THE BALLAD OF "BEAU BROCADE." SEV "Hark! I hear the sound of coaches!" BEGGAR'S OPERA. EVENTEEN hundred and thirty-nine :- First great GEORGE was buried and gone; LONDON then, as the "Guides " aver, Shared its glories with Westminster ; And people of rank, to correct their "tone," Those were the days of the War with Spain, WHITEFIELD preached to the colliers grim, WALPOLE talked of "" a man and his price "; Those, in fine, were the brave days when And of all the knights of the gentle trade This they knew on the whole way down; (For timorous cits on their pilgrimage Would "club" for a "Guard" to ride the stage; And the Guard that rode on more than one Open we here on a March-day fine, There was Barber DICK with his basin by ; Portly product of Beef and Beer, JOHN the host, he was standing near. Straining and creaking, with wheels awry, Lumbering up from Bagshot Heath, Passengers heavily armed inside; Not the less surely the coach had been tried! Tried !-but a couple of miles away, By a well-dressed man !-in the open day! Tried successfully, never a doubt,— Cloak-bags rifled, and cushions ripped,- Even a Methodist hosier's wife Offered the choice of her Money or Life! Highwayman's manners no less polite, Hoped that their coppers (returned) were right ;— Sorry to find the company poor, Hoped next time they 'd travel with more ;— Plucked them all at his ease, in short: Such was the "Plymouth Fly's" report. Sympathy! horror! and wonderment ! Hosier's wife led into the Bar; (That's where the best strong waters are !) Followed the tale of the hundred-and-one Ensign (of BRAGG's) made a terrible clangour: Robber, of course, was "BEAU BROCADE"; Devonshire DOLLY, plump and red, Spoke it out boldly, staring hard : : "Why didn't you shoot then, GEORGE the Guard ?" Spoke it out bolder, seeing him mute : "GEORGE the Guard, why did n't you shoot?" Portly JOHN grew pale and red, (JOHN was afraid of her, people said ;) Gasped that "DOLLY was surely cracked," (JOHN was afraid of her-that's a fact !) GEORGE the Guard grew red and pale, "Shoot? Why-Rabbit him !-did n't he shoot?" Muttered-" The Baggage was far too 'cute!" "Shoot? Why he 'd flashed the pan in his eye!" Nor could a further reply be made, For GEORGE was in league with "BEAU BROCADE"! And JOHN the Host, in his wakefullest state, Was not-on the whole-immaculate. But nobody's virtue was over-nice When WALPOLE talked of "a man and his price"; And wherever Purity found abode, 'Twas certainly not on a posting road. II. "Forty" followed to "Thirty-nine." Glorious days of the Hanover line ! |