The merit of Captain Grose’s Dictionary of the
Vulgar Tongue has been long and universally acknowledged.
But its circulation was confined almost exclusively
to the lower orders of society: he was not aware,
at the time of its compilation, that our young men
of fashion would at no very distant period be as distinguished
for the vulgarity of their jargon as the inhabitants
of Newgate; and he therefore conceived it superfluous
to incorporate with his work the few examples of fashionable
slang that might occur to his observation.
But our Jehus of rank have a phraseology not less
peculiar to themselves, than the disciples of Barrington:
for the uninitiated to understand their modes of expression,
is as impossible as for a Buxton to construe the Greek
Testament. To sport an Upper Benjamin, and to
swear with a good grace, are qualifications easily
attainable by their cockney imitators; but without
the aid of our additional definitions, neither the
cits of Fish-street, nor the boors of Brentford would
be able to attain the language of whippism. We
trust, therefore, that the whole tribe of second-rate
Bang Ups, will feel grateful for our endeavour to render
this part of the work as complete as possible.
By an occasional reference to our pages, they may
be initiated into all the peculiarities of language
by which the man of spirit is distinguished from the
man of worth. They may now talk bawdy before
their papas, without the fear of detection, and abuse
their less spirited companions, who prefer a good dinner
at home to a glorious up-shot in the highway,
without the hazard of a cudgelling.
But we claim not merely the praise of gratifying curiosity,
or affording assistance to the ambitious; we are very
sure that the moral influence of the Lexicon Balatronicum
will be more certain and extensive than that of any
methodist sermon that has ever been delivered within
the bills of mortality. We need not descant on
the dangerous impressions that are made on the female
mind, by the remarks that fall incidentally from the
lips of the brothers or servants of a family; and
we have before observed, that improper topics can
with our assistance be discussed, even before the
ladies, without raising a blush on the cheek of modesty.
It is impossible that a female should understand the
meaning of twiddle DIDDLES, or rise from table
at the mention of BUCKINGER’S boot.
Besides, Pope assures us, that “Vice to
be hated Needs but to be
seen;” in this volume it cannot be denied,
that she is seen very plainly; and a love of virtue
is, therefore, the necessary result of perusing it.
The propriety of introducing the university slang
will be readily admitted; it is not less curious than
that of the College in the Old Bailey, and is less
generally understood. When the number and accuracy
of our additions are compared with the price of the
volume, we have no doubt that its editors will meet
with the encouragement that is due to learning, modesty,
and virtue.
