Page images
PDF
EPUB

Not so her gracious,graceful,gracelessGrace, | And much was talk'd on all sides on that The full-grown Hebe of Fitz-Fulke, whose head; mind,

[blocks in formation]

But Juan, when cross-question'd on the vision,

Which some supposed (though he had not avow'd it)

Had stirr'd him,answer'd in a way to cloud it.

[blocks in formation]

By which Lord Henry's good taste would | And knew no better in her immorality go forth in Than to wax white-for blushes are for Its glory, through all ages shining sunny, quality. For Gothic daring shown in English money.

[blocks in formation]

But county contests cost him rather dearer, | Sooner "come place into the civil list
Because the neighbouring Scotch Earl of And champion him to the utmost ".
Giftgabbit
would keep it,

Had English influence, in the self-same
sphere here;
His son, the Honourable Dick Dicedrabbit,
Was member for the "other Interest"
(meaning

The same self-interest, with a different
leaning).

[blocks in formation]

-he

Till duly disappointed or dismiss'd:
Profit he cared not for, let others reap it;
But should the day come when place ceased
to exist,

The country would have far more cause to
weep it;
For how could it go on? Explain who can!
He gloried in the name of Englishman.

He was as independent—ay, much more—
Than those who were not paid for inde-
pendence,

As common soldiers, or a common-Shore,
Have in their several arts or parts ascendance
O'er the irregulars in lust or gore,
Who do not give professional attendance.
Thus on the mob all statesmen are as eager
To prove their pride, as footmen to a beggar.

All this (save the last stanza) Henry said,
And thought. I say no more-I've said too
much;

For all of us have either heard or read
Of or upon the hustings-some slight such
Hints from the independent heart or head
Of the official candidate. I'll touch
No more on this-the dinner-bell hath rung,

He added modestly, when rebels rail'd),
To hold some sinecures he wish'd abolish'd, | And grace is said; the grace I should have
But that with them all law would be de-

molish'd.

He was "free to confess"-(whence comes
this phrase?
Is't English? No-'tis only parliamentary)
That innovation's spirit now-a-days
Had made more progress than for the last
century.

He would not tread a factious path to praise,
Though for the public weal disposed to
venture high;
As for his place, he could but say this of it,
That the fatigue was greater than the
profit.

Heaven, and his friends, knew that private
life

Had ever been his sole and whole ambition;
But could he quit his King in times of strife
Which threaten'd the whole country with
perdition?

When demagogues would with a butcher's
knife

Cut through and through (oh! damnable

sung

[blocks in formation]

The Gordian or the Geordi-an knot, whose There were some hunters bold, and cour

incision!)
strings

sers keen,

Have tied together Commons, Lords, and Whose hounds ne'er err'd, nor grey-hounds

Kings.

deign'd to lurch;

Some deadly shots too, Septembrizers, seen, From those who have few resources of
Earliest to rise, and last to quit the search
their own,
Of the poor partridge through his stubble

screen.

There were some massy members of the church,

Takers of tithes, and makers of good matches, And several who sung fewer psalms than catches.

There were some country-wags too, and
alas!
Some exiles from the town, who had been
driven

To gaze, instead of pavement, upon grass,
And rise at nine in lieu of long eleven.
And lo! upon that day it came to pass,
I sate next that o'erwhelming son of Heaven,
The very powerful parson, Peter Pith,
The loudest wit I e'er was deafen'd with.

I knew him in his livelier London-days,
A brilliant diner out, though but a curate;
And not a joke he cut but earn'd its praise,
Until preferment, coming at a sure rate,
(Oh, Providence! how wondrous are thy

ways,

Who would suppose thy gifts sometimes obdurate?)

Gave him, to lay the devil who looks o'er Lincoln,

A fat fen vicarage, and nought to think on.

His jokes were sermons, and his sermons jokes;

But both were thrown away amongst the fens,

For wit hath no great friend in aguish folks. No longer ready ears and short-hand pens Imbibed the gay bon-mot, or happy hoax: The poor priest was reduced to common

sense,

Or to coarse efforts very loud and long, To hammer a hoarse laugh from the thick

throng.

There is a difference, says the song, "between
A beggar and a queen," or was (of late
The latter worse used of the two we've seen -
But we'll say nothing of affairs of state)
A difference "twixt a bishop and a dean,”
A difference between crockery - ware and
plate,

As between English beef and Spartan broth -
And yet great heroes have been bred by both.

But of all Nature's discrepancies, none Upon the whole is greater than the difference Beheld between the country and the town, Of which the latter merits every preference

And only think, or act, or feel with reference To some small plan of interest or ambitionBoth which are limited to no condition.

[blocks in formation]

Of two things how (the question rather odd is)

Such bodies could have souls, or souls such bodies.

But what confused him more than smile or stare

From all the 'squires and 'squiresses around,
Who wonder'd at the abstraction of his air,
Especially as he had been renown'd
For some vivacity among the fair,

Though this was most expedient on the whole,

And usual-Juan, when he cast a glance
On Adeline while playing her grand role,
Which she went through as though it were
a dance

(Betraying only now and then her soul
By a look scarce perceptibly askance
Of weariness or scorn), began to feel
Some doubt how much of Adeline was real;

Even in the country circle's narrow bound-So well she acted, all and every part (For little things upon my Lord's estate Were good small-talk for others still less

great)—

Was, that he caught Aurora's eye on his
And something like a smile upon her cheek.
Now this he really rather took amiss:
In those who rarely smile, their smiles
bespeak

A strong external motive; and in this
Smile of Aurora's there was nought to pique
Or hope, or love, with any of the wiles
Which some pretend to trace in ladies'
smiles.

Twas a mere quiet smile of contemplation,
Indicative of some surprise and pity;
And Juan grew carnation with vexation,
Which was not very wise and still less
witty,

Since he had gain'd at least her observation,
A most important outwork of the city-
As Juan should have known, had not his

senses

By turns-with that vivacious versatility, Which many people take for want of heart. They err-'tis merely what is call'd mobility, A thing of temperament and not of årt, Though seeming so, from its supposed facility;

And false-though true; for surely they're sincerest,

Who are strongly acted on by what is nearest.

[blocks in formation]

By last night's ghost been driven from their The poets of arithmetic are they

[blocks in formation]

Who,though they prove not two and two to be Five, as they would do in a modest way, Have plainly made it out that four are three, Judging by what they take, and what they pay.

The Sinking-Fund's unfathomable sea, That most unliquidating liquid, leaves The debt unsunk, yet sinks all it receives.

While Adeline dispensed her airs and graces, The fair Fitz-Fulke seem'd very much at

ease;

Though too well bred to quiz men to their faces, Her laughing blue eyes with a glance could seize

The ridicules of people in all placesThat honey of your fashionable beesAnd store it up for mischievous enjoyment; And this at present was her kind employment.

However, the day closed, as days must close; The evening also waned-and coffee came.

« PreviousContinue »