Tag Archives: Richard Brinsley Sheridan

This afternoon, looking for something else, I came across Sheridan’s song, ‘Here’s to the maiden’, and realised that is was something that could be illustrated with nineteenth century ‘genre’ paintings which depict life a hundred years earlier. So here goes.

 

Here’s to the maiden of bashful fifteen,

Here’s to the widow of fifty,

Here’s to the flaunting extravagant quean,

And here’s to the housewife that’s thrifty.

Let the toast pass,
Drink to the lass,
I’ll warrant she’ll prove an excuse for the glass.

 

 

Here’s to the charmer whose dimples we prize,

Now to the maid who has none, sir.

Here’s to the girl with a pair of blue eyes,

And here’s to the nymph with but one, sir.

Let the toast pass,
Drink to the lass,
I’ll warrant she’ll prove an excuse for the glass.

 

 

Here’s to the maid with a bosom of snow,

Now to her that’s as brown as a berry.

Here’s to the wife with her face full of woe,

And now to the damsel that’s merry.

Let the toast pass,
Drink to the lass,
I’ll warrant she’ll prove an excuse for the glass.

 

 

 

 
For let ’em be clumsy, or let ’em be slim,
Young or ancient, I care not a feather,
So fill a pint bumper quite up to the brim,
And let us e’en toast them together.

Let the toast pass,
Drink to the lass,
I’ll warrant she’ll prove an excuse for the glass.

 
Richard Brinsley Sheridan 1775