1.—_The Greenacre Garland; or, a Merrie Manual for Midnight Murderers_:
A collection of the most remarkable dying-speech bills issued within the
last forty years; comprising letters written, and hymns composed by the
malefactors the night before their executions, speeches on the scaffold,
copies of verses detailing the crime, and written for music, with views
of the execution, and occasional portraits of the felons. Edited by the
late Thomas Cheshire, Esq., of Newgate, Middlesex.
2.—_A Collection of Political Songs and Ballads_, having reference to
some local particulars connected with a county election in 1833. As the
allusions in these relics are but imperfectly understood, and the
interest has quite gone by, this forms a valuable addition to the works
already published.
3.—_The Street Anthology of the Nineteenth Century_; comprising notices
of the most popular itinerant musicians of the day: to which is added,
an inquiry into the probable author of "Jim along Josey;" with memoirs
of the following eminent perambulators—_viz._, the little man in the
soldier's coat, with the "jolly nose," who indulges in _Billy Barlow_
and _Follow the Drum_, under a very diminutive and dilapidated umbrella,
on certain evenings in Leicester Square; the professional gentleman in
the oil-skin cap, and whiskers inclining to auburn, who sings to the
dulcimer and attends the races; the ambiguous character who ties his
hair in bows, wears sandals, carries a fan, and sings "She promised to
buy me a bunch of blue ribbons," and dances to the chorus—"Tilly ung de
rung tung de rung day," as he plays an imaginary piano on his ribs; the
two young gentlemen who black their faces with soot and tallow, and sing
"Sich a getting up stairs," standing upon their heads, and dancing with
their feet in the air; the conjuror who wears a scarlet coat, does the
doll trick, and tries to imitate "Jerry," but who does not succeed
therein.
4.—_Merrie England in the Modern Time; or, Richardson and his Friends._
A singular collection of showbills and street advertisements, edited by
the late Mr. Richardson, of travelling-theatre celebrity; including
details of the various fairs he attended, and embracing endless
anecdotes of his contemporaries—the learned pig, black wild Indian,
white Negress, Scotch giant, fat boy, Welsh dwarf, young Saunders, Mr.
Samivell, the equestrian, &c.; interspersed with many outlandish songs
and recitations, and dialogues between masters of shows and Mr.
Merriman.
5.—_Three Yards for a Penny._ A _répertoire_ of some reprinted popular
lyrical poems prevalent at the commencement of the reign of Queen
Victoria; including "Happy Land," "Claude du Val," "Woodman, spare that
Tree," "Nix my Dolly," "Wanted a Something," &c. &c.