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Come all ye ladies' maids so fair,
Vile I a story vill relate
Of cruel Jeames of Buckley Square.
A tighter lad, it is confest,
Neer valk'd vith powder in his air,
Or vore a nosegay in his breast,
Than andsum Jeames of Buckley Square.
O Evns ! it vas the best of sights,
Behind his master's coach and pair,
To see our Jeames, in red plush tights,
A driving hoff from Buckley Square.
He vel became his hagwiletts;
He cock'd his at with such a hair ;
His calves and viskers vas such pets,
That hall loved Jeames of Buckley Square.
He pleased the hup-stairs folks as yell;
And, o ! I vither'd vith despair,
Misses vould ring the parler-bell,
And call up Jeames in Buckley Square.
Both beer and sperrits he abhord
(Sperrits and beer I can't a bear);
You would have thought he vas a lord,
Down in our All in Buckley Square.
Last year he visper'd, "Mary Ann,
Ven I've an under'd poundl to spare,
To take a public is my plan,
And leave this hojous Buckley Square."
Oh how my gentle heart did bound
To think that I his name should hear !
"Dear Jeames," says I, "l've twenty pound,"
And gev them him in Buckley Square.
Our master vas a City gent—
His name's in railroads everywhere :
And, lord, vot lots of letters vent
Betwigst his brokers and Buckley Square !
My Jeames it was the letters took,
And read 'em all (I think it's fair),
And took a leaf from master's book,
As hothers do in Buckley Square.
Encouraged with my twenty pound
Of which poor I was unavare—
He wrote the Companies all round,
And sign'd hisself from Buckley Square.
And how John Porter used to grin,
As day by day, share after share,
Came railway letters pouring in,
"J. Plush, Esquire, in Buckley Square."
Our servants' All was in a rage—
Scrip, stock, curves, gradients, bull and bear,
Vith butler, coachman, groom and page
Yes all the talk in Buckley Square.
But 0 ! immagine vat I felt,
Last Vensdy-veek as ever were—
I gits a letter which I spelt
"Miss M. A. Hoggins, Buckley Square."
He sent me back my money true—
He sent me back my lock of air,
And said "My dear, I bid ajew
To Mary Hann and Buckley Square."
Think not to marry, foolish Hann,
With people who your betters are ;
James Plush is now a gentleman,
And you—a cook in Buckley Square.
"I've thirty thousand guineas won,
In six short months, by genus rare ;
You little thought what Jeames was on,
Poor Mary Hann, in Buckley Square.
I've thirty thousand guineas net ;
Powder and plush I scorn to vear ;
And so, Miss Mary Hann, forget
For ever Jeames of Buckley Square."
Notes
Speculative investment in the early railways in Britain was endemic and affected men and women of all classes as this verse shows. Its origins lie with "The diary of C. Jeames De La Pluche, Esq., with his letters", by William Makepeace Thackeray.
See
https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/t/thackeray/william_makepeace/jeames/chapter1.html
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