THIS class of street-salesmen, who are perhaps the largest dealers of all in hardware, are not so numerous as they were some few years ago—the Excise Laws, as I have before remarked, having interfered with their business. The principal portion of those I have met are Irishmen, who, notwithstanding, generally "hail" from Sheffield, and all their sales are effected in an attempt at the Yorkshire dialect, interspersed, however, with an unmistakeable brogue. The brogue is the more apparent when cheap John gets a little out of temper—if his sales are flat, for instance, he'll say, "By J—s, I don't belaive you've any money with you, or that you've lift any at home, at all, at all. Bad cess to you!"

There are, however, many English cheap Johns, but few of them are natives of Sheffield or Birmingham, from which towns they invariably "hail." Their system of selling is to attract a crowd of persons by an harangue after the following fashion: "Here I am, the original cheap John from Sheffield. I've not come here to get money; not I; I've come here merely for the good of the public, and to let you see how you've been imposed upon by a parcel of pompous shopkeepers, who are not content with less than per cent. for rubbish. They got up a petition—which I haven't time to read to you just now—offering me a large sum of money to keep away from here. But no, I had too much friendship for you to consent, and here I am, cheap John, born without a shirt, day while my mother was out, in a haystack; consequently I've no parish, for the cows eat up mine, and therefore I've never no fear of going to the workhouse. I've more money than the parson of the parish—I've in this cart a cargo of useful and cheap goods; can supply you with anything, from a needle to an anchor. Nobody sell as cheap as me, seeing that I gets all my goods upon credit, and never means to pay for them. Now then, what shall we begin with? Here's a beautiful guard-chain; if it isn't silver, it's the same colour—I don't say it isn't silver, nor I don't say it is—in that affair use your own judgment. Now, in the reg'lar way of trade, you shall go into any shop in town, and they will ask you for an article not half so good, so what will you say for this splendid chain? Eighteen and sixpence without the pound? What, that's too much! Well, then say , , , , , , , ; what, none of you give for this beautiful article? See how it improves a man's appearance" (hanging the chain round his neck). "Any young man here present wearing this chain will always be shown into the parlour instead of the tap-room; into the best pew in church, when he and—but the advantages the purchaser of this chain will possess I haven't time to tell. What! no buyers? Why, what's the matter with ye? Have you no money, or no brains? But I'll ruin myself for your sakes. Say for this splendid piece of jewellery—, , , , , , , —a shilling, will anybody give a shilling? Well, here , , , , , , ! Is there ever a buyer at sixpence? Now I'll ask no more and I'll take no less; sell it or never sell it." The concluding words are spoken with peculiar emphasis, and after saying them the cheap John never takes any lower sum. A customer perhaps is soon obtained for the guardchain, and then the vendor elevates his voice: "Sold to a very respectable gentleman, with his mouth between his nose and chin, a most remarkable circumstance. I believe I've just more—this is better than the last; I must have a shilling for this. Sixpence? To you, sir. Sold again, to a gentleman worth a year; only the right owner keeps him out of it. I believe I've just more; yes, here it is; it's brighterer, longerer, strongerer, and betterer than the last. I must have at least tenpence for this. Well then, , , , ; take this for a sixpence. Sold again, to a gentleman, his father's pet and his mother's joy. Pray, sir, does your mother know you're out? Well, I don't think I've any more, but I'll look; yes, here is more. Now this is better than all the rest. Sold again, to a most respectable gentleman, whose mother keeps a chandler's shop, and whose father turns the mangle." In this manner the cheap John continues to sell his guard-chain, until he has drained his last customer for that particular commodity. He has always his remark to make relative to the purchaser. The cheap John always takes care to receive payment before he hazards his jokes, which I need scarcely remark are ready made, and most of them ancient and worn threadbare, the joint property of the whole fraternity of cheap Johns. After supplying his audience with particular article, he introduces another: "Here is a carving-knife and fork, none of your wasters, capital buck-horn handle, manufactured of the best steel, in a regular workmanlike manner; fit for carving in the best style, from a sparrow to a bullock. I don't ask for this—although go over to Mr. ——, the ironmonger, and he will have the impudence to ask you for a worse article." (The cheap Johns always make comparisons as to their own prices and the shopkeepers, and sometimes mention their names.) "I say

This is the original teapot" (producing one), "formerly invented by the Chinese; the first that ever was imported by those celebrated people—only two of them came over in three ships. If I do not sell this to-day, I intend presenting it to the British Museum or the Great Exhibition. It is mostly used for making tea,—sometimes by ladies, for keeping a little drop on the sly; it is an article constructed upon scientific principles, considered to require a lesser quantity of tea to manufacture the largest quantity of tea-water, than any other teapot now in use—largely patronised by the tea-totallers. Now, here's a fine pair of bellows! Any of you want to raise the wind? This is a capital opportunity, if you'll try. I'll tell you how; buy these of me for 3s. 6d., and go and pawn them for 7s. Will you buy 'em, sir? No! well, then, you be blowed! Let's see—I said 3s. 6d.; it's too little, but as I have said it, they must go; well—3s.," &c. &c. "Capital article to chastise the children or a drunken husband. Well, take 'em for 1s.—I ask no more, and I'll take no less.

These men have several articles which they sell singly, such as tea-trays, copper kettles, fire-irons, guns, whips, to all of which they have some preamble; but their most attractive lot is a heap of miscellaneous articles:—"I have here a pair of scissors; I only want halfa-crown for them. What! you won't give ? well, I'll add something else. Here's a most useful article—a knife with blades, and there's not a blade among you all that's more highly polished. This knife's a case of instruments in addition to the blades; here's a corkscrew, a button-hook, a file, and a picker. For this capital knife and -rate pair of scissors I ask Well, well, you've no more conscience than a lawyer; here's something else —a pocket-book. This book no gentleman should be without; it contains a diary for every day in the week, an almanack, a ready-reckoner, a tablet for your own memorandums, pockets to keep your papers, and a splendid pencil with a silver top. No buyers! I'm astonished; but I'll add another article. Here's a pocket-comb. No young man with any sense of decency should be without a pocket-comb. What looks worse than to see a man's head in an uproar? Some of you look as if your hair hadn't seen a comb for years. Surely I shall get a customer now. What! no buyers—well I never! Here, I'll add half-a-dozen of the very best Britannia metal tea-spoons, and if you don't buy, you must be spoons yourselves. Why, you perfectly astonish me! I really believe if I was to offer all in the shop, myself included, I should not draw out of you. Well, I'll try again. Here, I'll add a dozen of black-lead pencils. Now, then, look at these articles"—(he spreads them out, holding them between his fingers to the best advantage)—"here's a pair of firstrate scissors, that will almost cut of themselves, —this valuable knife, which comprises within itself almost a chest of tools,—a splendid pocketbook, which must add to the respectability and consequence of any man who wears it,—a pocketcomb which possesses the peculiar property of making the hair curl, and dyeing it any colour you wish,—a half-dozen spoons, nothing inferior to silver, and that do not require half the usual quantity of sugar to sweeten your tea,—and a dozen beautiful pencils, at least worth the money I ask for the whole lot. Now, a reasonable price for these articles would be at least ; I'll sell them for I ask no more, I'll take no less. Sold again!"

The opposition these men display to each other, while pursuing their business, is mostly assumed, for the purpose of attracting a crowd. Sometimes, when in earnest, their language is disgusting; and I have seen them, (says an informant), after selling, try and settle their differences with a game at fisticuffs: but this occurred but seldom. of these men had a wife who used to sell for him,—she was considered to be the best "chaffer" on the road; not of them could stand against her tongue: but her language abounded with obscenity. All the "cheap Johns" were afraid of her.

They never under-sell each other (unless they get in a real passion); this but seldom happens, but when it does they are exceedingly bitter against each other. I cannot state the language they use, further than that it reaches the very summit of blackguardism. They have, however, assumed quarrels, for the purpose of holding a crowd together, and chaff goes round, intended to amuse their expected customers.

He's coming your way to-morrow," they'll say one of the other, "mind and don't hang your husbands' shirts to dry, ladies, he's very lucky at finding things before they're lost; he sells very cheap, no doubt—but mind, if you handle any of his wares, he don't make you a present of a Scotch fiddle for nothing. His hair looks as if it had been cut with a knife and fork.

The Irishmen, in these displays, generally have the best of it; indeed, most of their jokes have originated with the Irishmen, who complain of the piracies of other "cheap Johns," for as soon as the joke is uttered it is the property of the commonwealth, and not unfrequently used against the inventor half an hour after its appearance.

A few of them are not over partieular as to the respectability of their transactions. I recollect purchasing a brick at Sheffield; the brick was packed up in paper, with a knife tied on the outside, it appeared like a package of

I believe the most successful in the line have worked their way up from nothing, gaining experience as they proceeded. I have known or start the trade with plenty of stock, but, wanting the tact, they have soon been knocked off the road. There is a great deal of judgment required in knowing the best fairs, and even when there, as to getting a good stand; and these matters are to be acquired only by practice.

In the provinces, and in Scotland, there may be "cheap Johns," or, as they term themselves, "Han-sellers." They are generally a most persevering body of men, and have frequently risen from small hawkers of belts, braces, &c. Their receipts are from to per day, their profits from to per cent.; is considered a good day's work; and they can take about fairs a week during the summer months. "I have known many of these men," a man well acquainted with them informs me, "who would walk miles to a fair during the night, hawk the public-houses the whole of the day, and start again all night for a fair to be held miles off upon the following day. I knew Irish lads, named ——, and I watched their progress with some interest. Each had a stock of goods worth a few shillings; and now each has a wholesale warehouse,— at Sheffield, in the cutlery line, and the other at Birmingham, in general wares."

The goods the han-seller disposes of are mostly purchased at Sheffield and Birmingham. They purchase the cheapest goods they can obtain. Many of the han-sellers have settled in various parts of England as "swag-shop keepers." There are or in London, I am told, who have done so; in the Kent-road, a large concern, —the others I am not aware of their locality. Their mode of living while travelling was rather peculiar. Those who have their caravans, sleep in them, some with their wives and families; they have a man, or more generally a boy, to look after the horse, and other drudgery, and sometimes at a fair, to hawk, or act as a (a ), to purchase the lot of goods put up. This boy is accommodated with a bed made between the wheels of the cart or wagon, with some old canvas hung round to keep the weather out—not the most comfortable quarters, perhaps, —but, as they say, "it's nothing when you're used to it." The packing up occurs when there's no more chance of effecting sales; the horse is put to, and the caravan proceeds on the road towards the next town intended to visit. After a sufficient days' travel, the "cheap John" looks out for a spot to encamp for the night. A clear stream of water, and provender for the horse, are indispensable; or perhaps the han-seller has visited that part before, and is aware of the halting-place. After having released the horse, and secured his fore-feet, so that he cannot stray, the next process is to look for some (some dry wood to light a fire); this is the boy's work. He is told not to despoil hedges, or damage fences: "cheap John" doesn't wish to offend the farmers; and during his temporary sojourn in the green lanes, he frequently has some friendly chat with the yeomen and their servants, sometimes disposes of goods, and often barters for a piece of fat bacon or potatoes. A fire is lighted between the shafts of the cart, —a stick placed across, upon which is suspended the cookery utensil. When the meal is concluded, the parties retire to bed,—the master within the caravan, and the boy to his chamber between the wheels. Sometimes they breakfast before they proceed on their journey; at other times they travel a few miles .

Those who have children bring them up in such a manner as may be imagined considering their itinerant life: but there are very few who have families travelling with them; though in most cases a wife; generally the children of the "cheap John" are stationary, either out at nurse or with relatives.

Some of the "cheap Johns" have wagons upon wheels, others have carts; but both are fitted up with a wooden roof. The proprietor invariably sleeps within his portable house, both for the protection of his property and also upon the score of economy. The vans with wheels answer all the purposes of a habitation. The furniture consists of a bed placed upon boxes, containing the stock in trade. The bed extends the whole width of the vehicle, about ft. in., and many generally extend about ft. into the body of the van, and occupies the farthest end of the machine from the door,— which door opens out upon the horse. The -wheeled vans are ft. long, and the twowheeled carts ft. During business hours the whole of the articles most likely to be wanted are spread out upon the bed, and the assistant (either the wife or a boy) hands them out as the salesman may require them. The furniture, in addition to the bed, is very scarce; indeed they are very much averse to carry more than is really necessary. The pail, the horse takes his corn and beans from (I don't know why, but they never use nose-bags,) serves the purpose of a washhand basin or a washing-tub. It is generally painted the same colour as the van, with the initials of the proprietor painted upon it, and, when travelling, hangs upon a hook under the machine. They mostly begin with a twowheeled machine, and if successful a fourwheeler follows. The tables and chairs are the boxes in which the goods are packed. A teakettle and saucepan, and as few delf articles as possible, and corner-cupboard, and these comprise the whole of the furniture of the van.