Coverless and faded, hard usage is written in unmistakable characters
upon this play-thing of a whole family. Upon a fly-leaf are the
autographs of "Ebenezer Ware and Sarah Ware, Their Book," and upon
another page these two names with the addition of the signatures of
"Ichabod Ware and Cyrus Ware 1787." One parent may have used it when it
was fresh from the press of Draper & Edwards in Boston; then, through
enforced economy, handed it down to the next generation, who doubtless
scorned the dedication so eminently proper in seventeen hundred and
fifty, so thoroughly out of place thirty-seven years later. There it
stands in large black type:

To his ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE GEORGE This Little
Play-thing is most humbly dedicated
By
His ROYAL HIGHNESS'S
Devoted Servant

Of especial interest are the alphabets in "Roman, Italian, and English
Names" on the third page, while page four contains the dear old alphabet
in rhyme, fortunately not altogether forgotten in this prosaic age. We
recognize it as soon as we see it.

"A Apple-Pye
B bit it
C cut it,"

and involuntarily add, D divided it. After the spelling lessons came
fables, proverbs, and the splendid "Stories proper to raise the
Attention and excite the Curiosity of Children" of any age; namely, "St.
George and the Dragon," "Fortunatus," "Guy of Warwick," "Brother and
Sister," "Reynard the Fox," "The Wolf and the Kid." "The Good Dr.
Watts," writes Mrs. Field, "is supposed to have had a hand in the
composition of this toy book especially in the stories, one of which is
quite in the style of the old hymn writer." Here it is:

"Once on a time two dogs went out to walk. Tray was a good dog, and
would not hurt the least thing in the world, but Snap was cross, and
would snarl and bite at all that came in his way. At last they came
to a town. All the dogs came round them. Tray hurt none of them, but
Snap would grin at one, snarl at the next, and bite a third, till at
last they fell on him and tore him limb from limb, and as poor Tray
was with him, he met with his death at the same time.

_Moral_

"By this fable you see how dangerous it is to be in company with bad
boys. Tray was a quiet harmless dog, and hurt nobody, but,
&c."[45-A]

Thus we find that Locke sowed the seed, Watts watered the soil in which
the seed fell, and that Newbery,