(Part of Box 1/14 of this archive)
I sing a doleful tragedy, Guy Fawkes the prince of sinister;
Who once blew up the House of Lords, the king and all his ministers;
Who once blew up the House of Lords, the king and all his ministers;
That is, he would have blown ‘em up, and they’d have all been cindered;
(Or seriously scorched at least) if he had not been hindered.
Bow, wow, wow, tolderidy-ido, Bow, wow, wow.
Straightway he came from Lambeth Side, and wished the State was undone;
And passing over Vauxhall Bridge came that way into London;
That is, he would have come that way to perpetrate his guilt, Sir;
But the river was too wide to cross and the bridge it wasn’t built, Sir.
Bow, wow, wow……
Then to th’ appointed place he came, when all was wrapped in night, Sir;
Resolved to fire the powder train with portable gas light, Sir;
That is he would have brought the gas within the walls he rented;
And fired the powder with it, but it wasn’t yet invented.
Bow, wow, wow……
Now James you know (King James I mean) was always thought a sly fox;
So he bid ‘em search th’ aforesaid vault, and there they found poor Guy Fawkes;
Who would have blown ‘em up, of that there’s little doubt, Sir;
For they never would have found him in if they hadn’t found him out, Sir.
Bow, wow, wow…..
Thus having caught him in the fact of ?compassing? the Crown’s end;
Away they sent to Bow Street for that famed old runner Townshend;
That is, they would have sent for him, as ?fear he was no starter at;
But Townshend wasn’t living then, he waren’t a-born till arter that.
Bow, wow, wow….
So as he was not yet alive, they nothing knew about him;
And therefore did the best they could, that is, they did without him;
They quickly hung poor Guy aloft, the gallows held him high, Sir;
But though it saved the government, t’ was gallows hard for Guy, Sir.
Bow, wow, wow…….
Now let us sing Long Live the Queen and bless her Royal son, Sir;
That is, if she have one to bless – if not, there’s no harm done, Sir;
And never may such a blowing-up again blow down the Government;
As that time would have come to pass had there been no discoverment.
Bow, wow, wow……..
(Or seriously scorched at least) if he had not been hindered.
Bow, wow, wow, tolderidy-ido, Bow, wow, wow.
Straightway he came from Lambeth Side, and wished the State was undone;
And passing over Vauxhall Bridge came that way into London;
That is, he would have come that way to perpetrate his guilt, Sir;
But the river was too wide to cross and the bridge it wasn’t built, Sir.
Bow, wow, wow……
Then to th’ appointed place he came, when all was wrapped in night, Sir;
Resolved to fire the powder train with portable gas light, Sir;
That is he would have brought the gas within the walls he rented;
And fired the powder with it, but it wasn’t yet invented.
Bow, wow, wow……
Now James you know (King James I mean) was always thought a sly fox;
So he bid ‘em search th’ aforesaid vault, and there they found poor Guy Fawkes;
Who would have blown ‘em up, of that there’s little doubt, Sir;
For they never would have found him in if they hadn’t found him out, Sir.
Bow, wow, wow…..
Thus having caught him in the fact of ?compassing? the Crown’s end;
Away they sent to Bow Street for that famed old runner Townshend;
That is, they would have sent for him, as ?fear he was no starter at;
But Townshend wasn’t living then, he waren’t a-born till arter that.
Bow, wow, wow….
So as he was not yet alive, they nothing knew about him;
And therefore did the best they could, that is, they did without him;
They quickly hung poor Guy aloft, the gallows held him high, Sir;
But though it saved the government, t’ was gallows hard for Guy, Sir.
Bow, wow, wow…….
Now let us sing Long Live the Queen and bless her Royal son, Sir;
That is, if she have one to bless – if not, there’s no harm done, Sir;
And never may such a blowing-up again blow down the Government;
As that time would have come to pass had there been no discoverment.
Bow, wow, wow……..
.
(For something very similar; see the plays of Richard Brinsley Peake, c.1834,Volume 2, p.21 of a piece called The Meltonians). The last verse of that version goes:-
That Mr Fawkes was ill-advised, there cannot be a doubt, sir,
For if he'd left them to themselves, his wish might come about, sir;
That is, if he'd gone in the House, and listened to the pother,
He'd soon have seen the Members try - to blow up one another!
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EMB
5 November 2020
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