Call that my fare for drivin yer a mile? My blood is bilin' in a wiolent manner! This 'ere is-wot?— There's sunthin the matter with my sight It is yes!-Nol "Tis, raly, though Oh, blow! blow! blow! Ho, ho, ho, ho! it is, it is a Tanner !* ALARMING PROSPECT To the Editor of "PUNCH." PUNCH SIB-You are aware, of course, that in the progress of a few centuries the lan. guage of a country undergoes a great alteration; that the Latin of the Augustan age was very different from that of the time of Tarquin; and no less so from that which prevailed at the fall of the Roman empire. Also, that the Queen's English Is not precisely what it was in Elizabeth's days; to say nothing of its variation from what was its condition under the Plantagenets. I observe, with regret, that our literature is becoming conversational, and our conversation corrupt. The use of cant phraseology is daily gaining ground among us, and this evil will speedily infect, if it has not already infected, the productions of our men of letters. I fear most for our poetry, because what is vulgarly termed slang is unfortunately very expressive, and therefore peculiarly adapted for the purposes of those whose aim it is to clothe "thoughts that breathe" in "words that burn:" and, besides, it is in many instances equivalent to terms and forms of speech which have long been recognized among poetical writers as a kind of Purrent coin. The peril which I anticipate I have endeavored to exemplify in the following AFFECTING COPY OF VERSES (WITH NOTES) GENTLY o'er the meadows prigging,' Joan and Colin took their way, While each flower the dew was swigging,' In the jocund month of May. Joan was beauty's plummiest' daughter; Colin youth's most nutty' son; Many a nob3 in vain had sought her Him full many a spicy one. She her faithful bosom's jewel Did unto this young un' plight; But, alas! the gov'nor cruel, Said as how he'd never fight. Soon as e'er the lark had risen, They had burst the bonds of snooze, And her daddle" link'd in his'n,12 Gone to roam as lovers use. In a crack13 the youth and maiden Down they squatted" them together, Lovely Joan," said Colin bold, "Tell me, on thy davy," whether Thou dost dear thy Colin hold ?" "Don't I, just ?"" with look ecstatic, Cried the young and ardent maid; "Then let's bolt !"18 in tone emphatic, Bumptuous" Colin quickly said. "Bolt ?" she falter'd, "from the gov'nor? "Shall we then be disunited ?" Wildly shrieked the frantic cove;2 "Mull'd our happiness! and blighted In the kinchin-bud24 our love! "No, my tulip 125 let us rather Hand in hand the bucket kick ;26 Thus he spoke, and pull'd a knife out, "Now," he cried, "here's into mine!" But a hand unseen behind him Did the fatal blow arrest. Oh, my eye!30 they seize and bind him. In the precints of the prison, Draw it mild, and mind your eyes [32 Teal inse: 1. 'Prigging," stealing; as yet exclusively applied to petty larceny. ing" is as well known to be a poetical term as it is to be an indictable the Zephyr and the Vesper Hymn, cum multis aliis, are very prone to this practice. 2. "Swigging," drinking copiously-of malt liquor in particular. “Pearly drops of dew we drink."-OLD Song. 3. "Plummiest," the superlative of "plummy," exquisitely delicious; an epithet commonly used by young gentlemen in speaking of a bonne bouche or "tit bit," as a mince pie, a preserved apricot, or an oyster patty. The transference of terms expressive of delightful and poignant savor to female beauty, is commou with poets. "Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath.”—SHAKSPEANR "Charley loves a pretty girl, as sweet as sugar candy."—ANON. 4. "Nutty," proper-in the old English sense of "comely," "handsome. six proper youths, and tall."-OLD SONG. 5. "Nob," a person of consequence; a word very likely to be patronized, irom Its combined brevity and significancy. 6. "Spicy," very smart and pretty; it has the same recommendation, and will probably supplant the old favorite" bonny." "Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny, bonny bride."—HAMILTON. 7. "Young 'un," youth, young inan "A youth to fortune and to fame un known."--GBAY. 8. "Gov'nor," or "guv'nor," a contraction of "governor," a father. It will, no doubt, soon supersede sire, which is at present the poetical equivalent for the name of the author of one's existence. See all the poets, passim. 9. "Said as how he'd never fight," the thing was out of the question; » metaphorical phrase, though certainly, at present, a vulgar one. 10. "Snooze," slumber personified, like "Morpheus," or "Somnus." 11. "Daddle."—Q. from dákruλos, a finger-pars pro toto?-Hand, the only synonym for it that we have, except " Paw," "Mawley," &c., which are decidedly generis ejusdem. 12. "His'n," his own; corresponding to the Latin suus, his own and nobody else's, so frequently met with in OVID and others. 13. "Crack," a twinkling, an extremely short interval of time, which was for merly expressed, in general, by a periphrasis; as, “Ere the leviathan can swim ■ league!"-SHAKSPEARE 16. " Davy," affidavit, solemn oath. Significant and euphonious, therefore a saring to the versifier. 17. "Don't I, just ?" A question for a strong affirmation, as, “Oh, yes, indeed do;" a piece of popular retoric, pithy and forcible and consequently almost sura o be adopted-especially by the pathetic writera 18. "Bolt," run away. Syn. 19. "Bumptious," fearless, bold, and spirited; a very energetic expression, such as those rejoice in who would fair “Denham's strength with Waller's sweet ness join." 20. "That won't pay," that plan will never answer. Metaph. 21. "Come down," disburse; also rendered in the vernacular by "fork out," etc. Id. 22. "Cove," swain. "Alexis shunn'd his fellow swains."—PRIOR. BLENSTONE passim. 23. "Mull'd," equivalent to "wreck'd," a term of pathos. 24. See als Kinchin-bud," infant-bud. Metaph.; moreover, very tender, sweet, and touching, as regards the idea. 25. "My tulip," a term of endearment. "Fairest lower, all flowers excelling." Ode to a Child: COTTON. 26. "The bucket kick," pleonasm for die; as, "to breathe life's latest sigh."— To yield the soul,"—" the breath,"—or, ut apud antiq. “Animam expirare," seu "effiare," etc. 29. "Here's unto mine!" A form of speech analogous to "Have at thee."— SHAKSPEARE, and the dramatists generally. 30. "Oh, my eye!" an interjectional phrase, tantamount to "Oh, heavens!" "Merciful powers!" etc. 31. "Cold crib," cold bed. "Go to thy cold bed and warm thee."-SHAK. 32. "Draw it mild," etc. Metaph. for "Rule your passions, and beware!" I doubt not that it will be admitted by your judicious readers that I have substantiated my case. Our monarchical institutions may preserve our native tongue for a time, but if it does not become, at no very distant period, as strange a med. ley as that of the American is at present-to use the expressive but peculiar idiom of that people "it's a pity." I am, sir, etc., P. EPITAPH ON A LOCOMOTIVE. BY THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF A DEPLORABLE ACCIDENT (NO BLAME TO BE ATTACHED TO ANY SERVANTS OF THE COMPANY). THE TICKET OF LEAVE. L48 SUNG BY THE HOLDER, AMID A CONVIVIAL OIROLE IN THE SLUMS.] VEN a prig has come to grief, A certain dodge and safe resource is, And then resumes your wicious courses. PUNOR (Spoken.) I vos lagged, my beloved pals, on a suspicion of burglary, 'ad up afore the Recorder, and got seven years' penal serwitude and 'ard labor. Hand preshus 'ard labor and 'ard lines I found it at first, mind you. Vell, I says to myself, blow me! I ain't a goin' to stand this 'ere, you know; but 'taint no use kickin' agin stone walls and iron spikes: wot I shall try and do is to gammor the parson. "Ven a prig," etc. Them parsons is so jolly green, They're sure to trust in your conwersion, The consequence of their exertion. You shakes your 'ead, turns up your eyes, By reason only of your sentence. (Spoken.) Wen in a state of wiolent prespiration smokin' 'ot from the crank, the Chapling comes into my cell, and he says, says he, "My man," he says. "how do you feel?" "Appy, sir," says I, with a gentle sithe; "thank you, sir: quite 'appy." "But you seem distressed, my poor fellow," says he. “Ibody, sir," says I; " yes. But that makes me more 'appy. I'm glad to be distressed in body. It serves me right. But in mind I'm 'appy: leastways almost 'appy." "Ave you hany wish to express," says he: "is there any request as you would like to make." "AWKER'S Пevening Potion, sir," says I, "and the Dairyman's Daughter: if 'AWKER's Hevening Potion was but mineand the Dairyman's Daughter-I think, sir, I should be quite 'appy." "My friend," says the parson, "your desire shall be attended to," and hout he valked me a takin' a sight at 'im be'ind 'is back, for as soon as I thought hẹ wos out of 'earin', sings I to myself. "Ven a prio etc In the chapel of the Jug, Then I did the meek and lowly, |