 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
ROBIN REDBREAST,
OR THE DOLEFUL LEGEND OF THE BLOODY BREAST.
Now I'll tell you a story of Robin,
And how he got blood on his breast;
Why his voice has a tremor and sob in,
And his life is a life of unrest.
And how he got blood on his breast;
Why his voice has a tremor and sob in,
And his life is a life of unrest.
He was once a most exquisite gallant,
And was known by the bravest of names;
Who possessed a particular talent,
For paying attentions to dames.
And was known by the bravest of names;
Who possessed a particular talent,
For paying attentions to dames.
He lavished the brightest of glances,
With sweetmeats and all that is nice;
And after voluptuous dances,
He always remembered the ice.
With sweetmeats and all that is nice;
And after voluptuous dances,
He always remembered the ice.
Champagne he would offer by dozens,
To all who were fond of the fiz;
And his sisters and beautiful cousins,
He was never so base as to quiz.
To all who were fond of the fiz;
And his sisters and beautiful cousins,
He was never so base as to quiz.
Yes, he was such a dear little man, Oh!
And he sang them the properest songs;
He performed on the harp and piano,
And adapted to music their wrongs.
And he sang them the properest songs;
He performed on the harp and piano,
And adapted to music their wrongs.
So they loved him, and where is the wonder?
All the ladies were madly in love;
For he never committed a blunder,
In returning a glance or a glove:
All the ladies were madly in love;
For he never committed a blunder,
In returning a glance or a glove:
Ah, the havoc he worked with deportment,
At the balls, in the street, on the stairs;
For he had such a dainty assortment,
Of postures and paces and airs.
At the balls, in the street, on the stairs;
For he had such a dainty assortment,
Of postures and paces and airs.
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But the worst of the mischief is coming,
The misfortune that led to his fall;
In spite of his harping and humming,
He could not be married to all.
The misfortune that led to his fall;
In spite of his harping and humming,
He could not be married to all.
Though he handed their chairs to the table,
And did just the service he should;
Like the excellent youth in the fable,
Who was always so steady and good.
And did just the service he should;
Like the excellent youth in the fable,
Who was always so steady and good.
Though he humoured the ladies with scandal,
And bowed them so brightly to bed,
That they scarcely had need of a candle,
Such a radiance around him he shed!
And bowed them so brightly to bed,
That they scarcely had need of a candle,
Such a radiance around him he shed!
Though he said the right thing in a moment,
And did the right thing as he ought;
Though he knew what a feminine No meant,
And when his affections were sought.
And did the right thing as he ought;
Though he knew what a feminine No meant,
And when his affections were sought.
Though he bore no repute as a sinner,
And his manners were polished and gay;
Though he always came sober to dinner,
And never went tipsy away.
And his manners were polished and gay;
Though he always came sober to dinner,
And never went tipsy away.
Yet in spite of his charming addresses,
His elegant airs and his drawl;
In spite of ten thousand successes,
He could not be married to all.
His elegant airs and his drawl;
In spite of ten thousand successes,
He could not be married to all.
So at length, all the ladies of fashion,
The ladies of blood and of birth,
Agreed to debate on their passion—
On Robin, his ways and his worth.
The ladies of blood and of birth,
Agreed to debate on their passion—
On Robin, his ways and his worth.
At the house of a thorough-bred lady,
That seemed made of sunshine and air;
Though her fame, as they whispered, was shady;
They met in a tournament fair.
That seemed made of sunshine and air;
Though her fame, as they whispered, was shady;
They met in a tournament fair.
There was many a beauty of title,
Who joined in the tilting of love;
Who felt that the question was vital,
For her happiness here and above.
Who joined in the tilting of love;
Who felt that the question was vital,
For her happiness here and above.
And in short it was settled discreetly,
With tears and with amorous strife;
That she should be Robin's completely,
Who was taken by lot for his wife.
With tears and with amorous strife;
That she should be Robin's completely,
Who was taken by lot for his wife.
Then Robin was told their proceeding.
And he bowed with the lowest of bows;
And he smiled with such perfect good breeding,
That they saw not the cloud on his brows.
And he bowed with the lowest of bows;
And he smiled with such perfect good breeding,
That they saw not the cloud on his brows.
530
Then he handed them all to the table,
And helped them to ice and champagne;
His step was so buoyant and stable,
That none had the thought to complain.
And helped them to ice and champagne;
His step was so buoyant and stable,
That none had the thought to complain.
But now they had come to the Drawing,
Which was held in decorum and state;
And with wonderful hemming and hawing,
They drew for poor Robin his mate.
Which was held in decorum and state;
And with wonderful hemming and hawing,
They drew for poor Robin his mate.
Her name I can tell you was Jenny,
She was sprightly and tiny and trim;
But she had not the worth of a penny
And she vented her temper on him.
She was sprightly and tiny and trim;
But she had not the worth of a penny
And she vented her temper on him.
For, alas, she was artful and jealous,
She followed wherever he went;
Though his homage was constant and zealous,
Yet he never could make her content.
She followed wherever he went;
Though his homage was constant and zealous,
Yet he never could make her content.
He tried a cocked hat like a beadle's,
He tried her with all that he knew;
But she pinched him and pricked him with needles,
And twisted his necktie askew.
He tried her with all that he knew;
But she pinched him and pricked him with needles,
And twisted his necktie askew.
He tried her with singing and dances,
He tried her with stories and scents;
But she cared not a fig for romances,
And tore all his wristbands in rents.
He tried her with stories and scents;
But she cared not a fig for romances,
And tore all his wristbands in rents.
He tried her with billing and cooing,
He tried her with ice and champagne;
He tried her with sugar and wooing,
But all his devotion was vain.
He tried her with ice and champagne;
He tried her with sugar and wooing,
But all his devotion was vain.
And she plagued him so much with her odd kin,
While she never gave Robin a rest;
Then he stabbed her to death with her bodkin,
And she fell as a corpse on his breast.
While she never gave Robin a rest;
Then he stabbed her to death with her bodkin,
And she fell as a corpse on his breast.
But she spoke—and her voice had a sob in—
Before she surrendered her breath;
“My life-blood for ever, O Robin,
Shall accuse you of causing my death.”
Before she surrendered her breath;
“My life-blood for ever, O Robin,
Shall accuse you of causing my death.”
By a process well-known to the sages,
He was slowly transformed to a bird;
Grew a bill in a couple of ages,
And some practical claws in a third.
He was slowly transformed to a bird;
Grew a bill in a couple of ages,
And some practical claws in a third.
His coat was turned drab, from the murther,
And where his poor Jenny had bled;
There Nature to punish him further,
Developed a waistcoat of red.
And where his poor Jenny had bled;
There Nature to punish him further,
Developed a waistcoat of red.
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For this is the sages' solution,—
Could a better one too be desired?—
He was changed, by a calm evolution,
Though ages of course were required.
Could a better one too be desired?—
He was changed, by a calm evolution,
Though ages of course were required.
The grandest result of our Science,
Has taught us that nothing is strange;
That time, with a tender compliance,
Will account for all possible change.
Has taught us that nothing is strange;
That time, with a tender compliance,
Will account for all possible change.
So we'll hope that in right of probation,
And in spite of his terrible ban;
Through a course of judicious migration,
The bird may return to a man.
And in spite of his terrible ban;
Through a course of judicious migration,
The bird may return to a man.
But now in the winter poor Robin,
When the gardens are frozen and hoar,
Must pipe—and his voice has a sob in—
His plaintive despair at our door.
When the gardens are frozen and hoar,
Must pipe—and his voice has a sob in—
His plaintive despair at our door.
He will sometimes peep in at the window,
When fretted with flowers of frost;
And we say to him, “Robin, come in, do!”
But he looks quite bewildered and lost.
When fretted with flowers of frost;
And we say to him, “Robin, come in, do!”
But he looks quite bewildered and lost.
With his jacket of drab like a Quaker,
And his criminal waistcoat of red,
He follows the track of the baker,
And gathers the crumbs that are shed.
And his criminal waistcoat of red,
He follows the track of the baker,
And gathers the crumbs that are shed.
Poor Robin! we feel he is human,
In spite of his feathers and look;
For he shows such a wondrous acumen,
In courting the love of the cook.
In spite of his feathers and look;
For he shows such a wondrous acumen,
In courting the love of the cook.
He is fond of the clergyman's daughters,
Who cater so well for his good;
He is fond of the babble of waters,
That steal through the leaves of a wood.
Who cater so well for his good;
He is fond of the babble of waters,
That steal through the leaves of a wood.
His voice is as sweet as a brooklet's,
That sings in the sunshine of June;
And he'll gossip all day, if the cook lets
Him freshen his throat for a tune.
That sings in the sunshine of June;
And he'll gossip all day, if the cook lets
Him freshen his throat for a tune.
The gardener himself, with a dead breast
To feelings of pity for birds,
Would not think of destroying a Redbreast,
Or of giving him scurrilous words.
To feelings of pity for birds,
Would not think of destroying a Redbreast,
Or of giving him scurrilous words.
The horse does not mind his advances,
And will let him alight as he jogs;
He has nothing to fear from the fancies,
Of any respectable dogs.
And will let him alight as he jogs;
He has nothing to fear from the fancies,
Of any respectable dogs.
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In the lapses of time he gets bolder,
If tempted with tid-bits of bread;
And he'll perch for a while on your shoulder,
Or settle perhaps on the head.
If tempted with tid-bits of bread;
And he'll perch for a while on your shoulder,
Or settle perhaps on the head.
He is known to fly in at the window,
And to lead all the household a dance;
But he forfeits his caste like a Hindoo,
If he falls down the chimney by chance.
And to lead all the household a dance;
But he forfeits his caste like a Hindoo,
If he falls down the chimney by chance.
His notes that we love are not many,
Though a pretty performer is Rob;
But you hear them begin with a Jenny,
And end with a tremulous sob.
Though a pretty performer is Rob;
But you hear them begin with a Jenny,
And end with a tremulous sob.
For the murther his quiet embitters,
And he broods on it early and late;
While he cocks up his tail as he twitters,
Bewailing his wife and his fate.
And he broods on it early and late;
While he cocks up his tail as he twitters,
Bewailing his wife and his fate.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |