You Cadgers all, both great and small,
Attend to vat I say, Sirs,
All prigging stow, or you vill go
Where I com’d from to day, Sirs.
As down the Strand, a Gent so grand,
Was strutting, mighty fine, Sirs,
His hankercher hung out so fur,
I really thought ’twas mine, Sirs.
Tol de rol, &c.
I made a grab—he did me nab,
To quod I quick vas taken;
The magistrate he sat in state:
I trembl’d for my bacon.
Evidence o’er—oh vhat a bore!—
His eyes on me he fix’d on;
Says he to me, “Go, have a spree
At the Treading Mill at Brixton.”
Tol de rol, &c.
Vhen I reach’d there, a surly bear,
The steps he bid me mount, Sirs—
From Dirty Dick, up to the kick,
Ve’d a swelling black legg’d Count, Sirs.
Both high and low, they have a go:
Oh! ’tis a decent pill, Sirs.
They step avay, and cry all day,
“The devil take the Mill, Sirs.”
Tol de rol, &c.

Then varning take, and keep avake,
For Traps are not asleep, Sirs;
They prowl about, to find us out,
Like volves do after sheep, Sirs.
My life I’ll change—don’t think it strange,
I’ll vork, that’s vat I vill, Sirs,
Both night and day, to keep away
From the curs’d Treading Mill, Sirs,
Tol de rol, &c.

In the Adelphi version of “Tom & Jerry,” there is as follow:—

Black Slums in the Holy Land.

Mr. J. Does any gemmen understand these here Tread Mills, that have lately got such a footing?

Jack. Silence! Gemmen: I’m a-going to make a hobservation, Mr. Jenkins means them there Mills as makes you vork vether there’s any vork or no—I can only say this here, gemmen, if them there Mills are encouraged, it von’t be vorth no body’s vile to exercise vone’s calling—because, vy, von may as vell go and vork for vone’s living at once—but the subject von’t bear not no thinking on.

Omnes. Not by no means. (General groans).

Billy Waters. Oh, curse a de Tread Mill, me no like a de “here we go up, up, up,” and “down you go down, down, down,”—an’ if you no work, a great big lump of wood come and knock you down so—(Strikes beggar on head with his fiddle, who falls down). Poor fellow, him werry sorry.