THE COMIC ANNUAL. THE CABINET OF MODERN ART.

THE advent of Yule gives these two Annuals at least a seasonable air, being just in time for a Christmas Present or a New Year's Gift ; whilst the distinct character which each aims at attaining, will save a world of hesitations, which the doubting must feel when called upon to choose from the pretty little books that have only one character in common, and that a common one. Of the two before us, the Comic displays the most vitality ; although it is very far inferior to what it might be made in the hands of genius, or to what Mr. Hoon himself might make it Such a work, properly executed, should reflect back the fun, and folly, and knavery of the year. Its pages should present indivi- dual cases, where sufficiently conspicuous to deserve it; and hold up to ridicule in appropriate shapes the fraudulent projects of many, the delusions of the mass, and the general follies of the nation—for every thing is folly in the eye of the satirist which is too earnestly feared or hoped for. For such an Annual, nothing would be too short, and its author would skilMly avoid making any thing too long. Varied, of course, according to the national character and the circumstances of the times, the Comic would then unite in spirit the Fabulse Atellama of ancient and the Pasquin of modern Rome, if it did 'IA occasionally emulate the satiric wit of the old Athenian comedy. le. Such a work would be far better than a few happy puns mingled with many forced and many bad ones, or stray jokes, descriptions of practical jests, and tales that remind one of the classical Broad Grins,—ter the most part deprived of what pun- gency they had in themselves by over dilution. Nor, to say the truth, has Mr.HOoo been altogether unmindful of the game within his view; though his pursuit of it seems rather to have resulted from accident than design ; whilst what he has hit has been of a very light kind, or, from want of weight in his metal, he has merely touched his object, without bringing it down. Thus, on a former occasion, his ridicule of a foolish Member, oratorically crazed, was very good ; but the rich covey of the Senate itself, which he half seemed to aim at, altogether escaped. Again, in the present volume, 'Agricultural Distress"—a dialogue of bump- kins endeavouring to discover the meaning of the phrase—though lively and pleasant enough, is too trivial for the subject, teeming, as it does, with the selfish cupidity of landlords, the prejudices, fears, obstinacy, and helpless imbecility of many cultivators, and so forth. There are one or two other temporary hits to which the objection of triteness might be urged. The "Drinking Song," of sl hich we take a part, is, however, an exception. It exhibits, indeed, no curious felicity, for some of the images are not peculiarly applicable to the subject, and some of the lines might be spared ; but the verse is tripping and airy, the puns are in place, and not amiss, and the banter is obvious and good-tempered.

DRINKING SONG.

By a Member of a Temperance Society, as sung by Mr. Spring. at

Waterman's !tall.

Come, pass round the pail, boys, and give it no quarter ; Drink deep and drink oft, and replenish your jugs ;

Fill up, and I'll give you a toast to your water— The Turncock for ever ! that opens the plugs.

Then hey for a bucket, a bucket, a bucket, Then hey for a bucket filled up to the brim ! Or, best of all notions, let's have it by oceans, With plenty of room for a sink or a swim !

Let topers of grape-juice exultingly vapour ;

But let us just whisper a word to the elves—

We water roads, horses, silks, ribands, bank-paper, Plants, poets, and muses, and why not ourselves? Then bey for a bucket, &c.

The vintage, they cry, think of Spain's and of France's, The jigs, the boleros, fandangos, mid jumps:

But water's the spring of all civilized dances — W e go to a ball not in bottles, but pumps !

Then hey for a bucket, &c.

Let others of Dorchester quaff at their pleasure,

Or honour old Meux with their thirsty regard— We'll drink Adam's ale, and we get it pool measure, Or quaff heavy wet from the butt in the yard !

Then hey for a bucket, &e.

Some flatter gin, brandy, and rum, on their merits, Grog, punch, and what not, that enliven a feast : 'Ti, true that they stir up the animal spirits, But may not the animal turn out a beast ?

Then hey for a bucket, 8m.

The Man of the Ark, who continued our species, He saved us by water ; butas for the wine, We all know the figure, more sad than facetious,

lie made after tasting the juice of the vine. Then hey for a bucket, &c.

In wine let a lover remember his jewel,

And pledge her in bumpers filled brimming and oft ; But we can distinguish the kind from the cruel,

And toast them in water, the hard or the soft.

Then hey for a bucket, &c.

The Cabinet of Modern Art and Literary Souvenir is this year more distinguished from its brethren by its title than its contents. The views and criticisms on art and the lives of artists, are almost discarded, for prose tales and Annual-verses, which differ nothing from the general character of the tribe. The reason for this alteration is the "advice of friends ;" who think that a taste for the fine arts is not sufficiently diffused in England to warrant their introduction in a work intended to be popular, and ad- duce as a proof the failure of all periodicals that have made art their only or principal topic. It is probable that one real cause of the change is the difficulty felt in handling such matters with freedom, when the men who contribute its chief attraction to the work are the object of the criticism, or of the narrative; together with the rarity of disquisitional powers at once sound and popular. Be this as it may, the alteration has not improved the work. The matter of criticism and the reality of biography are ill exchanged for feeble fancies in prose, and verse of sound signifying nothing. The real value of the Cabz- net, therefore, lies in the exquisite plates, which we noticed in de- tail at the beginning of the season.