Where each daughter and son And each nephew and niece, Each good child may have one, For a penny a piece.

BLACK YOUR SHOES, YOUR HONOUR?

Here's Finiky Hawkes, As busy as any, Will well black your shoes, And charge but a penny.

The following little "Banbury Cake" Book is so excessively rare, we give the text verbatim.

THE HISTORY of a BANBURY CAKE.

An Entertaining Book For Children.

_BANBURY:_ Printed and Sold by J. G. RUSHER, Bridge Street.

_Price One Penny._

PREFACE.

It will be thought very odd, I doubt not, by each little boy and girl into whose hands this book shall fall, that a Banbury Cake should be able to write (as it were) its own life; but as they advance in years, they will find that many strange things happen every day--I shall therefore without more words to the bargain proceed with my story.

HISTORY OF A BANBURY CAKE.

I was born or made (whichever you please, my little reader) at Banbury in the county of Oxford, as you can plainly conceive by my t.i.tle, where great numbers of Cakes are brought into being daily; and from whence they travel by coach, chaise, waggon, cart horse and foot into all parts of this Kingdom: nay and beyond the seas, as I heard my maker declare that he had, more then once sent some of them into France.

Soon after I was made, and while I was yet warm from the oven, I was sold by my maker's fair daughter to a person on horseback for twopence.

With this person I took my first journey to Oxford; he rode a very fine Black Horse. As soon as he came home, he gave me to his son a lovely little boy, about seven years of age, and one as I found to my comfort not only lovely in person but in temper also. His name was Tommy, and he was praised and loved by all that knew him, and had often presents of cakes, toys and little books, and other things that are proper for children of his age; the books he kept with great care as things of value and worthy of his notice, but other trinkets he seemed to despise.

Tommy and his cousin were taken to see Mr. Polito's collection of wild beasts and birds, which were then exhibiting at Oxford, among which were a large lion, an eagle, and many other natural curiosities, which sight was very entertaining, as Tommy and his cousin had never seen such before. They afterwards walked into the Colleges, round Christ Church College Meadow, and indeed saw all the curiosities about Oxford.

(The Banbury Cake).

We give a Bibliographical List, as perfect as is possible to date, of the "Halfpenny Series" of little History and Story Books issued at Rusher's Banbury Press, some even with the same t.i.tles as the "Penny Series," yet totally different in arrangement and woodcuts, used, as comparison in the Bodleian Library will readily show: Mother Hubbard and her Dog; Nursery Rymmes from the Royal Collections; Poetic Trifles for young Gentlemen and Ladies; The Cries of Banbury, London, and Celebrated Stories; Children in the Wood, Historical Ballad (Norfolk?); Children in the Wood, Restored by Honestus; Hermit of the Forest (c.u.mberland); Jack the Giant Killer, a Hero, celebrated by Ancient Historians (Cornwall); Robinson Crusoe; Nursery Poems from the Ancient and Modern Poets; Jack and Gill and Old Dame Gill; Read who will, They'll laugh their fill; d.i.c.k Whittington and his Cat; The History of Tom Thumb (Middles.e.x); Death and Burial of c.o.c.k Robin; Renowned History of Dame Trot and her Cat; London Jingles and Country Tales for Young People; Tom, Tom, the Piper' Son; Cinderella and her Gla.s.s Slipper; Jack Spratt and his Wife Joan, etc. etc.

[Ill.u.s.trations: 27_1, 27_2]

_Bewick School, used in Rusher's Banbury Toy Books._

[Ill.u.s.trations: 28_1, 28_2]

_Used by Rusher in his Banbury Horn Books, Battledores, Galloping Guide to A, B, C, Primers, Reading Made Easy, Spelling Books, etc._

[Ill.u.s.tration: 28_3]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 29_1

_From Evans's, Long Lane, West Smithfield, used afterwards at Banbury._]

Rusher's Banbury _Battledore_ and _Reading Made Easy_ blocks, show the next improvement on the old _Horn Books_. Then Rusher published a _Galloping Guide to the A B C._, for which see next page.

[Ill.u.s.trations: 29_2, 29_3]

[Transcriber's Note:

Beginning with D, each letter has its own ill.u.s.tration, printed in sets of three. The alphabet is printed continuously down the left and right margins. A page break separates the "Judge" ill.u.s.tration from its line of text. The complete pages can be seen as "pic_30_all.png" - "pic_32_all.png"]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 30_1]

A was an Acorn, that grew on the oak; B is a Boy, who delights in his book.

C is a Canister, holds mamma's teas; D is a Drum, you may sound if you please.

[Ill.u.s.tration {D, E, F}: 30_2]

E is an Eagle, that soars very high; F is a Fox, that is crafty and sly.

[Ill.u.s.tration {G, H, J}: 30_3]

G is a Griffin, of him pray take heed; H is a Hare, that can run with great speed.

[Ill.u.s.tration {K, L, M}: 31_1]

J is a Judge, that the law oft obeys; K is a Key, that no secret betrays.

L is a Lamb, often freaks o'er the lea; M is a Mermaid, that sings in the sea.

[Ill.u.s.tration {N, O, P}: 31_2]

N is a Nightingale, dwells in the wood; O is an Ox, whose beef roasted is good.

P is a Peach, that did grow very high; Q is a Quince, makes a savoury pie.

[Ill.u.s.tration {Q, R, S}: 31_3]

R is a Raven, rapacity charms; S shining Sun, is the Banbury Arms.

[Ill.u.s.tration {T, V, W}: 31_4]