Punch (9.1845)

26

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

RAILWAY PASTORALS.

BRITISH HONOUR.

A gentleman who frequents the
House of Commons, dropped the fol-
lowing fragment of a letter in West-
minster yesterday.

He can have it by calling at om
office, and producing, or accounting
for the corresponding fragment.

(Private and confidential.)
"Dear Bob,—I have read through
the Cuba and Porto Rico Sugar
papers. The Spaniard Soto.iiayor
says England is pledged by treaties to
consider Spain as the most favoured
nation. If the most favoured nation,
why are her sugars taxed at a'higher
rate than those of the United Slated
and Venezuela ?

a Sotomayor asks for fair play fur
his country. Our friend Aberdekn
replies—'Yes, England is pledged by
treaties ; but the obligation imposed
upon us is, to treat as the most favoured
nation the subjects of Spain, but not
to treat the produce of Spain as

I he iron hand of Railway enterprise is fast tearing up by the roots all the pastoral and poetical association a Great Britain is now to treat the pro-
of our youth, and cottages near woods, as well as mossy cells or leafy nooks, are being superseded by duce of the most favoured nation
Railway termini. Where the cow once lowed, the engine now screams, and the pipe of the gentle Corydon j « when Lord Stanley at the Co
is completely put out by the funnel of the locomotive. Phillis is sent flying by the power of steam, and the ]onial ofiice can fchimblenff the New
hermit of the dale is compelled to break his staff or cut his stick, to make way for the immense staff of officials Zealand dbmpany_ when Loun

required on the Railways. . ' ' * u^ifSofc \ii„fci*, a„a

u J Aberdeen, as a liritisn 3i.mist.eraua

What is to become of those long accustomed to a pastoral state of existence, we are quite incapable of gentleman, can sign his name to an
•conjecturing. They cannot remove themselves by certiorari to the woodlands wild or the vale sequestered argument like this—good Lord! why
from the hum of men ; for it would indeed be a hum of the most grievous kind to encourage them in the hope i is the Cabinet scrupulous 1 and how
that anything in the shape of sylvan seclusion is now open to them. As we perceive that the Isle of Dogs come you to strain at Fitzroy Kelly '
is to be sold right out, we recommend its being taken as a colony for the pastoraliy-disposed population, "As for the South Eastern Bail-
where the shepherd might still play variations on the flageolet to a flock of sheep, undisturbed by the row way business, upon my honour-"

incidental to every Railway. Phillis might also " go a-milking," with a cage containing a couple of turtle- * * * *

doves in her hand, which, according to the poets, appears to have been the old pastoral practice. As to the Here the letter is abruptly torn

gentle hermit of the dale, we see nothing left for him but Heme Bay, or the toll-house on Waterloo Bridge, away ; and we cannot tell what the

where, since the opening of Hungerford, an anchorite with fifteen shillings a week might make himself very exalted writer's opinions upon the

comfortable. j South Eastern Railway were.

APROPOS OF A MISSING PICTURE.

A few weeks since we visited the National Gallery. We had just sus-
tained an hour's infliction of the Academy Exhibition, and rushed, as is
■our wont after the dose, among the old pictures, to repose our eye, and
take the taste of the Aeademy out of our mouth. We saw and criticised
a Holbein—a new acquisition. " There are better pictures of the master,"
we soliloquised ; " but, nevertheless, this is in place here, and we bid it
welcome."

' A week after we took Judy and our child to visit
the old pictures. We are forming the boy's taste in
art. To our surprise, the Holbein had disappeared.

his Lordship. " How we should manage without their advice, I cannot
imagine."

" How you manage ivith it, is perfectly apparent," we rejoined, rather
angrily (for our blood was up), and taking our hat, left the room, reflect-
ing what a blessing it is to have trustees of the National Gallery who have
such a proper distrust of their own judgments, and such a readiness tc
repair an error, even at a cost of 2007.—to the nation.

THE MOSAIC CROMWELL.

We questioned the gentlemen who dose about the Considerable sensation has been created throughout the country

door-wavs, and received the usual official answer—• r—*^s§g£&WJ , , , ,. , ,. . ,, t, , , • c

" Don't know anything about it." So, in despair, we /%.f|F^ b>" the expected dissolution of the Parliament through the seizure ol

called upon Lord ■-, one of the trustees. &-'^£?A its goods and chattels. The celebrated passage in history which

Where is the Holbein?" was our question. His bSLu'^V-^ describes the entrance of Cromwell and his soldiers into the House

Lordship blushed slightly, twiddled his eye-glass, ?J|§||^ of Commons, when the Protector, pointing to the Speaker's mace,

shifted uneasily in his chair, and replied evasively— ^.v/^tSiP*- ' ^ „ , „ , . .,

" The Holbein ? " <fe£i^ hid them " take away that bauble ! " is likely to find a parallel in the

" Yes, that was added to the Gallery last week." proceedings in Howard r. Gossett—though the actors in the scene

« We gave 600/. for it," said his Lordship, with a sort of sigh. will be much more ignoble than those who took part in the affair

« Whyto^see/my dear Punch, we have since discovered-" happened at the time of the Commonwealth. It is anticipated

We smiled at the idea of the trustees discovering anything. that the part of Cromwell and the soldiers will be personated by

" That is," said his Lordship, correcting himself, "Mr.-, the eminent ! Officers of the Sheriff; and the words, "Take away that bauble!"

dealer, assures us it is no Holbein at all-very difficult to distinguish a | wiU b d in the genge of "Seme that mace in execution!" If

copy from an original at times—immense caution required— , , , , ■ . ,.• i j i

« Before buying," we suggested. "But where is it ? " j the House of Commons should have all its sticks seized, what on

" Why we hope to induce Mr.---, from whom we bought it, to take it earth will become of Sir Valentine Blake and a few others ?

back again. We have offered to give him 200/. to take it off our hands," _

said his Lordship, now really blushing. "But he is very obstinate—quite

unpatriotic, in fact." _ Irish correspondence.
" Of course the 200Z. is to come from the trustees' pockets 1"

His Lordship opened his eyes very wide. Mr. Smith O'Brien will not attend the Committee of any English

« I don't understand you," he replied. Railway. To state this, he has written a very long letter. This was

" Nor pictures either," we added, jocularly. certainly the most Hibernian method of informing the British public he

"A great comfort that we have these eminent dealers to apply to," said wanted "to drop a few lines."