“Paddy's Ramble to London”

Description

Paddy has too much money and so can't pay his debts and goes to London to pass for a Lord. He has strange, often paradoxical adventures. Finally he decides to marry a Blackamoor Lady, the "fairest of creatures" and buy her a silver cup of horn.

Notes

One verse of Bodleian 2806 c.18(233) is close to Opie-Oxford2 93, "As I was going by Charing Cross" (earliest date in Opie is 1808).

Paddy's Ramble to London: "To find out the place I was sad at a loss, When shutting my eyes on safe Charing Cross. Where the King set on horseback all on the cold stone There was thousands all round him but truth never a one."

Opie-Oxford2 93: "As I was going by Charing Cross, I saw a black man upon a black horse; They told me it was King Charles the First Oh dear, my heart was ready to burst!"

Opie explains that "in 1675 the statue of Charles I, which had originally been erected in King Street (and may today be seen at the top of Whitehall), was re-erected on the site of the old Charing Cross ...."

On the same subject see broadside Bodleian, Antiq. c. E.9(97), "A dialogue between the old black horse at Charing cross, and the new one, with a figure on it in H--er square ," unknown, c.1702 - BS

Cross references

Broadsides

  • Bodleian, 2806 c.18(233), "Paddy's Ramble to London" ("Come listen awhile you frolicksome tars"), J. Pitts (London), 1802-1844

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: before 1845 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 c.18(233))