+Transcriber's Notes+ 1. Typographical errors have been silently corrected. 2. Variations of spelling and hyphenation are as in the original. 3. The text version is coded for italics and the like mark-ups i.e., a) italics are indicated thus _italic_; b) small-caps are indicated thus CAPS; c) bold text is indicated thus =strong= d) Images in the book are indicated as [Illustration] at the respective place, between paragraphs. THE BAB BALLADS THE BAB BALLADS WITH WHICH ARE INCLUDED SONGS OF A SAVOYARD BY W. S. GILBERT [Illustration] WITH 350 ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR LONDON MACMILLAN & CO LTD NEW YORK. ST MARTIN'S PRESS _This book is copyright in all countries which are signatories to the Berne Convention_ _Transferred to Macmillan and Co. Ltd._, 1904 _Sixth Edition_ 1904 _Reprinted_ 1906, 1908, 1910, 1912, 1914, 1917, 1919 1920, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1932, 1953, 1960 MACMILLAN AND COMPANY LIMITED _London Bombay Calcutta Madras Melbourne_ THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED _Toronto_ ST MARTIN'S PRESS INC _New York_ PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN AUTHOR'S NOTE About thirty years since, several of "The Bab Ballads" (most of which had appeared, from time to time, in the pages of _Fun_) were collected by me, and published by Messrs. George Routledge and Sons. This volume passed through several editions, and, in due course, was followed by a second series under the title of "More Bab Ballads," which achieved a popularity equal to that of its predecessor. Subsequently, excerpts were made from these two volumes, and, under the title of "Fifty Bab Ballads," had a very considerable sale; but I soon discovered that in making the selection for this volume I had discarded certain Ballads that were greater favourites with my readers than with me. Nevertheless this issue was followed by many editions, English and American, of "Bab Ballads," "More Bab Ballads," and "Fifty Bab Ballads," to the no little bewilderment of such of the public as had been good enough to concern themselves with my verses. So it became desirable (for our own private ends) that this confusion should be definitely cleared up; and thus it came to pass that a reissue of the two earlier collections, in one volume, was decided upon.