95. SIMPLE SIMON'S MISFORTUNES, OR HIS WIFE MARGERY'S OUTRAGIOUS CRUELTY. 12mo. London, Printed and sold by Mary D. at the Horseshoe in Giltspur Street, n. d.

At the end is "a pleasant Song, giving an account of many more miserable Misfortunes of poor Simon, shewing how he drank a bottle of sack to poison himself, as being weary of his life." This edition, which was printed early in the last century, is unfortunately imperfect; but the deficiency is supplied from a Newcastle edition, printed about 1760. The chapters are thus entitled-1. An account of Simon's wedding, and how his wife Margery scolded him for putting on his roast-meat cloaths the very next morning after he was married. 2. How she dragg'd him up the chimney in a basket a smoak-drying, wherein they used to dry bacon, which made him look like a red-herring. 3. How Simon lost a sack of corn as he was going to the mill to have it ground. 4. How Simon went to market with a basket of eggs, but broke them by the way: also how he was put into the stocks. 5. How Simon's wife cudgell'd him for not bringing home money for his eggs. 6. How Simon lost his wife's pail, and burnt the bottom of her kettle. 7. How Simon's wife sent him to buy two pounds of soap, but going over a bridge, let his money fall into the river: also how a rag-man run away with his cloaths. The roast-meat clothes, mentioned in the first chapter, mean the holiday or Sunday clothes.

96. THE COMICAL HISTORY OF SIMPLE JOHN AND

His Twelve MISFORTUNES, which happened all in twelve days after the unhappy day of his Marriage, giving a particular account of his courtship and marriage to a scolding wife, which has been a mortifying misery to many a poor man. 12mo. Glasgow, 1805.

A Scotch tract, more modern than the above, and apparently imitated from it. To this may be added the following:

97. THE MISERIES OF POOR SIMPLE INNOCENT SILLY

TAM. 12mo. n. d.

98. WANTON TOM, OR THE MERRY HISTORY OF TOM STITCH THE TAYLOR.

Deck'd with such pleasing pastimes of delight,

That it would invite a lady, lord, or knight,

To read it is a gem, a mint of treasure, 'Tis sport and mirth beyond all measure. 12mo. Newcastle, n. d.

A collection of anecdotes respecting a young tailor, who was a favourite with the ladies.

On the frontis

piece is a cut of two tailors seated on their table. This tract was composed in the seventeenth century, and has some curious allusions.

99. THE HISTORY OF THAT CELEBRATED LADY ALLY CROAKER, in which is contained more fun than ever was sold at so small an expense, consisting of funny joaks and blunders, and intended to instruct and delight. 12mo. London, n. d.

All you that merriment do love,

To ease a troubled mind,
Peruse this book, and you therein

Great store of mirth will find;

Here's funny blunders fresh and new,
Till now where (sic) ne'er in priut :
You'll say, if well this book you view,
There's mirth and pastime in't.

This

With numerous cuts, printed about 1760. was a very popular chap-book in the last century, and frequently published at Aldermary Church-yard. It is a collection of Irish bulls in the form of a narrative, impertinently connected with the name of Alicia Croker, who was the second sister of Edward Croker of Rawleighstown, county Limerick, and high sheriff of that county in 1735. She was a great beauty, and the subject of many verses and some music. Mr. Grogan, a gentleman of the county of Wexford, is said to have composed the popular air of Ally Croker in commendation of her charms. This must have been previous to 1735, as it was replied to in a sporting song on the convivialities of her brother, by Pierce Creagh, printed by Mr. Crofton Croker. Ally married Charles Langley, Esq. of Lisnarnock, county Kilkenny, and died at an advanced age, without children to inherit their mother's charms.

100. THE MERRY FROLICKS, OR THE COMICAL CHEATS OF SWALPO, a notorious Pickpocket, and the Merry Pranks of Roger the Clown. 12mo. London, n. d. An account of the cheats practised by a pickpocket. It is illustrated by cuts. In another edition, printed by T. Saint, Newcastle, about 1770, his companion is called on the title "Jack the Clown. The first chapter, which illustrates the practices formerly in vogue at

Bartholomew Fair, is an average specimen of the ingenuity of the whole.

How Swalpo outwitted a countryman of a broad piece of gold, which he had hid in his mouth.-Swalpo dressed himself like a countryman, with a pair of dirty boots, and a whip in his hand, and going into Bartholomew Fair, met with no prize worth speaking of, he walked out of the fair. At the entrance into the fair he met a countryman, and said to him, "Honest friend, have a care of your pockets; you are going into a cursed place, where there are none but rogues and pickpockets; I am almost ruined by them, and am glad they have not picked the teeth out of my head: let one take never so much care of their pockets, they'll be sure of the money: I am sure the devil helps them." "I defy all the devils in hell," says the countryman, to rob me of anything of value. I've a broad piece, and that I'll secure." So clapping it into his mouth, he went confidently into the fair. Swalpo desired no more than to know if he had money, and where it lay: he gives a sign to a hopeful boy of his, and giving him out some sixpences and groats, told him what he should do. The boy immediately runs, and falls down just before the countryman, and scattering the money, starts up and roars like a bedlamite, crying, he was undone, he must run away from his apprenticeship; his master was such a furious fellow, he would certainly kill him. The countryman with other people gathered about, helping the boy to take the money. One of them says, "Have you recovered all ?"

66

"Yes, all the silver," says

the boy, "but what does that signify? There is a broad piece of gold that I was carrying to my master for a token sent him from the country, and I like a fool must come through this unlucky place to lose it: I shall be kill'd. What shall become of me?" Swalpo coming up, tells some of the by-standers, who were pitying of the boy, that he observed that country fellow there to stoop, and put something into his mouth. Whereupon they flew upon him, and one of them wresting open his mouth, made him spit out the gold, and some blood along with it. When the countryman endeavoured to speak for himself, they kicked him, punched him, and tossed him about, and some calling to the ..... and pump, he was glad to call for mercy, and thought himself richer than the great Turk when he got out of their clutches. The boy, in the mean time, slips from the crowd, and goes to Swalpo with the gold, where he used to find him."

101. THE HISTORY AND COMICAL TRANSACTIONS OF LOTHIAN TOM, in six Parts; wherein is contained a collection of roguish Exploits done by him both in Scotland and England. 12mo. Edinburgh, n. d. An account of tricks, some not of the most honourable description. At the end is, "The Ploughman's Glory, or Tom's Song."

102. THE CONquest of FraNCE, with the Life and Glorious Actions of Edward the Black Prince, his victory, with about twelve thousand archers and men at arms, over Philip of France and an hun