In The Ingoldsby Lyrics, by R. H. Barham, collected and edited by his son, and published by Richard Bentley and Son, London, in 1881, there are several parodies, which were doubtless very amusing when they first appeared, but they are now all out of date, especially those relating to politics.
| Page | 21. | “I am partial to table and tray.”—Cowper. |
| ” | 43. | On the London University. “The University we’ve got in town.” |
| ” | 181. | “Pity the sorrows of a poor old Church.” |
| ” | 108. | The House that Jack built. |
| ” | 117. | Various Nursery Rhymes. |
| ” | 174. | The House that Jack built. |
The last parody, which originally appeared in The Spectator, refers to the Parliamentary enquiry into the causes of the fire that destroyed the Houses of Parliament in 1834. It commences:—
This is the House that Josh burnt,
These are the sticks that heated the bricks,
That set fire to the house that Josh burnt.
The other parody of The House that Jack built refers to an action that was brought in 1825, against Mr. Peto, a builder, for a breach of contract, in consequence of some failure in the foundations of the new Custom House at London Bridge.
This is the House that Jack built.
This is a sleeper that propped up the House that Jack built.