Early in the 19th century, the story of Cymbeline was published as The Entertaining History of Palidore and Fidele, in flowered covers, for the “amusement and instruction of youth”.
(a) Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book. Vol. II. “Sold by M. Cooper, according to Act of Parliament”.
The frontispiece shows a boy playing a flute and two girls seated with a book of songs. At the foot of each page is a musical direction: “Recitatio”, “Toccato”, “Vere Subito”, etc. At the end are two cuts, one a portrait of the writer “Nurse Lovechild”, the other advertising The Child’s Plaything, with the date 1744, and the following rhyme:—
“The Child’s Plaything
I recommend for cheating
Children into Learning
Without any Beating.”
(b) The author of The Little Master’s Miscellany (1743) condemns the popular song-books, and instead of these, provides children with moral dialogues, “On Lying”, “On Fishing”, “On Death”, “On Detraction”, “On the Tulip”, etc.
(c) John Marchant in his Puerilia; or, Amusements for the Young (1753) offers a better substitute for the “Ribaldry” which he complains that children are “instructed to con and get by Heart” as soon as they can read,—“to trill it with their little Voices in every Company where they are introduced”.