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The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

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657<br />

My fare!--wot, that!<br />

Yer knocks me flat.<br />

Hit in <strong>the</strong> vind!--I'm chokin--give us air--<br />

My fare? Ha, ha! My fare? Ho, ho! My fare?<br />

Call that my fare for drivin yer a mile?<br />

I ain't hinsane--not yet--not yet avile!<br />

Wot makes yer smile?<br />

My blood is bilin' in a wiolent manner!<br />

Wot's this I've got?<br />

Show us a light--<br />

This 'ere is--wot?--<br />

<strong>The</strong>re's sunthin <strong>the</strong> matter with my sight--<br />

It is--yes!--No!--<br />

'Tis, raly, though--<br />

Oh, blow! blow! blow!--<br />

Ho, ho, ho, ho! it is, it is a Tanner!<br />

ALARMING PROSPECT<br />

PUNCH.<br />

To <strong>the</strong> Editor <strong>of</strong> "PUNCH."<br />

SIR--You are aware, <strong>of</strong> course, that in <strong>the</strong> progress <strong>of</strong> a few centuries<br />

<strong>the</strong> language <strong>of</strong> a country undergoes a great alteration; that <strong>the</strong> Latin<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Augustan age was very different from that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong><br />

Tarquin; and no less so from that which prevailed at <strong>the</strong> fall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Roman empire. Also, that <strong>the</strong> Queen's <strong>English</strong> is not precisely what it<br />

was in Elizabeth's days; to say nothing <strong>of</strong> its variation from what was<br />

its condition under <strong>the</strong> Plantagenets.<br />

I observe, with regret, that our literature is becoming conversational,<br />

and our conversation corrupt. <strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> cant phraseology is daily<br />

gaining ground among us, and this evil will speedily infect, if it has<br />

not already infected, <strong>the</strong> productions <strong>of</strong> our men <strong>of</strong> letters. I fear<br />

most for our poetry, because what is vulgarly termed SLANG is<br />

unfortunately very expressive, and <strong>the</strong>refore peculiarly adapted for <strong>the</strong><br />

purposes <strong>of</strong> those whose aim it is to clo<strong>the</strong> "thoughts that brea<strong>the</strong>" in<br />

"words that burn;" and, besides, it is in many instances equivalent to

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