Broadsides; Chapbooks; Street literature -- Great Britain
“Stop,” said the mayor, “that’s a mistake.” “I grant it,” said the
soldier, “but as I have never yet seen an almanack that was thoroughly
correct in all points, it would have been impossible for me to imitate
an almanack exactly, without, a mistake.” “Your observations are very
correct,” said the mayor; “go on.” When I count how many cards there
are in a pack, I find there are fifty-two; there are so many weeks in
the year; when I count how many tricks there are in a pack, I find
there are thirteen: there are so many lunar months in the year; there
are four suits in the pack, which represent the four seasons of the
year. You see, sir, that this pack of cards is a Bible, Almanack,
Common Prayer book, and Pack of Cards to me.”
Then the mayor called for a loaf of bread, a piece of cheese, and a pot
of good beer, and gave to the soldier a piece of money, bidding him to
go about his business, saying he was the cleverest man he had ever seen.
Taylor, Printer, 92 and 93, Brick Lane, Spitalfields.
THE FAR FAMED FAIRY TALE OF FENELLA.
A Famous Fish Factor Found himself Father of Five Fine Flirting
Females, Fanny, Florence, Fernanda, Francesca, and Fenella. The First
Four were Flattering, Flat Featured, Forbidden Faced, Freckled Frumps;
Fretful, Flippant, Foolish, and Full of Fun. The Fisher Failed, and
was Forced by Fickle Fortune to Forego his Footman, Forfeit his
Forefather’s Fine Fields, and Find a Forlorn Farmhouse in a Forsaken
Forest. The Four Fretful Females, Fond of Figuring at Feasts in
Feathers and Fashionable Finery, Fumed at their Fugitive Father,
Forsaken by Fulsome, Flattering Fortune hunters, who Followed them when
Fish Flourished. Fenella Fondled her Father, Flavoured their Food,
Forgot her Flattering Followers, and Frolickled in Frieze without
Flounces. The Father, Finding himself Forced to Forage in Foreign parts
For a Fortune, Found he could afford a Fairing to his Five Fondlings.
The First Four were Fain to Foster their Frivolity with Fine Frills
and Fans, Fit to Finish their Father’s Finances. Fenella, Fearful of
Flooring him, Formed a Fancy For a Full Fresh Flower. Fate Favoured the
Fish Factor For a Few days, when he Fell in with a Fog. His Faithful
Filly’s Footsteps Faltered, and Food Failed. He Found himself in Front
of a Fortified Fortress. Finding it Forsaken, and Feeling himself
Feeble and Forlorn, with Feasting, he Fed upon the Fish, Flesh, and
Fowl he Found, Fricasseed and Fried, and when Full, Fell Flat on his
Face on the Floor. Fresh in the Forenoon he Forthwith Flew to the
Fruitful Fields, and not Forgetting Fenella, he Filched a Fair Flower,
when a Foul, Frightful, Fiendish Figure Flashed Forth. “Felonious
Feller, Fingering my Flower, I’ll Finish you! Go! Say Farewell to your
Fine Felicitious Family, and Face me in a Fortnight!” The Faint-hearted
Fisher Fumed and Faltered, and Fast was Far in his Flight. His Five
daughters Flew to Fall at his Feet, and Fervently Felicitate him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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