The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-09

marches were more or less interesting, ac-
cording to the floor space that could be
accorded to them, and the skill, patience
and popularity of the local leaders.
Many of these old songs had descended
from a more or less remote past, and al
though sadly changed and perhaps. deteri-
Grated in their long journeys through the
memories of generation after generation Of
young people, they had not wholly lost the
spirit of the times and events that first in
spired them. Here are the first verses of one
that probably owed its origin to that fierce
battle which Macaulay celebrated in his
stirring lay, beginning:
Now glory to the God of hosts to whom all
glories are,
And glory to our sovereign liege King
Henry of Navarre!
1t ratified away after this fashion:
Our troops were marching in to the Ivry, Q;
Our troops were marching in to the Ivry, o;
When our captain fell in love
With a lady like a dove,
And they called her name pretty Polly o!
Pretty Polly. won't you come and go along
with me?
Pretty Polly won't you come and go along
with me?
You shall have a horse to ride,
And a rider by your side
For to go along with you to the Ivry, Or
The battle of Ivry was fought in the year
1890. So, if am right in my guess that this
old play-song so familiar to hundreds of our
middle-aged men and women was an echo
from it, it will serve to show how long the
influence of stirring events may cling in the
husks of language and survive in the sports
as well as in the sorrows of the people Here
is a quatrain from another that mas the dust
of the past upon it:
Sir William was Sir Jamess son,
On his breast a star he wore,
Which stood for the rolling points of war"
Another that was inspired doubtless, by
some event of a remote time connected with
London bridge, conveys lesson upon the
relative permanence of various building ma
terials:
Dance on my ladies ALL
Dance my ladies all;
London's bridge has washed away,
Turn q hilO gain the day..
This is sung by all, then first voice sings
out:
What shall we do to build it up?"
To which a second responds:
Build it up with sticks and clay"
The first replies:
Sticks and clay will wash away
Then the second suggests:
Build it up with iron bars
But the first objects again.
Iron bars will bend and break.
When the second strikes pay dirt with:
All join in the chorus and fairly roar:
Rocks and mud will stand the flood,
Dance on, my ladies, all;
Rocks and mud viii stand the flood
Turn a hilo, gain the day.
And by this time one round of the march or
promenade is completed and another couple
join the procession, and thus they continue
singing and marching until all are weary OF
the play.
A curious blending of the courtly madrigal
and the roaring coffee-house glee was quite
popular with the backwoods bellies and
beaux:
Come, philanders, let's be a-marching.
Each one now for his true love a-searching;
Search her now this night or never:
Call her by name and tell her how you love
Raddle dink te day.
Fol die tn rol de foddle lol de day!
I've been to London and I've been to Dover
And I've been this world almost over,
over and over and ten times over;
Drink up the liquor, boys. and turn the
glasses over.
Raddle dnk te day.!
In temperance communities rather crude
reformation was wrought on the last line
by rendering it,
Pick up the little boys and knock the big
Others, like the well-remembered
20 Sister Phoebe, how merry were we
The night we sat under the juniper tree.
Under the juniper tree, hi o.
Or the lively song of Charley Cole. begin
ming:
Charley Cole is a fine young man.
He tries TO do the best lie can.