Rookwood Part 39

Thou who wouldst our brother be, Say how we shall enter thee?

Name the name that thou wilt bear Ere our livery thou wear?

"I see no reason why I should alter my designation," replied the noviciate; "but as popes change their t.i.tles on their creation, there can be no objection to a scampsman following so excellent an example.

Let me be known as the Night Hawk."

"The Night Hawk--good," returned the hierophant, proceeding to register the name upon the parchment. "Kneel down," continued he.

After some hesitation, Turpin complied.

"You must repeat the 'salamon,' or oath of our creed, after my dictation," said the patrico; and Turpin, signifying his a.s.sent by a nod, Balthazar propounded the following abjuration:

OATH OF THE CANTING CREW

I, Crank-Cuffin, swear to be True to this fraternity; That I will in all obey Rule and order of the lay.

Never blow the gab, or squeak; Never snitch to b.u.m or beak; But religiously maintain Authority of those who reign Over Stop-Hole Abbey Green, Be they tawny king, or queen.

In their cause alone will fight; Think what they think, wrong or right; Serve them truly, and no other, And be faithful to my brother; Suffer none, from far or near, With their rights to interfere; No strange Abram, ruffler crack, Hooker of another pack, Rogue or rascal, frater, maunderer, Irish toyle, or other wanderer; No dimber damber, angler, dancer, Prig of cackler, prig of prancer; No swigman, swaddler, clapperdudgeon; Cadge-gloak, curtal, or curmudgeon; No whip-jack, palliard, patrico; No jarkman, be he high or low; No dummerar, or romany; No member of "_the Family_;"

No ballad-basket, bouncing buffer, Nor any other, will I suffer; But stall-off now and for ever, All outliers whatsoever: And as I keep to the foregone, So may help me Salamon![36]

"So help me Salamon!" repeated Turpin, with emphasis.

"Zoroaster," said the patrico to the upright man, "do thy part of this ceremonial."

Zoroaster obeyed; and, taking Excalibur from the knight of Malta, bestowed a hearty thwack with the blade upon the shoulders of the kneeling highwayman, a.s.sisting him afterwards to arise.

The inauguration was complete.

"Well," exclaimed d.i.c.k, "I'm glad it's all over. My leg feels a little stiffish. I'm not much given to kneeling. I must dance it off;" saying which, he began to shuffle upon the boards. "I tell you what," continued he, "most reverend patrico, that same 'salmon' of yours has a cursed long tail. I could scarce swallow it all, and it's strange if it don't give me an indigestion. As to you, sage Zory, from the dexterity with which you flourish your sword, I should say you had practised at court.

His majesty could scarce do the thing better, when, slapping some fat alderman upon the shoulder, he bids him arise Sir Richard. And now, pals," added he, glancing round, "as I am one of you, let's have a booze together ere I depart, for I don't think my stay will be long in the land of Egypt."

This suggestion of Turpin was so entirely consonant to the wishes of the a.s.semblage, that it met with universal approbation; and upon a sign from Zoroaster, some of his followers departed in search of supplies for the carousal. Zoroaster leaped from the table, and his example was followed by Turpin, and more leisurely by the patrico.

It was rather early in the day for a drinking bout. But the Canting Crew were not remarkably particular. The chairs were removed, and the jingling of gla.s.ses announced the arrival of the preliminaries of the matutine symposion. Poles, canvas, and cords were next brought; and in almost as short a s.p.a.ce of time as one scene is subst.i.tuted for another in a theatrical representation, a tent was erected. Benches, stools, and chairs appeared with equal celerity, and the interior soon presented an appearance like that of a booth at a fair. A keg of brandy was broached, and the health of the new brother quaffed in brimmers.

Our highwayman returned thanks. Zoroaster was in the chair, the knight of Malta acting as croupier. A second toast was proposed--the tawny queen. This was drunk with a like enthusiasm, and with a like allowance of the potent spirit; but as b.u.mpers of brandy are not to be repeated with impunity, it became evident to the president of the board that he must not repeat his toasts quite so expeditiously. To create a temporary diversion, therefore, he called for a song.

The dulcet notes of the fiddle now broke through the clamor; and, in answer to the call, Jerry Juniper volunteered the following:

JERRY JUNIPER'S CHANT

In a box[37] of the stone jug[38] I was born, Of a hempen widow[39] the kid forlorn.

_Fake away,_ And my father, as I've heard say, _Fake away._ Was a merchant of capers[40] gay, Who cut his last fling with great applause, _Nix my doll pals, fake away._[41]

Who cut his last fling with great applause,[42]

To the tune of a "hearty choke with caper sauce."

_Fake away._ The knucks in quod[43] did my schoolmen play, _Fake away,_ And put me up to the time of day; Until at last there was none so knowing, _Nix my doll pals, fake away._

Until at last there was none so knowing, No such sneaksman[44] or buzgloak[45] going.

_Fake away._ Fogles[46] and fawnies[47] soon went their way, _Fake away_, To the spout[48] with the sneezers[49] in grand array.

No dummy hunter[50] had forks[51] so fly; _Nix my doll pals, fake away_.

No dummy hunter had forks so fly, No knuckler[52] so deftly could fake a cly,[53]

_Fake away._ No slour'd hoxter[54] my snipes[55] could stay, _Fake away._ None knap a reader[56] like me in the lay.

Soon then I mounted in swell-street high.

_Nix my doll pals, fake away._

Soon then I mounted in swell-street high, And sported my flashiest toggery[57], _Fake away._ Firmly resolved I would make my hay, _Fake away,_ While Mercury's star shed a single ray; And ne'er was there seen such a dashing prig,[58]

_Nix my doll pals, fake away._

And ne'er was there seen such a dashing prig, With my strummel faked in the newest twig.[59]

_Fake away._ With my fawnied famms,[60] and my onions gay,[61]

_Fake away;_ My thimble of ridge[62], and my driz kemesa[63]; All my togs were so niblike[64] and splash, _Nix my doll pals, fake away._

All my togs were so niblike and splash, Readily the queer screens I then could smash;[65]

_Fake away._ But my nuttiest blowen,[66] one fine day, _Fake away,_ To the beaks[67] did her fancy man betray, And thus was I bowled out at last[68]

_Nix my doll pals, fake away._

And thus was I bowled out at last, And into the jug for a lag was cast;[69]

_Fake away._ But I slipped my darbies[70] one morn in May, _Fake away,_ And gave to the dubsman[71] a holiday.

And here I am, pals, merry and free, A regular rollicking romany.[72]

_Nix my doll pals, fake away._

Much laughter and applause rewarded Jerry's attempt to please; and though the meaning of his chant, even with the aid of the numerous notes appended to it, may not be quite obvious to our readers, we can a.s.sure them that it was perfectly intelligible to the Canting Crew. Jerry was now ent.i.tled to a call; and happening, at the moment, to meet the fine dark eyes of a sentimental gipsy, one of that better cla.s.s of mendicants who wandered about the country with a guitar at his back, his election fell upon him. The youth, without prelude, struck up a

GIPSY SERENADE

Merry maid, merry maid, wilt thou wander with me?

We will roam through the forest, the meadow, and lea; We will haunt the sunny bowers, and when day begins to flee, Our couch shall be the ferny brake, our canopy the tree.

_Merry maid, merry maid, come and wander with me!

No life like the gipsy's, so joyous and free!_

Merry maid, merry maid, though a roving life be ours, We will laugh away the laughing and quickly fleeting hours; Our hearts are free, as is the free and open sky above, And we know what tamer souls know not, how lovers ought to love.

_Merry maid, merry maid, come and wander with me!

No life like the gipsy's so joyous and free!_

Zoroaster now removed the pipe from his upright lips to intimate his intention of proposing a toast.

A universal knocking of knuckles by the knucklers[73] was followed by profound silence. The sage spoke:

"The city of Canterbury, pals," said he; "and may it never want a knight of Malta."

The toast was pledged with much laughter, and in many b.u.mpers.

The knight, upon whom all eyes were turned, rose, "with stately bearing and majestic motion," to return thanks.

"I return you an infinitude of thanks, brother pals," said he, glancing round the a.s.semblage; and bowing to the president, "and to you, most upright Zory, for the honor you have done me in a.s.sociating my name with that city. Believe me, I sincerely appreciate the compliment, and echo the sentiment from the bottom of my soul. I trust it never _will_ want a knight of Malta. In return for your consideration, but a poor one you will say, you shall have a ditty, which I composed upon the occasion of my pilgrimage to that city, and which I have thought proper to name after myself."

THE KNIGHT OF MALTA