VI PREFACE. 



For instance 



" JAN. What's got there, you ? 



WILL. A blastnashun Straddlebob craalun about in 

 the nammut bag. 



JAN. Straddlebob ! Where dedst leyarn to caal'n by 

 that neyam ? 



WILL. Why, what should e caal'n ? tes the right 

 neyam, esn ut ? 



JAN. Eight neyam, no ! Why ye gurt zote vool, casn't 

 zee tes a Dumbledore ? 



WILL. I know tes ; but vur aal that Straddlebob's zo 

 right a neyam vorn as Dumbledore ez. 



JAN. Come, I'll be deyand if I doan't laay thee a quart 

 o' that. 



WILL. Done ! and I'll ax meyastur to-night when I 

 goos whoam, beet how't wool. 



***;** 



WILL. I zay, Jan ! I axed meyastur about that are, 

 last night. 



JAN. Well ! what did ur zay ? 



WILL. Why, a zed one neyam ez jest zo vittum vorn 

 as tother ; and he louz a ben caald Straddlebob ever 

 zunce the island was vust meyad."* 



There is a story of a young preacher who, feeling for 

 an opinion on his sermon, elicited the compliment, " It 

 was short." "Yes," replied the gratified orator, "I 

 wished to avoid being tedious." "But you were 

 tedious !" 



The writer of the present work earnestly hopes that 

 the attempt to be popular, yet without scientific inac- 

 curacy, may not result in a verdict of "Slovenly but 

 dry." 



* Specimen of Isle of Wight dialect from Halliwell, in Latham's 

 " History of the English Language." 



