From Notes and Queries, 4th Series, Volume 8, Sept 2, 1871, page 186:

Song.—Can any one help me to the words of a song popular some forty years ago, the refrain of which was—"The prancing tailor went proudly by"?
PELAGIUS.


Ibid, Sept 9, 1871, page 214:

THE PRANCING TAILOR WENT PROUDLY BY
So far as my memory serves me, the first line of this song runs somewhat thus:—

"A tailor he sat at work,
Benjamin Birmingham;
A tailor he sat at work,
Right fol de ray—
And he found a louse on his shirt.
Benjamin Birmingham;
He found a louse on his shirt,
Right fol de ray,
Right fol de ray,
And so the proud tailor went prancing away."

The lyric goes on to relate how the valiant and indignant tailor converted his shears into a sword, his needle into a gun, and his thread into a halter, and "hung the louse by the ears," and shot him, and sliced him; but always in his pride (at the end of each stanza), "went prancing away." It strikes me that this song is nearly seventy years old, and was intended as a satire on the volunteers of 1802. If I am not very much mistaken, also, Mr. Charles Dickens, junior, could "oblige"—as they used to say at the harmonic meetings—with a complete copy of the verses sought for by PELAGIUS.
G. A. SALA.
The Reform Club.


Ibid, Sept 16, 1871, page 231:

THE PRANCING TAILOR.

Though the burden of the song was not exactly that given by PELAGIUS, I suspect he means one which I remember almost twice forty years ago; but the following is all that I can now recall of it:—

"I'll tell you how the world began,
Benjamin Bowman;
I'll tell you how the world began,
Cast threads away!
I'll tell you how the world began,
Nine tailors make a man:
So the proud tailor rode prancing away.

"Of his shears he made bridle-bits,
Benjamin Bowman;
Of his shears he made bridle-bits,
Cast threads away!
Of his shears he made bridle-bits,
Rode his horse into fits,
So the proud tailor rode prancing away.

"Of his bodkin he made a gun,
Benjamin Bowman;
Of his bodkin he made a gun,
Cast threads away!
Of his bodkin he made a gun,
Shot a louse out of fun,
So the proud tailor rode prancing away.

"Of his needle he made a sword,
Benjamin Bowman;
Of his needle he made a sword,
Cast threads away!
Of his needle he made a sword,
Stuck a louse on the board,
So the proud tailor rode prancing away."

Caetera desunt!....

F. C. H.

[Another reply to the same query:]

I think MR. SALA is mistaken in attributing any political meaning to this song, which is a mere piece of nonsensical doggrel in ridicule of tailors, who have ever been the butt of small wits. More than forty years ago, when at school, I had an unusually extensive repertoire of vulgar, indecent, and silly songs; and among them was the song inquired after by PELAGIUS. The tune was the best part of it. Our version began thus:—

"When the wars first began,
Benjamin Bobbletail;
When the wars first began,
(Cast knots away).
When the wars first began,
Nine tailors made a man;
So the proud tailor went prancing away."

And then it went on to say how—

"Of his needle he made a spear,
Stuck a louse through the ear;"

"Of his bodkin he made a gun,
Shot a louse as he run," &c. &c.

There is always an antagonism between schoolboys and any surrounding population whom they may regard as snobs or cads. One of our boys, from the cloth districts of Gloucestershire, had the following lines on the weavers, who were regarded by him and his fellows as natural enemies. There is a touch of humour in it:—

"Four-and-twenty weavers went out to kill a snail,
The bravest man among them trod upon his tail;
The snail turned round, with horns like a cow—
'God bless us!' said the weavers, 'we're dead men now.'"

J.