Bear up, brave clerklets, though the lights of learning
Your quaint commercial English sadly shocks,
And even your bosses are agreed in spurning
Your 'inst,' and 'ult,' and 'prox.'
I like the pleasant jargon: I should miss it
If firms no more ('per pro.' before their name)
Should 'thanks me for past favours and solicit
Continuance of the same.'
—Punch, Commercialisms, 1922
