IV
Now this brought on a general fight,
Lord, what a gallows row— [11]
With whacks and thumps throughout the night,
till "drunk as David's sow"— [12]
Milling up and down—with cut heads,
and lots of broken ribs, [13]
But the lark being over—they ginned themselves
at jolly Tom Cribb's.
Singing, tol-lol-lol-lido.
[1: woman or harlot] [2: Silk-handkerchief; Notes; paps; went] [3: stole] [4: sweetheart] [5: gaoled; transported] [6: money; pocket] [7: Notes] [8: kissed] [9: fist; straight to the spot] [10: rag-gatherer] [11: great shindy] [12: Notes] [13: fighting]
"THE NIGHT BEFORE LARRY WAS STRETCHED" [Notes] [c; 1816]
I
The night before Larry was stretch'd,
The boys they all paid him a visit;
A bit in their sacks, too, they fetch'd—
They sweated their duds till they riz it; [1]
For Larry was always the lad,
When a friend was condemn'd to the squeezer, [2]
But he'd pawn, all the togs that he had, [3]
Just to help the poor boy to a sneezer, [4]
And moisten his gob 'fore he died.
II
''Pon my conscience, dear Larry', says I,
'I'm sorry to see you in trouble,
And your life's cheerful noggin run dry,
And yourself going off like its bubble!'
'Hould your tongue in that matter,' says he;
'For the neckcloth I don't care a button, [5]
And by this time to-morrow you'll see
Your Larry will be dead as mutton:
All for what? 'Kase his courage was good!'
III
The boys they came crowding in fast;
They drew their stools close round about him,
Six glims round his coffin they placed— [6]
He couldn't be well waked without 'em,
I ax'd if he was fit to die,
Without having duly repented?
Says Larry, 'That's all in my eye,
And all by the clargy invented,
To make a fat bit for themselves.