made a knowing one of me, taught me thieving.[189] Sneaksman,shoplifter.[190] Buzgloak,pickpocket.[191] Fogles,silk handkerchiefs.[192] Fawnies,rings.[193] Spout,pawnbroker’s.[194] Sneezers,snuff-boxes.[195] Dummy hunter,stealer of pocket books.[196] Forks so fly,such nimble fingers.[197] No knuckler so deftly could fake a cly,no pickpocket so skilfully could pick a pocket.[198] Slourd hoxter,inside pocket buttoned up.[199] Snipes,scissors.[200] Knap a reader,steal a pocket book.[201] Lay,robbery, dodge.[202] Flashest toggery,best made clothes.[203] Prig,thief.[204] Strummel faked,hair dressed.[205] Twig,fashion.[206] Fawnied famms,hands bejewelled.[207] Onions,seals.[208] Thimble of ridge,gold watch.[209] Driz kemesa,shirt with lace frill.[210] Togs,clothes.[211] Niblike,fashionable.[212] Plash,fine.[213] Queer screens,forged notes.[214] Smash,pass.[215] Nuttiest blowen,favourite girl.[216] Beaks,magistrates.[217] Darbies,handcuffs.[218] Dubsman,turnkey.[219] Romany,gipsy.
Eighteenth Century.
CHANSON.
(Extrait du Vice Puni ou Cartouche, 1725.)
Fanandels[220]