  Tune—"The King of the Cannibal Islands." This excellent song was written on occasion of the meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of England at Derby, in the year 1843, under the Presidency of the Earl of Hardwicke, and was a general favourite. Come gather round and form a throng, And trust me I'll not keep you long, I'll entertain you with a Song On the Agricultural Meeting! A subject I have good and pat, To make you smile, I'll answer that; They say that laughing makes one fat, And if you don't laugh I'll eat my hat! I'll not give pain by any jokes,— Tho' of the Derby 'tis, good folks, About it there's not any "hoax," The Agricultural Meeting! Away with sorrow, care, and strife, All the world will, and his wife, Muster there, upon my life, At the Agricultural Meeting. The wish'd-for time is very nigh, And all to do their best will try, On the Eleventh of July, Come forward, lads, your best make haste, You that plough, and you that rake;— Let 'em see that you're awake, For you've a chance a prize to take! Forward bring the ox and sheaf, Show Foreigners unto their grief, The meaning of real corn and beef, At the Agricultural Meeting! Away with sorrow, &c. The thing will just be as it should, For there'll be there, 'tis understood, The rich, the titled, and the good, At the Agricultural Meeting! Of those who in the good cause stand, And help with purse, and heart, and hand, Are Spencer, Hardwick, Colvile, The Duke of Richmond—what a band! Joy will beam in heart and face, To know that surely 'tis the case, That their gay presence here will grace The Agricultural Meeting? Away with sorrow, &c. 'Twill be a glorious holiday— All the week for fun and play— No one then at home will stay From the Agricultural Meeting! Every one some sport will catch— Tuesday they'll come to the scratch, And try the famous Ploughing Match! Of Implements there will be a show,— Of things that reap, and things that mow, Things to dig, and things that sow, At the Agricultural Meeting! Away with sorrow &c. When this is o'er, at close of day, Again for fun they'll start away— Gents, and Ladies, such display— At the Agricultural Meeting! They'll to the Grand Hotel repair, For John Bell Crompton, who's the Mayor, Will give a dinner of rare fare, And all the Council will be there! Then after this, they'll dancing go, And trip it gaily to and fro, Upon "the light fantastic toe," At the Agricultural Meeting! Away with sorrow, &c. On Wednesday there's another spree— The Implements again we'll see, And prove what's done in Husbandry, At the Agricultural Meeting! Come Dick and Thomas, Ralph and Giles, In your best clothes, and your smiles, Over hedges, ditches, stiles— Then on that night it will fall— The Council are invited all To dinner at the County-Hall, From the Agricultural Meeting! Away with sorrow, &c. On Thursday there'll be more than this— And such enjoyment who would miss? On that day there'll be double bliss At the Agricultural Meeting! Won't there be a fine to do? Pigs and sheep, and oxen, too;— Four-legged calves—and, 'tween I and you, A few, no doubt, that walk on two! Lots of cattle will be there, Derby horses, I declare, As well as our good Derby Mayor, At the Agricultural Meeting! Away with sorrow, &c. On Thursday there's another feed— When they've shown their live-stock breed; For after work they'll something need, At the Agricultural Meeting! The Grand Pavilion, deck'd out fine, Will be—and there'll two thousand dine:— And they'll astonish, I opine, Above a bit—the food and wine! And even then the sport ne'er stops, For they'll for dancing leave their drops, And take to capers and to hops, Away with sorrow, care, and strife, All the world will, and his wife, Muster there, upon my life, At the Agricultural Meeting! |
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