Thephrasewasutteredquickly，andwithasharpsounduponthefirstandlastwords，leavingthemiddleonelittlemorethananaspiration。
　　Likeallitscompeerswhichhadbeenextensivelypopular，itwasapplicabletoalmosteveryvarietyofcircumstance。Theloversofaplainanswertoaplainquestiondidnotlikeitatall。Insolencemadeuseofittogiveoffence；ignorance，toavoidexposingitself；
　　andwaggery，tocreatelaughter。Everynewcomerintoanalehousetap-roomwasaskedunceremoniously，“Whoareyou？“andifhelookedfoolish，scratchedhishead，anddidnotknowwhattoreply，shoutsofboisterousmerrimentresoundedoneveryside。Anauthoritativedisputantwasnotunfrequentlyputdown，andpresumptionofeverykindcheckedbythesamequery。Whenitspopularitywasatitsheight，agentleman，feelingthehandofathiefinhispocket，turnedsuddenlyround，andcaughthimintheact，exclaiming，“Whoareyou？“Themobwhichgatheredroundapplaudedtotheveryecho，andthoughtitthemostcapitaljoketheyhadeverheard——theveryacmeofwit——theveryessenceofhumour。Anothercircumstance，ofasimilarkind，gaveanadditionalfilliptothephrase，andinfusednewlifeandvigourintoit，justasitwasdyingaway。Thesceneoccurredinthechiefcriminalcourtofthekingdom。Aprisonerstoodatthebar；theoffencewithwhichhehadbeenchargedwasclearlyprovedagainsthim；
　　hiscounselhadbeenheard，notinhisdefence，butinextenuation，insistinguponhispreviousgoodlifeandcharacter，asreasonsforthelenityofthecourt。“Andwhereareyourwitnesses？“inquiredthelearnedjudgewhopresided。“Pleaseyou，myLord，Iknowstheprisoneratthebar，andamorehonesterfellerneverbreathed，“saidaroughvoiceinthegallery。Theofficersofthecourtlookedaghast，andthestrangerstitteredwithill-suppressedlaughter。“Whoareyou？“saidtheJudge，lookingsuddenlyup，butwithimperturbablegravity。Thecourtwasconvulsed；thetitterbrokeoutintoalaugh，anditwasseveralminutesbeforesilenceanddecorumcouldberestored。WhentheUshersrecoveredtheirself-possession，theymadediligentsearchfortheprofanetransgressor；buthewasnottobefound。Nobodyknewhim；
　　nobodyhadseenhim。Afterawhilethebusinessofthecourtagainproceeded。Thenextprisonerbroughtupfortrialauguredfavourablyofhisprospectswhenhelearnedthatthesolemnlipsoftherepresentativeofjusticehadutteredthepopularphraseasifhefeltandappreciatedit。Therewasnofearthatsuchajudgewoulduseundueseverity；hisheartwaswiththepeople；heunderstoodtheirlanguageandtheirmanners，andwouldmakeallowancesforthetemptationswhichdrovethemintocrime。Sothoughtmanyoftheprisoners，ifwemayinferitfromthefact，thatthelearnedjudgesuddenlyacquiredanimmenseincreaseofpopularity。Thepraiseofhiswitwasineverymouth，and“Whoareyou？“reneweditslease，andremainedinpossessionofpublicfavourforanotherterminconsequence。
　　Butitmustnotbesupposedthattherewerenointerregnibetweenthedominionofoneslangphraseandanother。Theydidnotariseinonelonglineofunbrokensuccession，butsharedwithsongthepossessionofpopularfavour。Thus，whenthepeoplewereinthemoodformusic，slangadvanceditsclaimstonopurpose，and，whentheywereinclinedforslang，thesweetvoiceofmusicwooedtheminvain。
　　AbouttwentyyearsagoLondonresoundedwithonechorus，withtheloveofwhicheverybodyseemedtobesmitten。Girlsandboys，youngmenandold，maidensandwives，andwidows，wereallalikemusical。Therewasanabsolutemaniaforsinging，andtheworstofitwas，that，likegoodFatherPhilip，intheromanceof“TheMonastery，“theyseemedutterlyunabletochangetheirtune。“Cherryripe！““Cherryripe！“wastheuniversalcryofalltheidleinthetown。Everyunmelodiousvoicegaveutterancetoit；everycrazyfiddle，everycrackedflute，everywheezypipe，everystreetorganwasheardinthesamestrain，untilstudiousandquietmenstoppedtheirearsindesperation，orfledmilesawayintothefieldsorwoodlands，tobeatpeace。Thisplaguelastedforatwelvemonth，untiltheverynameofcherriesbecameanabominationintheland。Atlasttheexcitementworeitselfaway，andthetideoffavoursetinanewdirection。Whetheritwasanothersongoraslangphrase，isdifficulttodetermineatthisdistanceoftime；
　　butcertainitis，thatveryshortlyafterwards，peoplewentmaduponadramaticsubject，andnothingwastobeheardofbut“TomandJerry。“Verbalwithadamusedthemultitudelongenough，andtheybecamemorepracticalintheirrecreation。Everyyouthonthetownwasseizedwiththefiercedesireofdistinguishinghimself，byknockingdownthe“charlies，“beinglockedupallnightinawatchhouse，orkickinguparowamongloosewomenandblackguardmeninthelowdensofSt。Giles’s。Imitativeboysviedwiththeireldersinsimilarexploits，untilthisunworthypassion，forsuchitwas，hadlasted，likeotherfollies，itsappointedtime，andthetownbecamemerryafteranotherfashion。Itwasnextthoughttheheightofvulgarwittoanswerallquestionsbyplacingthepointofthethumbuponthetipofthenose，andtwirlingthefingersintheair。Ifonemanwishedtoinsultorannoyanother，hehadonlytomakeuseofthiscabalisticsigninhisface，andhisobjectwasaccomplished。Ateverystreetcornerwhereagroupwasassem-bled，thespectatorwhowascuriousenoughtoobservetheirmovements，wouldbesuretoseethefingersofsomeofthemattheirnoses，eitherasamarkofincredulity，surprise，refusal，ormockery，beforehehadwatchedtwominutes。
　　Thereissomeremnantofthisabsurdcustomtobeseentothisday；
　　butitisthoughtlow，evenamongthevulgar。
　　Aboutsixyearsago，Londonbecameagainmostpreposterouslymusical。Thevoxpopuliworeitselfhoarsebysingingthepraisesof“TheSea，theSea！“IfastrangerandaphilosopherhadwalkedthroughLondon，andlistenedtotheuniversalchorus，hemighthaveconstructedaveryprettytheoryupontheloveoftheEnglishforthesea-service，andouracknowledgedsuperiorityoverallothernationsuponthatelement。“Nowonder，“hemighthavesaid，“thatthispeopleisinvincibleupontheocean。Theloveofitmixeswiththeirdailythoughts:theycelebrateiteveninthemarket-place:theirstreet-minstrelsexcitecharitybyit；andhighandlow，youngandold，maleandfemale，chantIopaeansinitspraise。Loveisnothonouredinthenationalsongsofthiswarlikerace——Bacchusisnogodtothem；theyaremenofsternermould，andthinkonlyof’theSea，theSea！’andthemeansofconqueringuponit。“
　　Suchwould，doubtless，havebeenhisimpressionifhehadtakentheevidenceonlyofhisears。Alas！inthosedaysfortherefinedearsthatweremusical！greatwastheirtorturewhendiscord，withitsthousanddiversitiesoftone，struckupthisappallinganthem——therewasnoescapefromit。ThemigratoryminstrelsofSavoycaughtthestrain，andpealeditdownthelongvistasofquietstreets，tilltheirinnermostandsnuggestapartmentsre-echoedwiththesound。Menwereobligedtoendurethiscryingevilforfullsixmonths，weariedtodesperation，andmadesea-sickonthedryland。
　　Severalothersongssprangupinduesuccessionafterwards，butnoneofthem，withtheexceptionofone，entitled“AllroundmyHat，“
　　enjoyedanyextraordinaryshareoffavour，untilanAmericanactorintroducedavilesongcalled“JimCrow。“Thesingersanghisversesinappropriatecostume，withgrotesquegesticulations，andasuddenwhirlofhisbodyatthecloseofeachverse。Ittookthetasteofthetownimmediately，andformonthstheearsoforderlypeoplewerestunnedbythesenselesschorus-
　　“Turnaboutandwheelabout，Anddojustso——
　　Turnaboutandwheelabout，Andjump，JimCrow！“
　　Street-minstrelsblackenedtheirfacesinordertogivepropereffecttotheverses；andfatherlessurchins，whohadtochoosebetweenthievingandsingingfortheirlivelihood，tookthelattercourse，aslikelytobethemoreprofitable，aslongasthepublictasteremainedinthatdirection。Theuncouthdance，itsaccompaniment，mightbeseeninitsfullperfectiononmarketnightsinanygreatthoroughfare；andthewordsofthesongmightbeheard，piercingaboveallthedinandbuzzoftheever-movingmultitude。He，thecalmobserver，whoduringthehey-daypopularityofthisdoggrel，“Satebesidethepublicway，Thickstrewnwithsummerdust，andsawthestreamOfpeopletherewashurryingtoandfro，Numerousasgnatsupontheeveninggleam，“
　　mighthaveexclaimedwithShelley，whosefinelineswequote，that“Themillion，withfiercesongandmaniacdance，Didragearound。“
　　ThephilosophictheoristwehavealreadysupposedsoliloquisingupontheEnglishcharacter，andforminghisopinionofitfromtheirexceedingloveforasea-song，might，ifhehadagaindroppedsuddenlyintoLondon，haveformedanotherveryplausibletheorytoaccountforourunremittingeffortsfortheabolitionoftheSlaveTrade。
　　“Benevolentpeople！“hemighthavesaid，“howunboundedareyoursympathies！YourunhappybrethrenofAfrica，differingfromyouonlyinthecolouroftheirskins，aresodeartoyou，andyoubegrudgesolittlethetwentymillionsyouhavepaidontheirbehalf，thatyoulovetohaveamementoofthemcontinuallyinyoursight。JimCrowistherepresentativeofthatinjuredrace，andassuchistheidolofyourpopulace！Seehowtheyallsinghispraises！——howtheyimitatehispeculiarities！——howtheyrepeathisnameintheirmomentsofleisureandrelaxation！Theyevencarveimagesofhimtoadorntheirhearths，thathiscauseandhissufferingsmayneverbeforgotten！
　　Oh，philanthropicEngland！——oh，vanguardofcivilization！“
　　SuchareafewofthepeculiaritiesoftheLondonmultitude，whennoriot，noexecution，nomurder，noballoon，disturbstheevencurrentoftheirthoughts。Thesearethewhimseysofthemass-theharmlessfolliesbywhichtheyunconsciouslyendeavourtolightentheloadofcarewhichpressesupontheirexistence。Thewiseman，eventhoughhesmileatthem，willnotaltogetherwithholdhissympathy，andwillsay，“Letthemenjoytheirslangphrasesandtheirchorusesiftheywill；andiftheycannotbehappy，atleastletthembemerry。“TotheEnglishman，aswellastotheFrenchmanofwhomBerangersings，theremaybesomecomfortinsosmallathingasasong，andwemay，ownwithhimthat“AupeupleattristeCequirendralagaite，C’estlaGAUDRIOLE！
　　Ogue！