50 bab ballads(50篇巴布歌谣)-第5章
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moistened eye … No bill of costs could represent The value of such
sympathy。
No charges can approximate The worth of sympathy with woe; Although
I think I ought to state He did his best to make them so。
Of all the many clients who Had mustered round his legal flag; No
single client of the crew Was half so dear as CAPTAIN BAGG。
Now; CAPTAIN BAGG had bowed him to A heavy matrimonial yoke
… His wifey had of faults a few … She never could resist a joke。
Her chaff at first he meekly bore; Till unendurable it grew。 〃To stop
this persecution sore I will consult my friend CAREW。
〃And when CAREW'S advice I've got; Divorce A MENSA I shall try。〃
(A legal separation … not A VINCULO CONJUGII。)
〃Oh; BAINES CAREW; my woe I've kept A secret hitherto; you
know;〃 … (And BAINES CAREW; ESQUIRE; he wept To hear that BAGG
HAD any woe。)
〃My case; indeed; is passing sad。 My wife … whom I considered true With
brutal conduct drives me mad。〃 〃I am appalled;〃 said BAINES
CAREW。
〃What! sound the matrimonial knell Of worthy people such as these!
Why was I an attorney? Well … Go on to the SAEVITIA; please。〃
〃Domestic bliss has proved my bane; … A harder case you never heard;
My wife (in other matters sane) Pretends that I'm a Dicky bird!
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
〃Oh; dear;〃 said weeping BAINES CAREW; 〃This is the direst case I
know。〃 〃I'm grieved;〃 said BAGG; 〃at paining you … 〃To COBB and
POLTHERTHWAITE I'll go
〃To COBB'S cold; calculating ear; My gruesome sorrows I'll impart〃 〃
No; stop;〃 said BAINES; 〃I'll dry my tear; And steel my sympathetic
heart。〃
〃She makes me perch upon a tree; Rewarding me with 'Sweety … nice!'
And threatens to exhibit me With four or five performing mice。〃
〃Restrain my tears I wish I could〃 (Said BAINES); 〃I don't know what
to do。〃 Said CAPTAIN BAGG; 〃You're very good。〃 〃Oh; not at all;〃 said
BAINES CAREW。
〃She makes me fire a gun;〃 said BAGG; 〃And; at a preconcerted word;
Climb up a ladder with a flag; Like any street performing bird。
〃She places sugar in my way … In public places calls me 'Sweet!' She
gives me groundsel every day; And hard canary…seed to eat。〃
〃Oh; woe! oh; sad! oh; dire to tell!〃 (Said BAINES)。 〃Be good enough
to stop。〃 And senseless on the floor he fell; With unpremeditated flop!
Said CAPTAIN BAGG; 〃Well; really I Am grieved to think it pains
you so。 I thank you for your sympathy; But; hang it! … come … I say; you
know!〃
But BAINES lay flat upon the floor; Convulsed with sympathetic sob;
…The Captain toddled off next door; And gave the case to MR。 COBB。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
S
WINTERBOTTOM HANCE。
IN all the towns and cities fair On Merry England's broad expanse; No
swordsman ever could compare With THOMAS WINTERBOTTOM
HANCE。
The dauntless lad could fairly hew A silken handkerchief in twain;
Divide a leg of mutton too … And this without unwholesome strain。
On whole half…sheep; with cunning trick; His sabre sometimes he'd
employ … No bar of lead; however thick; Had terrors for the stalwart boy。
At Dover daily he'd prepare To hew and slash; behind; before … Which
aggravated MONSIEUR PIERRE; Who watched him from the Calais
shore。
It caused good PIERRE to swear and dance; The sight annoyed and
vexed him so; He was the bravest man in France … He said so; and he
ought to know。
〃Regardez donc; ce cochon gros … Ce polisson! Oh; sacre bleu! Son
sabre; son plomb; et ses gigots Comme cela m'ennuye; enfin; mon Dieu!
〃Il sait que les foulards de soie Give no retaliating whack … Les gigots
morts n'ont pas de quoi … Le plomb don't ever hit you back。〃
But every day the headstrong lad Cut lead and mutton more and more;
And every day poor PIERRE; half mad; Shrieked loud defiance from his
shore。
HANCE had a mother; poor and old; A simple; harmless village dame;
Who crowed and clapped as people told Of WINTERBOTTOM'S rising
fame。
She said; 〃I'll be upon the spot To see my TOMMY'S sabre…play;〃 And
so she left her leafy cot; And walked to Dover in a day。
PIERRE had a doating mother; who Had heard of his defiant rage; HIS
Ma was nearly ninety…two; And rather dressy for her age。
At HANCE'S doings every morn; With sheer delight HIS mother cried;
And MONSIEUR PIERRE'S contemptuous scorn Filled HIS mamma with
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
But HANCE'S powers began to fail … His constitution was not strong And
PIERRE; who once was stout and hale; Grew thin from shouting all
day long。
Their mothers saw them pale and wan; Maternal anguish tore each
breast; And so they met to find a plan To set their offsprings' minds at rest。
Said MRS。 HANCE; 〃Of course I shrinks From bloodshed; ma'am; as
you're aware; But still they'd better meet; I thinks。〃 〃Assurement!〃 said
MADAME PIERRE。
A sunny spot in sunny France Was hit upon for this affair; The ground
was picked by MRS。 HANCE; The stakes were pitched by MADAME
PIERRE。
Said MRS。 H。; 〃Your work you see … Go in; my noble boy; and win。〃
〃En garde; mon fils!〃 said MADAME P。 〃Allons!〃 〃Go on!〃 〃En garde!〃
〃Begin!〃
(The mothers were of decent size; Though not particularly tall; But in
the sketch that meets your eyes I've been obliged to draw them small。)
Loud sneered the doughty man of France; 〃Ho! ho! Ho! ho! Ha! ha!
Ha! ha! 〃The French for 'Pish'〃 said THOMAS HANCE。 Said PIERRE;
〃L'Anglais; Monsieur; pour 'Bah。'〃
Said MRS。 H。; 〃Come; one! two! three! … We're sittin' here to see all
fair。〃 〃C'est magnifique!〃 said MADAME P。; 〃Mais; parbleu! ce n'est pas
la guerre!〃
〃Je scorn un foe si lache que vous;〃 Said PIERRE; the doughty son of
France。 〃I fight not coward foe like you!〃 Said our undaunted TOMMY
HANCE。
〃The French for 'Pooh!'〃 our TOMMY cried。 〃L'Anglais pour 'Va!'〃 the
Frenchman crowed。 And so; with undiminished pride; Each went on his
respective road。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
D
SUGAR BROKER。
A GENTLEMAN of City fame Now claims your kind attention; East
India broking was his game; His name I shall not mention: No one of
finely…pointed sense Would violate a confidence; And shall I go And do it?
No! His name I shall not mention。
He had a trusty wife and true; And very cosy quarters; A manager; a
boy or two; Six clerks; and seven porters。 A broker must be doing well (As
any lunatic can tell) Who can employ An active boy; Six clerks; and seven
porters。
His knocker advertised no dun; No losses made him sulky; He had one
sorrow … only one … He was extremely bulky。 A man must be; I beg to state;
Exceptionally fortunate Who owns his chief And only grief Is … being very
bulky。
〃This load;〃 he'd say; 〃I cannot bear; I'm nineteen stone or twenty!
Henceforward I'll go in for air And exercise in plenty。〃 Most people think
that; should it come; They can reduce a bulging tum To measures fair By
taking air And exercise in plenty。
In every weather; every day; Dry; muddy; wet; or gritty; He took to
dancing all the way From Brompton to the City。 You do not often get the
chance Of seeing sugar brokers dance From their abode In Fulham Road
Through Brompton to the City。
He braved the gay and guileless laugh Of children with their nusses;
The loud uneducated chaff Of clerks on omnibuses。 Against all minor
things that rack A nicely…balanced mind; I'll back The noisy chaff And ill…
bred laugh Of clerks on omnibuses。
His friends; who heard his money chink; And saw the house he rented;
And knew his wife; could never think What made him discontented。 It
never entered their pure minds That fads are of eccentric kinds; Nor would
they own That fat alone Could make one discontented。
〃Your riches know no kind of pause; Your trade is fast advancing; You
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sen