however, are given throughout to lists that nearly correspond with each other.

Under each heading the list of words printed in ordinary type, which has been made as complete and suggestive as possible, rhyme perfectly, or very nearly so, with each other; and they are arranged alphabetically, and in the order of the number of their syllables. At the end of these, printed in italics, a few typical words are given which rhyme more or less imperfectly with the normal sound of the heading; but no attempt has been made to assist the student to find words that he ought to do his utmost to avoid. Examples of licences in rhyme taken by our standard poets are introduced here and there; but these should be regarded by the modern versifier as models to shun, for the most part, rather than to imitate. These, when given, will be found amongst the foot-notes.

Single rhymes only are given; the inclusion of double and triple rhymes would have swelled this part of the volume out beyond due limits, without corresponding advantage. Besides, double rhymes can be easily constructed from the single ones, inasmuch as they are nearly all derivative words formed from nouns, verbs, and adjectives by the suffixes er, es, est, ing, less, ness, and ly. The same remark applies to most words which end in e mute, preceded by the liquid l, i.e. to words in ble, cle, and dle, and also to that numerous class of nouns ending in ion, very few of which find place here. Other omissions, which have been made to keep the book within reasonable limits, may be pointed out, such as the plurals of nouns, the participles and gerunds of verbs, and all unemphatic monosyllables which ought never to conclude a rhyming verse. Instead

of lists of such words, their fitness is indicated by the phrase "also the preterites of verbs in ick," &c. No word is repeated on account of its several acceptations; but in those few cases in which a word has two different sounds as well as different meanings, as bow, for shooting, bow, a salutation, it is given in each list.

Proper names, both of persons and places, are omitted for obvious reasons.

It has, however, been deemed desirable, in a few cases, to discriminate, with greater precision than usual, between sounds that closely assimilate; hence double lists of words in EW, OW, IVE, OVE, and Y, &c. are given.

Some few obsolete and provincial words, as well as a sprinkling of slang terms that are current and unobjectionable, have been inserted, as English rhymesters can ill afford to reject any material that is at all suitable to their purpose. In many such cases, however, it has been deemed fit to add short notes of explanation, or credentials of respectability. Space has been found also for a limited

*The vagaries of pronunciation, troublesome enough in ordinary words, become absolutely bewildering in proper names, a few instances of which are subjoined :

Beauchamp (beecham).
Belvoir (bever).

Caius (kees).

Cholmondeley (chumley).

Colquhoun (cohoon).

Dillwyn (dillon).

Knollys (nowls).
Leveson (lewson).

St. John (sinjon).
Wemyss (weems).

It seems to be an inalienable right in every man to pronounce his name as he likes. If Mr. Smith wishes to call himself Smythe, there is no power on earth to prevent him. In fact, he can go much farther than this and change his name altogether with very little trouble-as a Mr. Bug did some years ago by advertising in The Times that henceforth he desired to be known as Mr. Norfolk-Howard! A curious instance of the uncertainty of the sound of proper names is furnished by the word Ralph. Not very long ago a lady visitor at Aldworth, Tennyson's seat, had occasion to use the word several times, and pronounced is as rhyming with safe. Tennyson insisted, with some vigour, that it should be sounded as half. "But why," a gentleman of that name might ask, "should I be done out of my 7?"

number of technical and foreign words with which most Englishmen are familiar.*

* Mr. W. S. Gilbert, writing some time ago in a humorous letter to the Dramatic Review on the paucity of rhymes in our tongue, says, "I should like to suggest that any inventor who is in need of a name for his invention would confer a boon on all rhymsters, and at the same time ensure himself many gratuitous advertisements if he were to select a word that rhymes to one of the many words in common use that have very few rhymes or none at all. A few more words rhyming to love are greatly wanted. Revenge and avenge have no rhyme but Penge and Stonehenge; coif has no rhyme at all. Starve has no rhyme except (O irony!) carve. Scarf has no rhyme, though I fully expect to be told that laugh, calf and half are admissible-which they certainly are not. Scalp has no rhyme but Alp; false has none-valse is near it, but the French accent disqualifies it; waltz is also near it, but the t spoils it. Gamboge has no rhyme but rouge. Tube would be rhymeless but for cube and jujube. Fugue has no rhyme at all, nor has gulf, unless we fall back on Cardinal Pandulph, and Ulf the minstrel. Azimuth has only doth."

This has become almost a vulgarism, but has been employed by some of our best writers.

The secret man heareth many confessions; for who will open himself to a blab or babbler?-Bacon.

Sorrow nor joy can be disguised by art;

Our foreheads blab the secrets of our heart.-Dryden.

When my tongue blabs, then let my eyes not see.-Shakspere.

An obsolete form of nab, to gnaw, seize with the teeth.

I had much rather lie knabbing crusts, without fear, than be mistress of

the world with cares.-L'Estrange.

* A vulgarism, contracted from hap-ne-hap, let it happen or not; at all risks; at the mercy of chance.

Cursed be they that build their hopes on haps.-Sidney.

† A bitch hound-still current in the Eastern counties.

Truth's a dog that must to kennel; he must be whipped out, while Lady, the brach, may stand by the fire and stink.-Shakspere.

Obsolete. A flaw, a crack.

A brack in the stuff.-Beaumont and Fletcher.

§ In addition to the many ordinary meanings of this word, it is used vulgarly for wreck, in the phrase rack and ruin; and is also cognate with reek, vapour, mist.

The clouds above which we call the rack.-Bacon.

Leave not a rack behind.--Shakspere.

|| A colloquialism from snatch,-a slight hasty meal; a share; to go shares, to go snacks.

TA vulgarism.

With many a stiff thwack, many a bang,
Hard crab-tree and old iron rang.-Hudibras.
We'll thwack him hence with distaffs.--Shakspere.
** Then gladly turning sought his ancient place,
And passed a life of piety and peace.-Parnell.
By a stream side, on the grass:—

On her shining hair and face.-E. B. Browning.
All its allotted length of days,

The flower ripens in its place.-Tennyson.

From belt to belt of crimson seas

A hundred spirits whisper, "Peace."--Tennyson.