No More Learning

"There was an old man at a station
Who made a promiscuous oration. "

What bearing may we assume the foregoing couplet to have
upon Mr. Lear's political views?
--_The London Spectator_.




* * * * *


A BOOK OF NONSENSE

by

EDWARD LEAR.

With All the Original Pictures and Verses







[Illustration]


There was an Old Derry down Derry, who loved to see little folks
merry;
So he made them a Book, and with laughter they shook
At the fun of that Derry down Derry.



Original Dedication.

TO THE
GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, GRAND-NEPHEWS, AND GRAND-NIECES
OF EDWARD, 13TH EARL OF DERBY,
THIS BOOK OF DRAWINGS AND VERSES

(The greater part of which were originally
made and composed for their parents. )

Is Dedicated by the Author,
EDWARD LEAR.

London, 1862.


* * * * *




[Illustration]

There was an Old Man with a nose,
Who said, "If you choose to suppose
That my nose is too long, you are certainly wrong! "
That remarkable Man with a nose.

[Illustration]

There was a Young Person of Smyrna,
Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her;
But she seized on the Cat, and said, "Granny, burn that!
You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna! "

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who seldom, if ever, stood still;
He ran up and down in his Grandmother's gown,
Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.
[Illustration]

There was an Old Person of Chili,
Whose conduct was painful and silly;
He sate on the stairs, eating apples and pears,
That imprudent Old Person of Chili.

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man with a gong,
Who bumped at it all the day long;
But they called out, "Oh, law! you're a horrid old bore! "
So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,
Who never had more than a penny;
He spent all that money in onions and honey,
That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man of Columbia,
Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer;
But they brought it quite hot, in a small copper pot,
Which disgusted that man of Columbia.

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a Bee;
When they said, "Does it buzz? " he replied, "Yes, it does!
It's a regular brute of a Bee. "

[Illustration]

There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,
Who made a remarkable curtsey;
She twirled round and round, till she sank underground,
Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.

[Illustration]

There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin;
So she had it made sharp, and purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man with a flute,--
A "sarpint" ran into his boot!
But he played day and night, till the "sarpint" took flight,
And avoided that Man with a flute.

[Illustration]

There was a Young Lady of Portugal,
Whose ideas were excessively nautical;
She climbed up a tree to examine the sea,
But declared she would never leave Portugal.

[Illustration]

There was an Old Person of Ischia,
Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier;
He danced hornpipes and jigs, and ate thousands of figs,
That lively Old Person of Ischia

[Illustration]

There was an Old Man of Vienna,
Who lived upon Tincture of Senna;
When that did not agree, he took Camomile Tea,
That nasty Old Man of Vienna.

[Illustraion]

There was an Old Man in a boat,
Who said, "I'm afloat!