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John Nixon
Untitled, 1988
john nixon
A poem in the style of a ballad from the 17th or 18th century. Two pickpockets have a good day, till they meet a ghost.
Sinister Sam and Dexterous Dan worked well together, as two men can. Picked rich folks pockets on all of the ways on markets, festivals, hanging days.
Sam he was dark and favoured his left, Dan, though, was fair and his fingers were deft. Sam’s garb ever was sober and plain, while Dan dressed up fancy, his style was vain.
Gents the two looked, however they dressed, and gentry crowds were always the best for handkerchiefs, watches, small boxes of snuff, scent in fine vials, bank notes and silk stuff.
The best day of all, they afterwards claimed, was the day that Rudolph was publicly maimed. (Punishment cruel to cut a man’s face 'fore hanging him high – but done to disgrace.)
When Rambling Rudolph the Highwayman King was brought into town to kick and to swing, witness to justice, the gentry all came; Rudolph had robbed them all one and the same.
Then Dexterous Dan moved smooth 'mongst the crowd and robbed them again as they shouted aloud. "Hang Rudolph!" They cried. "Let him swing in the breeze!" As Sinister Sam plucked their wallets with ease.
After, the two, at the sign of The Wise, sat for a drink and divvied the prize. Then homeward together in concord they strolled passed the gallows where Rudolph's poor body hung cold.
With his head all askew and his eyes bulging out, the cuts on his cheeks – he was dead, have no doubt. Yet the gibbeted corpse cried out as they passed: "Oh where is my share?" And the two stood aghast.
"Oh, Dexterous Dan! Oh, Sinister Sam! Good business you've done, won't you give me a dram?" "Give wine to a ghost?" Said Sam. "Not today! I'd sooner throw all of our takings away."
"Peace, Rudolph," said Dan to the corpse in the breeze, "I'll pour you a draught. May your spirit be eased." And he poured out some wine and the earth drank it down but Sam, stood beside him, looked on with a frown.
"Oh Dan," said the spirit, "may your ending be good, May you die in your bed and be coffined in wood. But hard-hearted Sam, in pain will you end, On a gallows, like me, with nary a friend."
Dinner was announced by the old tune of “Oh! the roast beef of old England;” and during a long voyage the announcement of dinner is a very great relief every way.
— Frederick Marryat, Newton Forster
'On board the Phoenix to the Hope, looking aft', drawing by John Nixon, 1801.
Church bells (possibly including the Liberty Bell) are rung after John Nixon delivers the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 8, 1776.
Artists’ Book Display for the week of January 21, 2019
Tableaux by John Nixon- Geelong : Deakin University Gallery, 1991
My oh my : my book by Gutterm Andreas Nordo- Norway: G. Nordo, 1993
Sinatricon by Munro Galloway- New York, NY : Sinatricon Editions, 1996
Change by Diet Sayler- Munich : Galerie Hermanns, New York : Distributor, Printed Matter, 1981
Le club mickey by Christian Boltanski- Gent: Imschoot, Uitgevers, 1990