THE
PUNSTER'S POCKET-BOOK,
OR
The Art of Punning
ENLARGED.
BY
BERNARD BLACKMANTLE, ESQ.
AUTHOR OF THE ENGLISH SPY, ETC. ETC. ETC.
"Give me the man, when all is done,
That wisely cracks a jest or pun.
Martial.
ILLUSTRATED WITH
Numerous Original Designs
BY ROBERT CRUIKSHANK.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY SHERWOOD, GILBERT, AND PIPER,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.
1826.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS.
His Most Gracious Majesty,
KING GEORGE THE FOURTH,
THE ARBITER ELEGANTIARUM,
THE PATRON,
THE LOVER,
AND THE JUDGE OF WIT,
THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS DEDICATED,
WITH THE MOST FERVENT LOYALTY,
THE MOST SINCERE ADMIRATION,
AND THE MOST PROFOUND RESPECT,
BY HIS DEVOTED SERVANT,
AND FAITHFUL SUBJECT,
WORD
TO
THE WITTY AND THE WISE.
Wit led the way—with sportive jest,
Next, Humour, most fantastic drest;
The Graces, eldest of the Nine,
Followed—collecting from each shrine,
Where Genius shed a ray of light,
Which might improve, instruct, delight.
Messieurs the Punsters,
I may with great propriety contend, that undersuch merry designation, I am addressing a verylarge portion of the British public. If, beneathyour patronage, this little work should prove as[Pg vi]successful as the flattering anticipations of somefriendly adepts in the art of punning have inducedme to expect, it is my intention to collect andpublish, annually, all the choicest Morceaux andVagaries relating to punning that can be obtainedfrom the wits and witty works of our own