d them a national disgrace.
They were an insult to our cradlehood, and are still continually an
annoyance to our maturer ears. The proverbial wisdom of our ancestors is
but little shown, we think, in having handed them down to us. It is
humiliating to think that in this era of enlightenment, this present
March--or, we should rather say, November--of Intellect, such nonsense
can be tolerated. Any well-regulated baby must, we are persuaded, feel
itself disgraced by it.

In the position we hold as national benefactors, we have long been
anxious to reform these truly "nonsense verses," and we are resolved
that when our stereotyped "want of space" no longer afflicts us, we will
"seriously incline" our pen to an attempt at their amendment. Meanwhile,
upon a subject so suggestive as the present, we can't resist throwing a
little reason in the rhymes; and we feel we shall be doing the infant
state some service by printing, as a specimen, our _Innkeeper Rhymer_.

AIR.--"_Hushaby Baby._"

Chouse away, innkeeper, while you've the chance,
For you'll very soon drive all the tourists to France:
A crown for a breakfast--eight shillings for lunch--
Pay him his bill, and expose him in _Punch_.

AIR.--"_Ride a Cock-horse._"

Dine at the Cross off steak tough as horse,
And charged at the rate of a crown for a course;
With bills ever high, and bows ever low,
You shall have chousing wherever you go.

AIR.--"_Sing a Song of Sixpence._"

Sing a song of fleecing:
A pocket full of gold
In four-and-twenty hours
Will be quite cleaned out, I'm told.
Would you stay a fortnight,
A fortune you must bring,
For while they serve you like a Commoner,
They charge you like a King.

Two shillings for a cup of tea,
And sixpence more for "honey;"
And however light your dinner be,
A heavy sum of money.
Half-a-crown for wax-lights,
Tallowy in smell:
So wherever you're admitted,
You are taken in as well.

* * * * *

FOLLOWING THE FASHION.--The French start the Fashions, and the English
follow them.

* * * * *

[Illustration: MATERIALS FOR A MUSEUM OF CITY ANTIQUITIES.]

* * * * *

THE ALBERT STATUE MOVEMENT.

A meeting of the principal metropolitan Statues took place yesterday
morning at Exeter Hall. Time was when such an assemblage would have been
looked upon as rather an