English humorists of the eighteenth century : Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith . boisterous rustics infest our streets inturnip-season; and which are more inexcusable, because these arewares which are in no danger of coohng upon their hands. There are others who affect a very slow time, and are in myopinion much more tuneable than the former. The cooper inparticular swells his last note in an hollow voice, that is not withoutits harmony; nor can I forbear being inspired with a most agreeablemelancholy, when I hear that sad and solemn air with which thepubUc
English humorists of the eighteenth century : Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith . boisterous rustics infest our streets inturnip-season; and which are more inexcusable, because these arewares which are in no danger of coohng upon their hands. There are others who affect a very slow time, and are in myopinion much more tuneable than the former. The cooper inparticular swells his last note in an hollow voice, that is not withoutits harmony; nor can I forbear being inspired with a most agreeablemelancholy, when I hear that sad and solemn air with which thepubUc are very often asked, if they have any chairs to mend ? Youro\\Ti memory may suggest to you many other lamentable ditties ofthe same nature, in which the music is wonderfully languishingand melodious. I am always pleased with that particular time of the year whichis proper for the pickhng of dill and cucumbers; but, alas! thiscry, hke the song of the nightingale, is not heard above two would therefore be worth while to consider, whether the same airmight not in some cases be adapted to other THE SPECTATOR It might likewise deserve our most serious consideration, howfar, in a well-regulated city, those humourists are to be tolerated,who, not contented with the traditional cries of their forefathers,have invented particular songs and tunes of their own; such as was,not many years since, the pastryman, commonly known by thename of the Colly-Molly-Puff; and such as is at this day the vendorof powder and wash-balls, who, if I am rightly informed, goes underthe name of Powder-Wat. I must not here omit one particular absurdity which runs throughthis whole vociferous generation, and which renders their cries veryoften not only incommodious, but altogether useless to the mean that idle accomplishment, which they all of them aim at,of crying so as not to be understood. Whether or not they havelearned this from several of our affected singers, I will not tak
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectenglishliterature
