BROAD GRINS;

BY

GEORGE COLMAN,

(THE YOUNGER;)

COMPRISING, WITH NEW ADDITIONAL

TALES IN VERSE,

THOSE FORMERLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE

OF

"MY NIGHT-GOWN AND SLIPPERS."

" DEME SUPERCILIO NUBEM."

THE THIRD EDITION.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY J. M'CREERY,

FOR T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES, STRAND.

ADVERTISEMENT.

MY Booksellers inform'd me, lately, that several inquiries had been made for My Night-Gown and Slippers,-but that every copy had been sold:-they had been out of print these two years."Then publish them again," said I, boldly,-(I print at my own risk)—and with an air of triumph. Messrs. Cadell and Davies advised me to make additions." The Work is, really, too short," said Messrs. Cadell and Davies.

66

"I wish, gentlemen," return'd I, my

vi

"I

readers were of your opinion."-" I protest, Sir," said they, (and they asserted it, both together, with great emphasis) 66 you have but Three Tales."-I told them, carelessly, it was enough for the greatest Bashaw, among modern poets, and wish'd them a good morning. When a man, as Sterne observes, "can extricate himself with an equivoque, in such an unequal match,”(and two booksellers to one poet are tremendous odds)" he is not ill off;"-but reflecting a little, as I went home, I began to think my pun was a vile one,—and did not assist me, one jot, in my argument;and, now I have put it upon paper, it appears viler still;-it is execrable.- -So, without much further reasoning, I sat down to rhyming;-rhyming, as the reader will see, in open defiance of all reason,-except the reasons of Messrs. Cadell and Davies.