Fifty B̀ab ́ballads: Much Sound and Little Sense

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George Routledge, 1893 - Ballads, English - 317 pages
Selectie 'Bab' ballads. De verzen zijn eerder gepubliceerd in 'Fun'. De auteur (bekend van de vele opera's die hij samen met Sullivan schreef) heeft de zijns inziens meest geslaagde verzen uitgekozen voor deze bundel.

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Page 54 - Come here,' says he, with a proper pride, Which his smiling features tell, ' 'Twill soothing be if I let you see How extremely nice you'll smell.' "And he stirred it round and round and round, And he sniffed at the foaming froth; When I ups with his heels, and smothers his squeals In the scum of the boiling broth.
Page 49 - NANCY BELL.'* 'TWAS on the shores that round our coast From Deal to Rarasgate span, That I found alone on a piece of stone An elderly naval man. His hair was weedy, his beard was long, And weedy and long was he, And I heard this wight on the shore recite, In a singular minor key : " Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy brig, And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig.
Page 124 - I declare, Elicited something resembling an air. It was wild — it was fitful — as wild as the breeze — It wandered about into several keys; It was jerky, spasmodic, and harsh, I'm aware, But still it distinctly suggested an air. The Sassenach screamed, and the Sassenach danced, He shrieked in his agony — bellowed and pranced; And the maidens who gathered rejoiced at the scene, Especially ELLEN M'JONES ABERDEEN. "Hech gather, hech gather, hech gather around; And fill a' yer lugs wi
Page 139 - For shame," said Father Paul, "my erring daughter! On my word This is the most distressing news that I have ever heard. Why, naughty girl, your excellent papa has pledged your hand To a promising young robber, the lieutenant of his band! "This dreadful piece of news will pain your worthy parents so! They are the most remunerative customers I know; For many many years they've kept starvation from my doors, I never knew so criminal a family as yours!
Page 137 - Oh, holy father," Alice said, " 'twould grieve you, would it not? To discover that I was a most disreputable lot! Of all unhappy sinners, I'm the most unhappy one!
Page 126 - take on" in this serious way, He pitied the poor little fluttering birds, And solaced their souls with the following words: — "Oh, maidens...
Page 54 - When I ups with his heels, and smothers his squeals In the scum of the boiling broth. " And I eat that cook in a week or less, And — as I eating be The last of his chops, why, I almost drops, For a wessel in sight I see ! "And I never larf, and I never smile, And I never lark nor play, But...
Page 121 - M'CLAN. No other could wake such detestable groans, With reed and with chaunter — with bag and with drones: All day and all night he delighted the chiels With sniggering pibrochs and jiggety reels. He'd clamber a mountain and squat on the ground, And the...
Page 133 - TO THE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE BY A MISERABLE WRETCH ROLL on, .thou ball, roll on! Through pathless realms of Space Roll on! What though I'm in a sorry case? What though I cannot meet my bills? What though I suffer toothache's ills?
Page 138 - You mustn't judge yourself too heavily, my dear : It's wrong to murder babies, little corals for to fleece ; But sins like these one expiates at half-a-crown apiece. "Girls will be girls — you're very young, and flighty in your mind; Old heads upon young shoulders we must not expect to find ; We mustn't be too hard upon these little girlish tricks — Let's see — five crimes at half-a-crown — exactly twelve-and-six.

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