328 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



risks; and so the position got worse and worse. The paper 

 itself was never so good as in those days, and we used to 

 have all Tattersalls' advertisements, which alone is a big 

 asset. Phil May was doing better and better work, so 

 were Percy Reeve, Tom Merry and all the rest of us, but 

 the Hansard Union's ban was a very potent one, and we 

 had never been financially strong. 



About that time it was in November, 1890 I wrote a 

 song for the great MacDermott, entitled The Fire-Escape, 

 and Percy Reeve composed the music. It never 

 approached the lasting fame of Charlie DUke, but it 

 was a great success all the same at the London Pavilion, 

 where it was first sung on ist December of that year, and 

 was in the bill for six weeks. 



It was just after the divorce case in which Mr Parnell 

 was concerned, and it had transpired in that case that Mr 

 Parnell, in the prosecution of his amorous adventures, 

 was in the habit of using a fire-escape presumably 

 ordinary bars on the side of the house, but it pleased the 

 public to think that he took a regulation fire-escape on 

 wheels to assist him. The words of the song may be 

 worth quoting : 



THE FIRE-ESCAPE 



THE fire-escape's a glorious thing 

 To save a peasant or a king ; 

 *Tis useful, too, if you desire, 

 For 'scaping other things than fire. 

 Perchance by some obnoxious dun 

 To ground at last you're fairly run, 

 Or if you hear outside your " den "- 

 The horrid tramp of sheriff's men 



(Spoken) Visions of Horror ! Holloway looming in the 

 distance. Is there no chance to fly ? Yes, I have it 



The fire-escape, the fire-escape ; 

 You save yourself in every scrape, 

 Of any sort or kind or shape, 

 By scooting down the fire-escape. 



A fire-escape should always be 

 Provided for each household, free, 



