THE BALLAD OF "BEAU BROCADE."

SEV

"Hark! I hear the sound of coaches!"

BEGGAR'S OPERA.

EVENTEEN hundred and thirty-nine :-
That was the date of this tale of mine.

First great GEORGE was buried and gone;
GEORGE the Second was plodding on.

LONDON then, as the "Guides "

aver,

Shared its glories with Westminster ;

And people of rank, to correct their "tone,"
Went out of town to Marybone.

Those were the days of the War with Spain,
PORTO-BELLO would soon be ta'en;

WHITEFIELD preached to the colliers grim,
Bishops in lawn sleeves preached at him;

WALPOLE talked of "" a man and his price ";
Nobody's virtue was over-nice :-

Those, in fine, were the brave days when
Coaches were stopped by... Highwaymen !

And of all the knights of the gentle trade
Nobody bolder than "BEAU BROCADE."

This they knew on the whole way down;
Best,-maybe,-at the "Oak and Crown."

(For timorous cits on their pilgrimage Would "club" for a "Guard" to ride the stage;

And the Guard that rode on more than one
Was the Host of this hostel's sister's son.)

Open we here on a March-day fine,
Under the oak with the hanging sign.

There was Barber DICK with his basin by ;
Cobbler JOE with the patch on his eye;

Portly product of Beef and Beer,

JOHN the host, he was standing near.

Straining and creaking, with wheels awry,
Lumbering came the " Plymouth Fly" ;—

Lumbering up from Bagshot Heath,
Guard in the basket armed to the teeth;

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,—
Pockets of passengers all turned out!

Cloak-bags rifled, and cushions ripped,-
Even an Ensign's wallet stripped!

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 !
"Catch the Villain !" (But Nobody went.)

Hosier's wife led into the Bar;

(That's where the best strong waters are !)

Followed the tale of the hundred-and-one
Things that Somebody ought to have done.

Ensign (of BRAGG's) made a terrible clangour:
But for the Ladies had drawn his hanger!

Robber, of course, was "BEAU BROCADE";
Out-spoke DOLLY the Chambermaid.

Devonshire DOLLY, plump and red,
Spoke from the gallery overhead ;-

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,
Slowly finished his quart of ale :-

"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!"
Muttered-"She'd pay for it by and by!"
Further than this made no reply.

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 !