University of Virginia Library

‘BUTTON CAP’

The thresher he had gen it up
& left the rats & mice to sup
In chimbling luxury oer his corn
In unmolested peace till morn
In short the day wer wittl'd thro
& dames had shut their shutters too
& bangd their doors upon the night
To mimic day wi candle light
& all the village wer at rest
& all its tenants haply blest
As aught in winter coud desire
Warming their shins before the fire
‘Tis comfortable thus to find’
(As in their chimney howld the wind)
‘A humble dwelling oer ones head’
To's wife old thresher robin sed
‘Bless god’ sed joan ‘we had our cares
‘Till him above as heard our prayers’
& stopt her weel to 'turn him thanks
When some one gis the door a spank
& haloos out in wofull plight
‘Mistress bestow a bed to night’
Two trampers they of spatterd forms
That many a mile had bet the storms
When they wi sixpence wer befriended
But they must smoke their pipes & end it
Two brother chips for Oroonoko
Who champt it up as well as smokd too
Who when want pincht as't often did
Woud live thier days upon a quid
‘Poor souls’ sed goody ‘ar’ ye rangers?
(Old women love to question strangers)
From wence may ye a com'd to day
A rare long walk I dare to say
Ha ye No hom from wence ye come
No sed the men ‘we havnt’—‘hum’
‘What may yer names be tom or John’
& so till day shed questiond on
& wound no doubt wen that wer done
A tale as longs the thread she'd spun
Had not rob thrown his fillings in
& stopt wi dissaproving grin
There stood old nick as black as soot
Wi monstrous horns & cloven foot
Dogs cock their tails when they are pleasd
& sweep the ground wi'm when their teazd
Old nicks tail traild the ground at least
As longs three tails o Lincoln beast
He hung his munge most dismally
As doubtful how the case migh[t] be
& pickt his nose & bits thumb nail
So markt the dame that told the tale
O nickey thou wert quite a fool
So longs thoust bin a boy at school
Thy wit that time were 'tirely lost
So much as thou had usd to boast
When ye took adams matey in
& rund old david into sin
& started up wi turkish pride
Wi mad cap nations on yer side
& brought old 'hommid in yer game
To 'xalt yer fall & praise yer name
Ye must a crazd yer sen sin' then
Or ye might made a tool o ben
Had ye but helt him in excuse
A froathing quart o barly juice
& sed here benny tek a sip
(Ye ned not 'xcuse yer devil ship)
Hed card not ' rush for horns or tail
Nor whence ye cem had ye but ale
He'd calld ye brother chip wi pride
& instant joind yer smutty side
‘Aye that I wul wi all my hart
‘& fill me but anuther quart
‘& broach yer cags & yer m brother
‘Old nickys ales as goods anuther’
So ben had sed & kept yer gall
& clasht about the flying ball
& won the game & gin yer porter
Anuther cunjurd soul to torture
But ye stood glo'ring in yer gall
As if Ye lay for ben an' all
Looking as sour as dogs that bite
& often showing venom spite
Wi many unfair tugs & grins
Instead the ball oft kicking shins
This warnt the way to bribe yer game
Ben sed yer meaness told yer name
Who now had gotten out o bed
Whiles mate wi fear lay a most ded
Oer head & Ears the Clo'hs beneath
Who dursnt f---t nor tek his breth
—‘All fair above board’ haloos ben
Tis too to bad nick one to ten
But never mind friend button cap
Thous bin to me a hearty chap
& gen me beer wi beck'ning thump
As free as water from the pump
& for thy service here I stan’
To face old nickys topping man
To box their shins as wells the ball
Ill keep the game thou keep the gall
& if theres ony bothering cavel
Wi that old horrid Cloven d---l
Wis grizld cheeks & stump a-grundy
Like witching chaps at plowing monday
Ill collar him & rap his pegs
‘& mek him lame o both his legs’—
So wi a cautiond shout agen
‘All fair abuv board haloos ben’
So then begun the vengful test
The ball flew up all did his best
Scuffing about in panting pluther
Now this side trembld then the tother
Nick sours a crab stuck in the gall
& drove his imps to kick the ball
Who spites o bennys fair comand
Who cud fly about wi ball i hand
Ben be his courage ere so good
He wer but mortal flesh & blood
He had no wings their flight to follow
He coud but on his matey hollow
Mind mind freend button cap he bawls
Keep up yer eye & watch yer galls
& sure enough old button cap
He provd a watchful wary chap
No imp the d---l ownd wer deeper
He provd an exelent gall keeper
& had (good luck for ben) to 'herit
All power like them of being a spirit
Or else poor ben l---d help thy courage
Thoud been no more then chip i porridge
Thoud bin no more then candle snuffing
Wi all thy kicking & thy cuffing
Theyd won the game—& then pell melling
As safes a button sent thee helling
But button cap kept ope his eyes
& like the swallow a'ter flies
Pickt at the imps that thrust the ball
& at defiance held em all
Now here now there wi vengful sonse
He coud be twenty ways at once
Good boy ben halood mid the strife
A better mate in all my life
I never had—hoy dash away
There thats yer sorts well show em play
His matey never spok a wo'd
But seemly thankt him wi a nod
Just then the ball wi wirling dance
Rolld up to ben ah nows my chance
To hav a kick sed he & plague ye
Nick quakt as tho hed had the ague
Spank went his foot wue went the ball
I' spite o hell it throught the gall
There there sed ben weve won the trick
& then fell foul to rally nick
To call him nick names sware & laugh
& bid tucks tail up & be off
Deep groans began & wi a clash
Up rattld every window sash
As if—(twas sich a smashing stroke)
One pain warnt left but what wer broke
Who woud but fancy there wer hurt
It made bens courage even sturt
He thought ons mate fo' comp'ny sake
& woud a calld but coudnt spake
Nick fled—& ragd wi benny scoffing
As blacks a pall upon a coffin
He hoppld ben wi dismal night
& switcht his tail round every light
& wi a shriek that mades head ring
He took his flight on owlets wing
Weres my old brave gall keeping chap
Thought ben tos sen—poor button cap
Scarce had he thought when feet step by
& murmurs wisper ‘here am I’
While hands as cold as ony stone
Lay hold o his'n & tug on
Thro long dark passages they prowl
& 'sturb the rest of many an owl
The wall all green wi staining damps
Seen now & then by glimering lamps
That in their sockets twink about
As on the point o burning out
Some rooms wer dark & then agen
Lamps glimmerd oer the head o ben
But all wer dark at lower space
Ben coudnt see his pardners face
Or wether button cap or who
It might be nick for all he knew
But still the cold hand kept his guide
& som'at shadowd at his side
The rats kept meking helish rout
Dread haunters here I mek no doubt
To keep the village louts i fear
& 'ter em all throm sleeping here
The walls wer gul'd & bennys eye
Were often blest wi' bits o' sky
Who hob'd his way as wells he coud
Oer heaps o stone & beams o wood
That had thro age & wet fell in
& often gen em bruisd his shin
But what use all these scriptive doings
All kens the state o' halls i ruins
Agen a lamp hung twinkling oer
A low old arched mulldering door
Bens courage stuntly made a halt
He thought em entering i a vault
As satans cunning might contrive
To lead & bury 'im int alive
But alls no use the door unlockt
Twas just as button cap had mockt
Ben hung & fain a woudnt gone
But step fo step the hand tugd on
He counted 20 steps or more
Ere hed got down upon the floor
When wonderful fo ben to say
But wound about a different way
It wer the very self same cellar
Were button cap had made him mellow
The candle still the barrel topt
The cock still wi its broaching dropt
Bens mouth een waterd for a sup
But for his life he coudnt stoop
His old friend wi his buttond parrel
Did not as usual crown the barrel
& were he wer he coudnt say
Spirits at blindmans bluff can play
Unseen as distant many a mile
& be't our elbows all the while
Ben neer had seen his mate at all
Sin twer his luck to kick the ball
A voice had wisperd by his side
That told hed button cap fo guide
Thats all he knew—& instantly
His eyes wer opt his mate to see
Tho not as he wer usual clad
His button cap had left his head
Instead o jacket he'd a sheet
That swept the ground behind his feet
But still the old face as before
A coward villains mistery wore
His ey[e]s all blackt blood cloted thick
That made ben think hed fit wi nick
His bosom too wer deeply gasht
& blood spots on the sheet wer splasht
& as his hand let go his vest
Ben saw the death wound in his breast
L---d helps says ben—the spell wer broke
& button cap that instant spoke
‘I am thy father thourt my child’
Thus bluntly sed the shade & smild
As wrinkld his cheeks from pleasure found
Blood spurted fresh from every wound
‘My father!’ wisperd wondering ben
Ill bring that subject up agen
Well father who hath made thee bleed
My son thy uncle did the deed
Well father hows this mistery run
That brings ben in to be thy son
My lawful son thou art & heir
Thy mother wer a lady fair
Nine moons upon her comforts smild
& then she left an orphan child
To ease a widowd bosoms wound
I pilgrim like sought foreign ground
& in my abscence from my cares
Thy uncle wer to farm affairs
I put thee to a faithful nurse
I thought so tho she provd a curse
& then esayd to leave my hall
Departing day thy dregs wer gall
My soul still chills wi memorys bitters
My spirit still wi horror twitters
My brothers treachorous parting tear
(We wer but two) I thought sincere
& seemly loath wi me to part
Twas sunset ere I made a start
At 2 mile end a forest grew
My lonly road rund twining thro
& scarcley led me half across
When some maskt ruffian stopt my horse
Another dragd me from his back
Mong briars & thorns where none coud track
I drew my sword but ill prepard
Gen 4 stout villan brutes to guard
Thus fell thy father—gen he smild
& thus I prove that thourt my child
& then he points to stone & wall
There lye the writings of the hall
& turn that slab up on the floor
Of riches thou wilt want no more
& seek that chamber of the hall
Were thou didst kick the fancyd ball
Thoult find i bed rip it apart
The will I made ere I did part
The all is thine & thou shalt see
Thy uncle hangd on gallows tree
He sed—the candle flared blue
& he more dimly slunk from view
Ben anxious still for clearing up
The misteries of the chamber troop
Why they at foot ball made such pluther
& hoxt so spiteful one another
& red hot reasons to explore
Whys dad a button night cap wore
Ben started these & waits reply
The spirits answer wer a sigh
Ben at the silence wer amazd
& on the shifty specter gaz'd
Who met bens eye as wisht to shun
As looks the mist upon the sun
& siled lower down & lower
As seemly sinking i the floor
Ben on the candle turnd him sen
To see if darkness threats agen
Just as the conjurer turns his trick
At waverings of his magic stick
That moment as he turnd his head
& lookt agen the spirit fled
Twas wondrous feth & he did seem
As tho hed wakt & dreampt a dream
But still the slab did plainly lye
& hole i wall was fore his eye
The deed wer husht none coud unravell
Folks fancyd that I dyd on travel
They instant rapt me in a sheet
& dug a grave wher none coud see't
The spot all round wi briars beset
Where lye my bones a witness yet
Upon a oak the night hawks rave
& gen its root thoult find my grave
Thy uncle now possest my hall
But short his glory in my fall
I haunted him both day & night
& forct him soon to leave my right
My land & wealth he still possest
But there wi gilt I prick't his breast
& black magicians now he sees
To conjure me & be at ease
They come their hellish arts prevail
& me they bind in pipe of ale
That very Cask I erst did sup
When thou nicknam'd me button cap
Nor foot sin' then but thine (thro fear)
Hav' never dard to enter here
Weve stud full many a brunt o weather
& begd crust oft have broke to gether
& when our bacco run adrift
& drove us both to pinch & shift
Weve over hawld wi cheery heart
‘Old solders’ from our cheek to part
Two brother chips weve always bin
& stood old fortunes sourest grin
& if Im not mistook ere while
Old boy were like to share her smile
I sure smel hid gold as we believ'd
Or else Ive dreamt & d---d decievd