488 



A CHAPTER ON ANNUALS. 



" Ah ! well," said the Weathercock, " I was a little alarmed when I was 

 first put up here, for when I was fixed and duly regulated by the compass 

 (which, by the bye, I consider, must be rather a SHARP instrument, for 

 I heard it had a needle and thirty-two points /) I was declared by all pre- 

 sent ' to stand completely square,' when, to my dismay, in two minutes after- 

 wards, the wind blew me completely round; but since we've been talking, 

 Mr. Weather-glass, I perceive, by your face, you're not many degrees from 

 being very dry ; what say you to a glass of something ?" 



" With all my heart," says the Weather-glass, "if you'll stand it." 



" I stand it ?" said the weather-cock, " did you ever know me stand to 

 any thing ?" here he turn'd half round, and look'd the other way. 



"Just like you, you shabby rascal," says the Weather-glass, "there's no 

 trusting you." 



" Save your abuse, save your abuse !" said the Weather-cock, speaking 

 with his head turn'd away ! " tho' I'm used to blows, they must be given in 

 a round-about manner ; and of all blows, the least I care about is a BLOW 



UP!'. 



The cuts we are enabled to give are by no means the best ; yet 



MUSQUETOES 



r 



possess point, as any who have had the ill luck to feel them can 

 surely testify. The next we quote is a clever punning poem, under 

 the head of 



CLASSIC CAROLS. 



BY THE AUTHOR OF " ABSURDITIES. 

 No. 1. PYGMALION. 



Pygmalion was a sculptor rare, 



Who dwelt in Cyprus' Isle ; 

 He had the skill to please the wise, 



And make e'en block-heads smile. 

 He ' made a figure' oft, 'tis said, 



' Cut out' his friends, how rude ! 

 At marbles played when in the vein, 



And hueless blocks he hewed ! 



He chisell'd out a lovely nymph 



You'll own she was his own ; 

 Which, tho' but common marble, seem'd 



To him & precious stone ! 



