Wit, Mirth & Spleen
Eighteenth-century rebuses
From the Spring 2013 journal.
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From the Spring 2013 Journal
(America) (toe) her (miss)taken (mother)er.(Yew) s(eye)lly (old woman) t(hat) (yew) have sent a (lure) (toe) us is very (plain) (toe) draw our at(ten)t(eye)on [attention] from our re(awl) (eye)ntrests (butt) we are determ(eye)n’d (toe) ab(eye)de by our own ways of th(eye)nk(eye)ng (Ewer) (five) (child)ren (yew)have sent (toe) us sh(awl) (bee) treated as V(eye)s(eye)tors & safely sent home aga(eye)n (Yew) may (console)t them & adm(eye)re them (butt) (yew) must (knot) (x)pect (one) of (ewer) (puppet)s w(eye)ll (comb) home (toe) (yew) as sweet as (yew) sent h(eye)m. twas cruel (toe) send so pretty a (man) so many 1000 miles & (toe) have the fat(eye)gue of re(urn)ing (back) after (spike)(eye)ng h(eye)s (coat) & d(eye)rt(eye)ng [dirtying] t(hose) red (heel) (shoes) [shoeheels] (Eye)f (yew) are w(eye)(eye) [wise] follow (ewer) own ad(vice) (yew) gave (toe) me take home (ewer) (ships) sold(eye)(ears) guard (well) (ewer) own tr(eye)fl(eye)(ling [trifiling] & leave me (toe) know my own (eye)nterests. W(eye)thout (ewer) (fool)(eye)sh ad(vice) & know t(hat) (eye) sh(awl) (awl)ways regard (yew) & my Brothers as relat(eye)ons (butt) (knot) as fr(eye)ends.
(Eye) am (yewer) (grate)ly (eye)njured
Daughter Amer(eye)k.
From The Library of Congress
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From the Winter 2013 Journal
(Britannia) (toe) America My (deer) Daughter (eye) (can) (knot) (bee) hold w(eye)thout (greate) pa(eye)n (ewer) (head)strong (back)(ward)ness (toe) ret(urn) (toe) (ewer) Duty in (knot) op(posy)ng (awl) the good (eye) long (eye)ntended for (ewer) (sole) Hap(pie)ness & (bee)ing told t(hat) (yew) have g(eye)ven (ewer) (hand) (toe) a (base) & (double-faced) (Frenchman) (Eye) have sent (yew) five over-wise (men) the (grate)est of (awl) my (child)ren (toe) put (yew) (toe) r(eye)ghts & (hope) (yew) w(eye)ll l(eye)sten (toe) them & m(eye)nd w(hat) they say (toe) (yew) they have (eye)nstr(yew)ct(eye)ons [instructions](toe) g(eye)ve (yew) t(hose) th(eye)ngs (yew) (form)erly required so (bee) a good (girl) d(eye)scharge (ewer) (soldiers) and (ships) of war & (doe) not re(bell) aga(eye)nst (ewer) (moth)er rely upon me and (doe) (knot) (console)t [consort] to w(hat) t(hat) French R(ass)c(awl) sh(awl) tell (yew) I C he w(ants) (toe) b(ring) on an enm(eye)ty (toe) (awl) union (bee)tween (yew) & (eye) (but) l(eye)sten (knot) (toe) h(eye)m (awl) the (world) takes (knot)(eye)ce [notice]of h(eye)s (double-face). I’ll send h(eye)m such MessaGG [messages] from my (grate) (guns) as s[h](awl) make h(eye)s (heart) repent & know t(hat) one good or (eye)ll t(urn) mer(eye)ts a(knot)her. NB let (knot) (hate) take (two) much hold of (ewer) (heart).
(Eye) am (ewer) fr(eye)end & (moth)er.
Snake – common symbol for colonial union.
80 stands for hate, pronounced without the h.
From The Library of Congress