Musa Pedestris - Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536 - 1896] Part 2

A gage of ben Rom-bouse,[1]

In a bousing-ken of Rom-vile[2]

_Tearcat_. Is benar than a Caster,[3]

Peck, pennam, lap, or popler,[4]

Which we mill in deuse a vile.[5]

_Moll_. Oh, I wud lib all the lightmans,[6]

Oh, I woud lib all the darkemans,[7]

By the Salomon, under the Ruffemans[8]

By the Salomon in the Hartmans[9]

_Tearcat_. And scoure the queer cramp ring[10]

And couch till a palliard dock'd my dell,[11]

So my bousy nab might skew rome bouse well[12]

Avast to the pad, let us bing;[13]

Avast to the pad, let us bing.

[1 A pot of strong ale (or wine)]

[2 London ale-house]

[3 better than a cloak]

[4 meat, bread, drink, or porridge]

[5 steal on the country-side.]

[6 lie all day]

[7 night]

[8 By the ma.s.s! in the woods]

[9 stocks]

[10 in fetters]

[11 Notes]

[12 addle-pate may swill strong drink]

[13 Let us be off on the road.]

"BING OUT, BIEN MORTS" [Notes]

[1612]

[From _O per se O_, by THOMAS DEKKER].

Bing out, bien Morts, and toure, and toure,[1]

bing out, bien Morts, and toure;[2]

For all your Duds are bingd awaste,[3]

the bien coue hath the loure.[4]

I

I met a Dell, I viewde her well,[5]

she was bens.h.i.+p to my watch; [6]

So she and I, did stall and cloy,[7]

whateuer we could catch. [8]

II

This Doxie dell, can cut bien whids, [9]

and wap well for a win; [10]

And prig and cloy so bens.h.i.+ply, [11]

all the dewsea-vile within. [12]

III

The boyle was vp, wee had good lucke,[13]

in frost, for and in snow;[14]

When they did seeke, then we did creepe,[15]

and plant in ruffe-mans low.[16]

IV

To Stawling Kenne the Mort bings then,[17]

to fetch loure for her cheates;[18]

Duds and Ruff-pecke, ruinboild by Harmanbecke,[19]

and won by Mawnder's feates.[20]

V

You Mawnders all, stow what you stall,[21]

to Rome coues watch so quire;[22]

And wapping Dell that niggles well,[23]

and takes loure for her hire.[24]

VI

And Jvbe well Ierkt, tick rome-comf.e.c.k,[25]

for backe by glimmar to mawnd,[26]

To mill each Ken, let coue bing then,[27]

through ruffemans, lague or launde.[28]

VII

Till Cramprings quier, tip Coue his hire,[29]

and quier-kens doe them catch;[30]

A canniken, mill quier cuffen,[31]

so quier to ben coue's watch.[32]

VIII

Bein darkmans then, bouse, mort, and ken [33]