The Bunter’s Christening. [Notes]
[By GEORGE PARKER in Life’s Painter of Variegated
Characters].
I
Bess Tatter, of Hedge-lane,
To ragman Joey’s joy,
The cull with whom she snooz’d [1]
Brought forth a chopping boy:
Which was, as one might say,
The moral of his dad, sir;
And at the christ’ning oft,
A merry bout they had, sir.
II
For, when ’twas four weeks old,
Long Ned, and dust-cart Chloe,
To give the kid a name,
Invited were by Joey;
With whom came muzzy Tom, [2]
And sneaking Snip, the boozer, [3]
Bag-picking, blear-ey’d Ciss,
And squinting Jack, the bruiser. [4]
III
Likewise came bullying Sam,
With cat’s-and-dog’s-meat Nelly,
Young Smut, the chimney-sweep,
And smiling snick-snack Willy;
Peg Swig and Jenny Gog,
The brims, with birdlime fingers, [5]
Brought warbling, seedy Dick,
The prince of ballad-singers.
IV
The guests now being met,
The first thing that was done, sir,
Was handling round the kid,
That all might smack his muns, sir; [6]
A flash of lightning next, [7]
Bess tipt each cull and frow, sir, [8]
Ere they to church did pad, [9]
To have it christen’d Joe, sir.
V
Away they then did trudge;
But such a queer procession,
Of seedy brims and kids,
Is far beyond expression.
The christ’ning being o’er,
They back again soon pik’t it, [10]
To have a dish of lap, [11]
Prepar’d for those who lik’t it.
VI
Bung all come back once more
They slobber’d little Joey; [12]
Then, with some civil jaw, [13]
Part squatted, to drink bohea,
And part swig’d barley swipes, [14]
As short-cut they were smoaking, [15]
While some their patter flash’d [16]
In gallows fun and joking. [17]
VII
For supper, Joey stood,
To treat these curious cronies;
A bullock’s melt, hog’s maw
Sheep’s heads, and stale polonies:
And then they swill’d gin-hot,
Until blind drunk as Chloe,
At twelve, all bundled from
The christ’ning of young Joey.
[1: man] [2: muddled] [3: drunkard] [4: pugilist] [5: harlots; thievish] [6: kiss him] [7: drop of gin] [8: gave; man; woman] [9: walk] [10: went] [11: tea] [12: kissed] [13: words] [14: drank beer] [15: tobacco] [16: talked] [17: screaming]