A hint of Hyde Park Ring from testy humours,
Stops Hint itself, when most agog for rumours.
Where'er I go, beaux, belles of all degrees,
Come buzzing round me like a swarm of bees:
My crafty hook of sly insinuation

I bait with hints, and fish for information.
"What news, dear Hint? it does us good to see
Your pleasant face: we're dying with ennui.
"Me! bless you! I know nothing."
"You're so sly;
You've something in your head:" "Indeed not I.
'Tis true, at Lady Rook's, just now I heard
A whisper pass. . . I don't believe a word
A certain lady is not over blameless,

Touching a certain lord that shall be nameless."
"Who? who? pray tell."

"Excuse me.'

(In different voices)

"Nay, you shall.”

"You mean my Lady Plume and Lord Fal-lal," "Lord Smirk and Mrs. Sparkle," Lady Simple,

99 66

And young Lord Froth," "Lord Whip and Mrs. Dimple." (In an Irish accent) "D'ye mean my wife, sir? give me leave to mention

There's no ill meaning in Lord Sly's attention:

Sir, there's my card: command me: I'll attend,

And talk the matter over with a friend."

"Dear Major! no such thing: you're right in scorning

Such idle tales: I wish you a good-morning."

Away I speed: from lounge to lounge I run,
With five tales loaded where I fished for one;
And, entre nous, take care the town shall know,
The Major's wife is not quite comme il faut.

But Hyde Park Ring my cunning shuns in vain,
If by your frowns I die in Drury Lane.
If die I must, think not I'll tamely fall:
Pit, boxes, gallery, thus I challenge all.
Ye critics near me, and ye gods afar!

Fair maid, spruce beau, plump cit, and jovial tar!
Come one and all, roused by my valorous greeting,
Te-morrow night to give bold Hint the meeting:
Bring all your friends-a host-I'll fit them nicely,
Place--Drury Lane-time, half-past-six precisely.

VOL. III.

10

'ER bush and brier Childe Launcelot sprung

Ο With ardent hopes elate,

And loudly blew the horn that hung

Before Sir Hornbook's gate.

The inner portals opened wide,

And forward strode the chief,

Arrayed in paper helmet's pride,

And arms of golden leaf.

"What means," he cried, "this daring noise,
That wakes the summer day?

I hate all idle truant boys:
Away, Sir Childe, away!"

"No idle truant boy am I,"

Childe Launcelot answered straight; "Resolved to climb this hill so high, I seek thy castle gate.

"Behold the talisman I bear,

And aid my bold design :"

Sir Hornbook gazed, and written there,
Knew Emulation's sign.

"If Emulation sent thee here,"

Sir Hornbook quick replied,

"My merrymen all shall soon appear,

To aid thy cause with shield and spear,
And I will head thy bold career,

And prove thy faithful guide.”

Loud rung the chains; the drawbridge fell;

The gates asunder flew ;

The knight thrice beat the portal bell,
And thrice he called "Halloo."

*

Childe, in our old ballads, often signifies a knight.

And out, and out, in hasty rout,
By ones, twos, threes, and fours;

His merrymen rushed the walls without,
And stood before the doors.

To range the scattered throng;
And Captain Word** disposed them well
In bands compact and strong.

"Now, mark, Sir Childe," Sir Hornbook said,

"These well compacted powers

Shall lead thy vent'rous steps to tread

Through all the Muses' bowers.

"If rightly thou thyself address,
To use their proffer'd aid:
Still unallured by idleness,
By labour undismayed;

"For many troubles intervene,
And perils widely spread,

Around the groves of evergreen,

That crown this mountain's head:

* There are twenty-six letters, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

+ Of these are vowels, a, e, i, o, u, y.

Four are double letters, j, w, x, z.

§ Four are liquids, 1, m, n, r.

And twelve are mutes, b, c, d, f, g, h, k, p, q, s, t, v.

A syllable is a distinct sound of one or more letters pronounced in a breath.

**Words are articulate sounds used by common consent, as signs of our ideas.

But rich reward he finds, I ween,
Who through them all has sped."
Childe Launcelot felt his bosom glow
At thought of noble deed d;
Resolved through every path to go,
Where that bold knight should lead.
Sir Hornbook wound his bugle horn,
Full long, and loud, and shrill;
His merrymen all, for conquest born,
With armour glittering to the morn,
Went marching up the hill.

III.

"WHAT men are you beside the way?"
The bold Sir Hornbook cried :

66

My name is The, my brother's A,”
Sir Article replied.*

"My brother's home is anywhere,†

At large and undefined;

But I a preference ever bear ‡

For one fixed spot, and settle there:

Which speaks my constant mind.”

"What ho! Childe Launcelot ! seize them there,
And look you have them sure!”

Sir Hornbook cried, "my men shall bear

Your captives off secure."

The twain were seized: Sir Hornbook blew

His bugle loud and shrill:

His merrymen all, so stout and true,

Went marching up the hill.

IV.

AND now a wider space they gained,

A steeper, harder ground,

There are two articles, the, definite; a or an, indefinite.

† The indefinite article is used generally and indeterminately to point out one single thing of a kind: as, "There is a dog; Give me

AN orange.

The definite article defines and specifies particular objects: as, "Those are THE men; give me THE book."

Where by one ample wall contained,
All earthly things they found :*

All beings, rich, poor, weak, or wise,
Were there, full strange to see,
And attributes and qualities
Of high and low degree.

Before the circle stood a knight,
Sir Substantive his name,†
With Adjective, his lady bright,
Who seemed a portly dame;

Yet only seemed; for whensoe'er
She strove to stand alone,+

She proved no more than smoke and air,
Who looked like flesh and bone.

And therefore to her husband's arm
She clung for evermore,

And lent him many a grace and charm
He had not known before;

Yet these the knight felt well advised,
He might have done without;
For lightly foreign help he prized,
He was so staunch and stout.

Five sons had they, their dear delight,
Of different forms and faces;
And two of them were numbers bright,§
And three they christened cases.||

* A noun is the name of whatsoever thing or being we see or discourse of.

Nouns are of two kinds, substantives and adjectives. A noun substantive declares its own meaning, and requires not another word to be joined with it to show its signification; as, man, book, apple. A noun adjective cannot stand alone, but always requires to be joined with a substantive, of which it shows the nature or quality, as "A good girl, a naughty boy."

:

§ Nouns have two numbers, singular and plural :-
and three cases: nominative, possessive, and objective.