FINALE.

My task is done! but, ere I "drown my book,"

And "break my staff," I'll take a parting look.

If I have made a fool, in sportive fit,

A lapstone meet, whereon to shape my wit,

So gently have I used him, that, with care,

He'll serve my purpose for another year:

As old Majendie skinned the Italian hound,

And time too short for demonstration found,

Then told his pupils, if they managed right,

They'd keep the dog alive another night.

Of embryo asses I've a pretty store,

Who crave a flaying in a twelvemonth more;

Subjects of every colour and complexion,

Contending for the honour of dissection;

While some there are, who, blest in their condition,

Would waive the honours of my exhibition.

As bashful Bishops, at an ordination,

Cry "Nolo," to the gentle invitation:

And some, the only merit of whose life

Will be, their forming victims for my knife.

Now, John,—not Sir John Ross—I mean John Bull

Thou silly, soft, good-natured, guileless gull!

Why wilt thou let each knave enrich his nest

With treasures pilfered from thy downy breast?

Pill-bolting glutton of all sorts of trash!

In jest or earnest needing still the lash,

Thy cure (no sinecure) will keep, I fear,

My rod in pickle for another year.

THE
COMIC ALMANACK
For 1837.

JANUARY.			[1837.

	Now folks trudge on with muffled faces,
	To meet Dan Winter's cold embraces;
	But he has not the freezing air,
	That upstart, purse-proud worldlings wear.
	Now mischief-making urchins plan,
	With glassy slide, the fall of man;
	But Summer friends, with Wint'ry looks,
	Are slipp'rier far than icy brooks.
D.	Great Events and Odd Matters.		Prognostifications.
1	Curaçoa taken (rather too freely).

2	The Sandwich Islands discovered by a Cook.		Touching

3	Let shame and foul disgrace betide the enervated land, which		the Stars,
	Forsakes old English suppers for that make-believe, a Sandwich.
4			♄ ☉ ☌ ♊

5	Dividends due. Very Consoling, but "Take care of your pockets!"
			(That
6	Twelfth Day. Hilarity Term ends.
			is to say
7

8	General Election.	Tower Hamlets voters soak their Clay, and vote for Lushington.—Lambeth ditto give three hips for Hawes, and huzza!	☊ ♄ ♂ ☉

9			with a

10			figurative

11	Cayenne taken by as-salt, 1809. Enemy well peppered.		tangibility,

12			⚹ ☉

13
			seeing they
14
			are out of
15
			our reach)
16	FROZE-OUT GARDENERS.

17	Poor half-starv'd, froze-out Gardeners, good gentlefolk, we be—		♂ ♄
	Hard lines for us, my masters all, as ever you did see;
18	We sits among the trenches in a shake and in a shiver,
	And our poor little babbies are without a bit of kiver;		I do opine,
19	Like snails among the cabbages, they curls themselves around,
	Or, like the little caterpillars, grubbing on the ground.		that
20	We wanders home and dreads to hear of some mishap or other,
	And scarcely dares to ax the pretty darlings "how's your mother?"		whereas,
21

22	Lord Bacon born. (Query, The Fry-er.)		♏ ♄ ☌ ♀

23	She sold her mangle long ago,—'twere better far nor prigging;
	For we only turns up spades whene'er we tries our hands at digging.		according
24	Without some rain 'tis all in vain. Alack! our hearts is breaking,
	And surely we should break our teeth if we should go a-raking:		to Hamlet,
25	So, night and day, we ever pray the frost it may be going,
	No more they'll let us owe, unless we gets a little hoeing:
26	The parish board don't heed our word; but, looking black or blue,		♌ ☋
	They reads the Hact o' Parliament, and then cries—"Who are you?"
27	So help the froze-out Gardeners, kind masters every one,		there are
	For while you're sporting on the ice, we're starving till it's gone.
28			more things

29			in

30	Lecture on Heads at Whitehall. Price, a crown.		heaven and

31	Ben Jonson born. "Shikspur—who wrote Shikspur?"		earth

JANUARY,—Last Year's Bills.

FINALE.

THECOMIC ALMANACKFor 1837.

THE
COMIC ALMANACK
For 1837.