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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: This e-text has been prepared in accordance with
the Introduction’s explanation that the papers are presented _verbatim
et literatim_, “word for word from copy”; all apparent errors are as
printed in the original.




                   CURIOSITIES OF STREET LITERATURE:

                            [Illustration]

                           LONG-SONG SELLER.

                  (_From a Daguerreotype by_ BEARD.)

    “Three yards a penny! Three yards a penny! Beautiful songs!
    Newest songs! Popular songs! Three yards a penny!
    Songs, songs, songs!”

                   CURIOSITIES OF STREET LITERATURE:

                              COMPRISING

                      “COCKS,” OR “CATCHPENNIES,”

     A LARGE AND CURIOUS ASSORTMENT OF STREET-DROLLERIES, SQUIBS,
              HISTORIES, COMIC TALES IN PROSE AND VERSE,

                    BROADSIDES ON THE ROYAL FAMILY,

    POLITICAL LITANIES, DIALOGUES, CATECHISMS, ACTS OF PARLIAMENT,
                       STREET POLITICAL PAPERS,

                 A VARIETY OF “BALLADS ON A SUBJECT,”

                    DYING SPEECHES AND CONFESSIONS.

         TO WHICH IS ATTACHED THE ALL-IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY

                     AFFECTIONATE COPY OF VERSES,

                                  AS

    “Come, all you feeling-hearted Christians, wherever you may be,
    Attention give to these few lines, and listen unto me;
    It’s of this cruel murder, to you I will unfold,
    The bare recital of the same will make your blood run cold.”

    “What hast here? ballads? I love a ballad in print, or a life;
    for then we are sure they are true.”--SHAKESPEARE.

    “There’s nothing beats a stunning good murder, after
    all.”--EXPERIENCE OF A RUNNING PATTERER.

                                LONDON:
                          REEVES AND TURNER,
                             196, STRAND.
                                 1871.




NOTICE.

The “Execution Paper” of John Gregson, for the Murder of his Wife, at
Liverpool--page 235 of CONTENTS--is CANCELLED, and Eight Pages, “THE
HEROES OF THE GUILLOTINE,” supplied instead.

196, STRAND, _December 30th, 1870_.




                              CURIOSITIES

                                  OF

                          STREET LITERATURE.

                    [Illustration: No. 126 _of the_
                     Fine TONED DEMY 4to EDITION.

                                 ONLY
                         TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY
                           COPIES PRINTED.]

    Purchased _by_ ______________________________________
        _Of_ ____________________________________________
            _On the_ __________ _day of_ ______________ 187

      GUARANTEED ONLY FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX COPIES PRINTED,

                               NAMELY,--

                                                                    £ s. d.
  250 on Fine Toned Demy 4to                           Published at 1  1 0
  100 on Large Post 4to, printed on one side of the paper only    ” 1  5 0
  100 on Fine French Linear Writing Paper, printed on one side
   only, and in imitation of the Catnachian tea-like paper of old ” 1 11 6
    6 on Yellow Demy 4to paper                                    ” 2  2 0
  ----
  456

          [Illustration] EACH COPY OF EACH EDITION NUMBERED.




INTRODUCTION.


In selecting and arranging this collection of “Street Papers” for
publication, every care has been taken to print them _verbatim et
literatim_. They all bear the printer’s name and address were such is
used, and, in many cases, the wood-cuts have either been borrowed or
purchased for the purpose of presenting them in their original style.
The real object being to show, in the most genuine state, the character
and quality of the productions written expressly for the amusement
of the lower orders by street-authors. The general instruction given
to our printer has been to “set up word for word from copy, with the
exception of sɹǝʇʇǝʃ pǝuɹnʇ (_sic_) and those of a WRO_n_g _F_oNT
(?)”--it being thought quite unnecessary to repeat these _convenient_
and at that time _compulsory_ “Errors of the Press” and which were
very common in former days with the printers and publishers of street
and public-house literature; arising alike from a want of skill in the
art, a deficiency of capital, and the hurried manner in which they were
prepared and worked off to meet the momentary demand.

Old “Jemmy” Catnach--whose name is ever associated with the literature
of our streets--was a man who hated “innowations,” as he used to call
improvements, and had a great horror of buying type, because, as he
used to observe, he kept no standing formes, and when certain sorts run
short, he was not particular, and would tell the boys to use anything
which would make a good shift. For instance, he never considered a
compositor could be aground for a lowercase l while he had a figure
of 1 or a cap. I to fall back upon; by the same rule, the cap. O and
figure 0 were synonymous with “Jemmy;” the lower-case p, b, d, and
q, would all do duty for each other in _turn_, and if they could not
always find roman letters to finish a word with, why the compositor
knew very well that the “reader” would not mark out ita_lic_.

At the time Catnach commenced business. “Johnny” Pitts,[1] of the
Toy and Marble Warehouse, No. 6, Great St. Andrew Street, was the