When you hear my ditty my woes you will pity,
I'm engaged in the City from ten till three,
But I've been betray'd by a fascinating maid,
Who was Bosen in a bonnet shop at Battersea¹....
Her eyes were as black as the pips of a pear,
No rose in the garden with her cheeks could compare,
She'd a gingham¹ umbrella,
Her name was Isabella
And her father kept a barber's shop at Islington¹.
On a Monday afternoon in the latter part of June,
From Waterloo² I started for a ride to Battersea,
And as we drew near.....to Hungerford_pier¹.....
A lovely lady I chanced to see...
In her hands a nosegay, 'twas a bundle of stocks³,
A brown paper parcel and a blue bonnet-box,
A gingham umbrella,
Her name was Isabella
And her father's little barber's shop at Islington.
I rush'd to the gangway and proffer'd my assistance,
Oh the smile that she gave me as I handed her a seat,
I sat down beside her she offer'd no resistance
We talk'd of the weather the rain and the heat..
I asked her--her parents--I asked her their trade,
I asked her, her name, with a look half afraid
She raised her umbrella
"My name is Isabella,
And my father keeps a barber's shop at Islington."
Before we parted she'd all my affection
I enquired, "Should I see her at some future day!"
She simpered and smiled, and said, "she'd no objection"
As light as a fairy she tripped it away.
So we were engaged¹ in a regular way, [Note 634.4]
My time passed as happy as the flowers in May,
When I thought of Isabella
And her gingham umbrella,
And her father's little barber's shop at Islington.
I took her to the Palace with a ticket of admission, [Note 634.1]
I took her to Richmond¹ and the Gardens_at_Kew¹,
I took her to Madame_Tussaud's¹ exhibition,
Eight hours by the sea at Brighton¹ too.
Oh! the presents I made and the letters I wrote,
From the first time I met her on a Citizen boat. [Note 634.2]
My darling Isabella,
And her gingham umbrella,
Whose father kept a barber's shop at Islington.
When you hear the sequel, you'll say it has no equal
In all the annals of woman's deceit,
I went one night to meet my Isabel,
But no Isabel was there to meet---
I searched far and wide till I happened to drop
In near the Angel¹, at a "sixpenny hop¹"---
Oh! there was Isabella
With a ginger-whiskered fellow
Doing "double_shuffles¹" up at Islington!
I staggered with surprise then exclaimed...."Isabella!
"Do I look like a fool? Do you take me for a flat³?"
She coolly replied, "Well I rather think I do,
And if you don't like it, take_it_out_of_that¹.
I rushed at my rival, satisfaction to get,
But found that my troubles had not ended yet---
For up jumped Isabella,
With her gingham umbrella,
And smashed my new "six_and_six¹" at Islington.
I rushed from the sight of the faithless spinster,
In the Thames dirty water repose for to find: [Note 634.3]
But before I reached the bridge of Westminster¹,
My opinions altered, and I changed my mind.
For folly must be paid for and wisdom bought:
There are fishes in the sea that have never been caught
So a fig for Isabella
And her gingham umbrella,
And her father's little barber's shop at Islington.