THE COMIC ANNUAL.

A COMIC ANNUAL.

'And this was caused by the contentions between the Houses of York, &c.' History of England.

THE chroniclers of England have handed down the doings of the good old times-the by-gone merriments of their May-day. But the antics of antiquity were grave matters, when compared to the joyances of the first day of May in New York, when the COMIC ANNUAL custom of removing from one dwelling to another, takes place.

On that day, the maiden Queen of an ancient May-day pageant never danced round the May-pole more feateously, than a modern matron waltzes round a broom-handle. She then becometh a Queen of the chess-board, and the rule of precedent hath con

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the ninth day of October, A. D. 1830, in the fiftyfifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Richardson, Lord and Holbrook, of the said district, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit:

'American Comic Annual. Edited by Henry J. Finn, and Illustrated by D. C. Johnston. Ride si sapis.'

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled 'An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned; and also to an act, entitled' An act supplementary to an act, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies durring the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints.""

JNO. W. DAVIS,

Clerk of the District of Massachusetts.

DEDICATION.

TO MY FRIEND, A. P. U— -N.

ALIAS A PUN.

ALTHOUGH the prejudices of the would-be-wise, in matters of mind and things of taste, continue to deny you a legal claim, to wit, the right to render yourself agreeable; and seem inclined to date your origin from the vulgar lineage of Puncinello, yet the sharpness of your satirical productions entitles you to write Gent after Pun. You are as happy in foreign facetiousness as domestic drollery-in the classic jests of Plautus, as in the club-room jokes of Josephus Millerius. Your spirited translation of oriental anecdotes, from the Sans-crit of Salam Aliekim, have conferred a more than nominal value upon the capital witticisms-fun-ded by that erudite Pundit, and your extensive collection of original conundrums, prove that you are equally happy in that humor which is merely homes-pun.

You will perceive with pleasure, that Mr D. C. Johnston, an associate artist, has practically refuted Addison's assertion, that 'A pun can be no more engraven, than it can be translated.' He has backed our book with recommendations which look perhaps too much like puffs; and I shrewdly suspect, they are intended as a cover to his other designs.

His personification of the year 1831, compelling the year 1830 to change its quarters, betrays a singular knowledge of the human figure, and the titlepage an intimate acquaintance with every branch of his art; yet the public is very apt to laugh at his graver efforts.

Although we have just set up in our new place of entertainment, it will be seen that our signs are coming down; but as long as time remains, they will serve to show that we have seasoning for the plates within.

To those invited guests, who have honored us, and furnished forth the richer fare, we tender our thanks. To the decision of our readers, the first Comic Annual is submitted most cheerfully. Should they discover no genius in it, they probably may find it in-genious.

Yours, with in-fin-ite devotion,

THE EDITOR.

PREFACE.

If our personal identity with the present work should be doubted, the titlepage will bring our readers and ourself face to face: but for fear that our profile should not display sufficiently its prominent features, we have added the outlines of a pre-face and solicit the reader's countenance. We have attempted to produce a free and laughable likeness of things in general, and at the same time, to convey an expression consistent with more important duties. We hope to be forgiven, by the critical connoisseur, for blending the breadth of burlesque with the more chaste proportions of humor. Should our present

portrait be found out of keeping by our publishers, we

intend to sit again next year, and assume a more im

posing attitude, when copies may be taken in any, but given quantities.