The Maunder’s Praise of His Strowling Mort [Notes]
[From The Triumph of Wit, by J. SHIRLEY: “the King of the Gypsies’s Song, made upon his Beloved Doxy, or Mistress;” also in New Canting Diet. (1725)].
I
Doxy, oh! thy glaziers shine [1]
As glimmar; by the Salomon! [2]
No gentry mort hath prats like thine, [3]
No cove e’er wap’d with such a one. [4]
II
White thy fambles, red thy gan, [5]
And thy quarrons dainty is; [6]
Couch a hogshead with me then, [7]
And in the darkmans clip and kiss. [8]
III
What though I no togeman wear, [9]
Nor commission, mish, or slate; [10]
Store of strammel we’ll have here, [11]
And ith’ skipper lib in state. [12]
IV
Wapping thou I know does love, [13]
Else the ruffin cly the mort; [14]
From thy stampers then remove, [15]
Thy drawers, and let’s prig in sport. [16]
V
When the lightman up does call, [17]
Margery prater from her nest, [18]
And her Cackling cheats withal, [19]
In a boozing ken we’ll feast. [20]
VI
There if lour we want; I’ll mill [21]
A gage, or nip for thee a bung; [22]
Rum booze thou shalt booze thy fill, [23]
And crash a grunting cheat that’s young. [24]
[1 mistress; eyes] [2 fire; mass] [3 lady; [Notes]] [4 [Notes]] [5 hand; mouth] [6 body] [7 sleep] [8 night; [Notes]] [9 cloak] [10 shirt or sheet] [11 straw] [12 in the barn; lie] [13 Notes] [14 the devil take the woman otherwise] [15 feet] [16 stockings; revel] [17 daylight] [18 hen] [19 chickens] [20 ale-house] [21 Money; steal] [22 pot; steal a purse] [23 wine; drink] [24 eat; pig]