When Harrison Ainsworth, in his preface to _Rookwood,_ claimed
tobe "the first to write a purely flash song" he was very wide of
themark. As a matter of fact, "Nix my doll, pals, fake away!" had
beenanticipated, in its treatment of canting phraseology, by nearly
three centuries, and subsequently, by authors whose names stand high,
in other respects, in English literature.
The mistake, however, was not altogether unpardonable; few, indeed,
would have even guessed that the appearance of utter neglect which
surrounded the use of Cant and Slang in English song, ballad, or
verse--its rich and racy character notwithstanding--was anything but
of the surface. The _chanson d'argot_ of France and the
_romance di germania_ of Spain, not to mention other forms of the
MUSA PEDESTRIS had long held popular sway, but there was to all
appearance nothing to correspond with them on this side the silver
streak.
It must be confessed, however, that the field of English slang verse
and canting song, though not altogether barren, has yet small claim to
the idiomatic and plastic treatment that obtains in many an _Argot-
song_ and _Germania-romance;_ in truth, with a few notable
exceptions, there is little in the present collection that can claim
literary rank.
Those exceptions, however, are alone held to be ample justification
for such an anthology as that here presented. Moreover these "Rhymes
and Songs", gathered from up and down the years, exhibit, _en
masse_, points of interest to the student and scholar that, in
isolation, were either wanting altogether, or were buried and lost
sight of midst a mass of more (or less) valuable matter.
As regards the Vulgar Tongue itself--though exhaustive disquisition
obviously lies outside the scope of necessarily brief forewords--it
may be pointed out that its origin in England is confessedly obscure.
Prior to the second half of the 16th century, there was little trace
of that flood of unorthodox speech which, in this year of grace
eighteen hundred and ninety-six, requires six quarto double-columned
volumes duly to chronicle--verily a vast and motley crowd!
As to the distinction to be drawn between Cant and Slang it is
somewhat difficult to speak. Cant we know; its limits and place in the
world of philology are well defined. In Slang, however, we have a
veritable Proteus, ever shifting, and for the most part defying exact
definition and orderly derivation. Few, save scholars and such-like
folk, even distinguish between the two, though the line of demarcation
is sharply enough defined.
In the first place, Slang is universal, whilst Cant is restricted in
usage to certain classes of the community: thieves, vagrom men, and--
well, their associates. One thing, indeed, both have in common; each
are derived from a correct normal use of language. There, however, all
similarity ends.
Slang boasts a quasi-respectability denied to Cant, though Cant is
frequently more enduring, its use continuing without variation of
meaning for many generations. With Slang this is the exception;
present in force to-day, it is either altogether forgotten to-morrow,
or has shaded off into some new meaning--a creation of chance and
circumstance. Both Cant and Slang, but Slang to a more determinate
degree, are mirrors in which those who look may see reflected a
picture of the age, with its failings, foibles, and idiosyncrasies.
They reflect the social life of the people, the mirror rarely being
held to truth so faithfully--hence the present interest, and may be
future value, of these songs and rhymes. For the rest the book will
speak for itself.