provisions, capes, hardware, and newspapers--till the place is a perfect Babel of competition. "Ha-a-andsome cod! best in the market! All alive! alive! alive, oh!"--"Ye-o-o! ye-o-o! Here's your fine Yarmouth bloaters! Who's the buyer?"--"Here you are, governor; splendid whiting! some of the right sort!"--"Turbot! turbot! All alive, turbot."--"Glass of nice peppermint, this cold morning? Halfpenny a glass!"--"Here you are, at your own price! Fine soles, oh!"--"Oy! oy! oy! Now's your time! Fine grizzling sprats! all large, and no small!"--"Hullo! hullo, here! Beautiful lobsters! good and cheap. Fine cock crabs, all alive, oh!"--"Five brill and one turbot--have that lot for a pound! Come and look at 'em, governor; you won't see a better lot in the market!"--"Here! this way; this way, for splendid skate! Skate, oh! skate, oh!"--"Had-had-had-had-haddock! All fresh and good!"--"Currant and meat puddings! a ha'penny each!"--"Now, you mussel-buyers, come along! come along! come along! Now's your time for fine fat mussels!"--"Here's food for the belly, and clothes for the back; but I sell food for the mind!" shouts the newsvendor.--"Here's smelt, oh!"--"Here ye are, fine Finney haddick!"--"Hot soup! nice pea-soup! a-all hot! hot!"--"Ahoy! ahoy, here! Live plaice! all alive, oh!"--"Now or never! Whelk! whelk! whelk!" "Who'll buy brill, oh! brill, oh?"--"Capes! waterproof capes! Sure to keep the wet out! A shilling apiece!"--"Eels, oh! eels, oh! Alive, oh! alive oh!"--"Fine flounders, a shilling a lot! Who'll have this prime lot of flounders?"--"Shrimps! shrimps! fine shrimps!"--"Wink! wink! wink!"--"Hi! hi-i! here you are; just eight eels left--only eight!"--"O ho! O ho! this way--this way--this way! Fish alive! alive! alive, oh." BILLINGSGATE; OR, THE SCHOOL OF RHETORIC. Near London Bridge once stood a gate, Belinus gave it name, Whence the green Nereids oysters bring, A place of public fame. Here eloquence has fixed her seat, The nymphs here learn by heart In mode and figure still to speak, By modern rules of art. To each fair oratress this school Its rhetoric strong affords; They double and redouble tropes, With finger, fish, and words. Both nerve and strength and flow of speech, With beauties ever new, Adorn the language of these nymphs, Who give it all their due. O, happy seat of happy nymphs! For many ages known, To thee each rostrum's forc'd to yield-- Each forum in the town. Let other academies boast What titles else they please; Thou shalt be call'd "the gate of tongues," Of tongues that never cease.