/ · John S. Farmer’s Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes
The High-Pad’s Frolic
The High-Pad’s Frolic
1841
By LEMAN REDE, being Kit’s and Adelgitha’s Duet in Sixteen String Jack.
Ade. Crissy odsbuds, I’ll on with my duds,
1 clothes
And over the water we’ll flare;
Kit. Coaches and prads, lasses and lads,
2 horses
And fiddlers will be there.
Ade. There beauty blushes bright,
Kit. The punch is hot and strong,
Both.And there we’ll whisk it, frisk it, whisk it,
Skip it, and trip it along!
II
Ade. There’s Charley Rattan, and natty Jack Rann,
And giant-like Giles McGhee;
There’s Sidle so slim, and flare-away Tim,
And all of them doat on me.
Kit. Hadelgitha—platonically, Christopher!
Ade. But Charley, and Jack, and Tim,
In vain may exert their wit.
For still I’ll dance it, prance it, dance it,
Flaring away with Kit!
II
Kit. There’s frollicking Kate, and rollicking Bet,
And slammerkin Sall so tall,
And leary-eyed Poll, and blue-eyed Moll—
Blow me, I love them all!
Christopher—platonically, Hadelgitha!
But Winny, not Jenny, nor Sue,
Shall wean this heart from thee—
So thus I’ll trip it, lip it, trip it,
Trip it with Hadelgitha!
IV
Kit. The morning may dawn as sure as you’re born,
Ade. Will find us dancing alone
Kit. I’ll get a hack, be off in a crack,
3 instant
Ade. An elegant Darby and Joan!
How’ll the vulgarians stare
As they see you sportingly!
Both.For none can splash it, dash it, splash it,
Crissy Addy little you and I.
Notes
Leman Rede (1802-47) an author of numerous successful dramatic pieces,
and a contributor to the weekly and monthly journals of the day,
chiefly to the New Monthly and Bentley’s. He was born in
Hamburgh, his father a barrister.
Taken from
Musa Pedestris,
Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes
[1536―1896], collected and annotated by John S. Farmer.
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