As from ken[272] to ken I was going,
Doing a bit on the prigging lay,[273]
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,[274]
Tol lol, lol lol, tol derol ay;
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
Who was fly[275] to the time o’ day?[276]
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
Who was fly to the time of day.
I pattered in flash,[277] like a covey[278] knowing,
Tol lol, &c.,
“Ay, bub or grubby,[279] I say.”
I pattered in flash like a covey knowing,
“Ay, bub or grubby, I say.”
“Lots of gatter,”[280] quo’ she, “are flowing,
Tol lol, &c.,
Lend me a lift in the family way.[281]
“Lots of gatter,” quo’ she, “are flowing,
Lend me a lift in the family way.
You may have a crib[282] to stow in,
Tol lol, &c.,
Welcome, my pal,[283] as the flowers in May.”
“You may have a crib to stow in,
Welcome, my pal, as the flowers in May.”
To her ken at once I go in,
Tol lol, &c.,
Where in a corner out of the way;
To her ken at once I go in,
Where in a corner out of the way,
With his smeller[284] a trumpet blowing,
Tol lol, &c.,
A regular swell cove[285] lushy[286] lay.
With his smeller a trumpet blowing,
A regular swell cove lushy lay.
To his clies[287] my hooks[288] I throw in,
Tol lol, &c.,
And collar his dragons[289] clear away.
To his clies my hooks I throw in,
And collar his dragons clear away.
Then his ticker[290] I set a-going,
Tol lol, &c.,
And his onions,[291] chain and key.
Then his ticker I set a-going,
With his onions, chain and key;
Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing,
Tol lol, &c.,
And his ginger head topper gay.
Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing,
And his ginger head topper gay.
Then his other toggery[292] stowing,
Tol lol, &c.,
All with the swag[293] I sneak away.
Then his other toggery stowing,
All with the swag I sneak away.
Tramp it, tramp it, my jolly blowen,
Tol lol, &c.,
Or be grabbed[294] by the beaks[295] we may.
Tramp it, tramp it, my jolly blowen,
Or be grabbed by the beaks we may.
And we shall caper a-heel-and-toeing,
Tol lol, &c.,
A Newgate hornpipe some fine day.
And we shall caper a-heel-and-toeing,
A Newgate hornpipe some fine day,
With the mots[296] their ogles[297] throwing,
Tol lol, &c.,
And old Cotton[298] humming his pray.[299]
With the mots their ogles throwing,
And old Cotton humming his pray,
And the fogle-hunters[300] doing,
Tol lol, &c.,
Their morning fake[301] in the prigging lay.
[272] Ken, _shop_, _house_.
[273] Prigging lay, _thieving business_.
[274] Blowen, _girl_, _strumpet_, _sweetheart_.
[275] Fly (contraction of flash), _awake_, _up to_, _practised in_.
[276] Time o’ day, _knowledge of business_, _thieving_
[277] Pattered in flash, _spoke in slang_.
[278] Covey, _man_.
[279] Bub and grub, _drink and food_.
[280] Gatter, _porter_.
[281] Family, _the thieves in general_; the family way, _the thieving
line_.
[282] Crib, _bed_.
[283] Pal, _friend_, _companion_, _paramour_.
[284] Smeller, _nose_.
[285] Swell cove, _gentleman_, _dandy_.
[286] Lushy, _drunk_.
[287] Clies, _pockets_.
[288] Hooks, _fingers_.
[289] Collar his dragons, _take his sovereigns_.
[290] Ticker, _watch_.
[291] Onions, _seals_.
[292] Toggery, _clothes_.
[293] Swag, _plunder_.
[294] Grabbed, _taken_.
[295] Beaks, _police officers_.
[296] Mots, _girls_.
[297] Ogles, _eyes_.
[298] Old Cotton, _the ordinary of Newgate_.
[299] Humming his pray, _saying prayers_.
[300] Fogle-hunters, _pickpockets_.
[301] Morning fake, _morning thieving_.