Part 2 (1/2)

”Release these maidens, sir, Whom you dominion o'er - Particularly her Upon the second floor.

”And if you don't, my lord” - He here stood bolt upright, And tapped a tailor's sword - ”Come out, you cad, and fight!”

SIR HUGH he called--and ran The warden from the gate: ”Go, show this gentleman The maid in Forty-eight.”

By many a cell they past, And stopped at length before A portal, bolted fast: The man unlocked the door.

He called inside the gate With coa.r.s.e and brutal shout, ”Come, step it, Forty-eight!”

And Forty-eight stepped out.

”They gets it pretty hot, The maidens what we cotch - Two years this lady's got For collaring a wotch.”

”Oh, ah!--indeed--I see,”

The troubadour exclaimed - ”If I may make so free, How is this castle named?

The warden's eyelids fill, And sighing, he replied, ”Of gloomy Pentonville This is the female side!”

The minstrel did not wait The Warden stout to thank, But recollected straight He'd business at the Bank.

Ballad: FERDINANDO AND ELVIRA; OR, THE GENTLE PIEMAN.

PART I.

At a pleasant evening party I had taken down to supper One whom I will call ELVIRA, and we talked of love and TUPPER,

MR. TUPPER and the Poets, very lightly with them dealing, For I've always been distinguished for a strong poetic feeling.

Then we let off paper crackers, each of which contained a motto, And she listened while I read them, till her mother told her not to.

Then she whispered, ”To the ball-room we had better, dear, be walking; If we stop down here much longer, really people will be talking.”

There were n.o.blemen in coronets, and military cousins, There were captains by the hundred, there were baronets by dozens.

Yet she heeded not their offers, but dismissed them with a blessing, Then she let down all her back hair, which had taken long in dressing.

Then she had convulsive sobbings in her agitated throttle, Then she wiped her pretty eyes and smelt her pretty smelling- bottle.

So I whispered, ”Dear ELVIRA, say,--what can the matter be with you?

Does anything you've eaten, darling POPSY, disagree with you?”

But spite of all I said, her sobs grew more and more distressing, And she tore her pretty back hair, which had taken long in dressing.

Then she gazed upon the carpet, at the ceiling, then above me, And she whispered, ”FERDINANDO, do you really, REALLY love me?”

”Love you?” said I, then I sighed, and then I gazed upon her sweetly - For I think I do this sort of thing particularly neatly.