(_From Ainsworth’s Rookwood._)
In a box[180] of the stone jug[181] I was born,
Of a hempen widow[182] the kid[183] forlorn,
Fake away!
And my father, as I’ve heard say,
Fake away!
Was a merchant of capers gay,
Who cut his last fling with great applause,
Nix my doll pals, fake away![184]
To the tune of hearty choke with caper sauce.
Fake away!
The knucks[185] in quod[186] did my schoolmen[187] play,
Fake away!
And put me up to the time of day,[188]
Until at last there was none so knowing,
No such sneaksman[189] or buzgloak[190] going,
Fake away!
Fogles[191] and fawnies[192] soon went their way,
Fake away!
To the spout[193] with the sneezers[194] in grand array,
No dummy hunter[195] had forks so fly,[196]
No knuckler so deftly could fake a cly,[197]
Fake away!
No slourd hoxter[198] my snipes[199] could stay,
Fake away!
None knap a reader[200] like me in the lay.[201]
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_.