4.--'The Seven Ages of Woman,' as sung by Mr. Harley.
You've heard the seven ages of great Mister Man, And now Mistress Woman's I'll chaunt, if I can.
This was also a very long song, each verse being sung to a different tune.
Some of these songs are found in a scarce book called _London Oddities_ (1822), which also contains 'Time of Day,' probably the comic duet referred to in _The Mistaken Milliner_ (_S.B._). This sketch was written in 1835 for _Bell's Life in London_, the original title being _The Vocal Dressmaker_, and contains an account of a concert (real or imaginary) at the White Conduit House. This place of entertainment was situated in Penton Street, Islington, near the top of Pentonville Road, and when Dickens wrote his sketch the place had been in existence nearly a hundred years. Early in the nineteenth century it became a place of varied amusements, from balloon ascents to comic songs. Dickens visited the place about 1835. The titles of some of the pieces he mentions as having been sung there are real, while others (such as 'Red Ruffian, retire') appear to be invented.
Of a different kind is the one sung by the giant Pickleson, known in the profession as Rinaldo di Vasco, a character introduced to us by Dr. Marigold.
I gave him sixpence (for he was kept as short as he was long), and he laid it out on two three penn'orths of gin-and-water, which so brisked him up that he sang the favourite comic of 'Shivery Shakey, ain't it cold?'
Perhaps in no direction does the taste of the British public change so rapidly and so completely as in their idea of humour as depicted in the comic song, and it is unlikely that what passed for humour sixty years ago would appeal to an audience of the present day. The song here referred to had a great though brief popularity. This is the first verse:
_Words by J. Beuler._ _Accompaniment by J. Clinton._
All you who're fond in spite of price Of pastry, cream and jellies nice Be cautious how you take an ice Whenever you're overwarm. A merchant who from India came, And Shiverand Shakey was his name, A pastrycook's did once entice To take a cooling, luscious ice, The weather, hot enough to kill, Kept tempting him to eat, until It gave his corpus such a chill He never again felt warm. Shiverand Shakey O, O, O, Criminy Crikey! Isn't it cold, Woo, woo, woo, oo, oo, Behold the man that couldn't get warm.