--There goes the hammer again! (Rubins has a sinecure compared to that fat man). "A glee, gents!--a glee!"--Ah! there they are--three coats--three collars--Heaven knows how many buttons!--three bald heads, three stout stomachs, three mouths, stuffed with three tuning-forks, nodding and conferring with a degree of mystery worthy of three Guy Faux."--What is the subject? "_Hail_ smi_lig_ _b_orn." That's a good guess! By the way, the vulgar notion of singing _ensemble_ is totally exploded by these gentry--each professional singer, as a professional singer, sings his very loudest, in _justice to himself_; if his brethren want physical power, that's no fault of _his_, _he don't_. Professional singers indulge in small portions of classic lore: among the necessary acquirements is, "Non nobis," &c. &c.; that is, they consider they ought to know the airs. The words are generally delivered as follows:--_Don--dobis--do--by--de_. A clear enunciation is not much cultivated among the clever in this line. In addition to the few particulars above, it may be as well to mention, they treat all tavern-waiters with great respect, which is more Christian-like, as the said waiters never return the same--sit anywhere, just to accommodate--eat everything, to prove they have no squeamish partialities--know to a toothful what a bottom of brandy _should be_--the exact quantity they may drink, free gratis, and the most likely victim to _drop upon_ for any further nourishment they may require. Their acquirements in the musical world are rendered clear, by the important information that "Harry Phillips knows what he's about"--"Weber was up to a thing or two." A _baritone_ ain't the sort of thing for tenor music: and when _they_ sung with some man (nobody ever heard of), they showed him the difference, and wouldn't mind--"A cigar?" "Thank you, sir!--seldom smoke--put it in my pocket--(_aside_) that makes a dozen! Your good health, sir!--don't dislike cold, though I generally take it warm--didn't mean that as a hint, but, since you _have ordered it_, I'll give you a toast--Here's--THE PROFESSIONAL SINGER!" FUSBOS. * * * * * AN AN-TEA ANACREONTIC. [Greek: EIS TO LEIN PINEIN.]