Punch (9.1845)

166 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI

PEEUS IRISH CROP.

Whatever may have been the general result of the harvest, we cannot
congratulate Peel on the state of his Irish crops, which have turned out
quite the reverse of what he had been sowing for. He had thrown the
seeds of conciliation broadcast in all directions, and he had dibbled in a
quantity of blarney ; but though he had enriched the ground with soft

soap and treasury guano, repeal caps and some still more objectionable
fruit have been the result of his labours. His Maynooth house-warming
scheme has ended only in hot water pouring about him in every direction,
and even the very orange blossoms, in which he once took pride, have a
number of thorns about them.

PUNCH'S POLITICAL DICTIONARY.

Areopagus, Council of. Literally, the highest Court of Justice
from its being held on the top of a hill. The Areopagites were a
sort of aristocracy, and were so dreadfully particular, that they once,
according to Athenjetjs. "fixed a mark of disgrace on a man who
had dined at a tavern," a decree which must have ruined all the
Cheshire Cheeses, the Dicks, Cocks, and Rainbows of the period.
The Court used to be held originally in the open air; perhaps
because it was an open Court, or probably because, being the highest
hall of justice, there could be nothing above it.

Aristocracy (from the Greek dpiffTOKpdTia) means, according to
its etymology, a government of the best ; but this etymology is all
my eye and Betty-Mology when tested by experience. Aristocracy
also means a class of persons, and there is so much aristocracy in
England that every profession, trade, and calling, has an aristocracy
of its own, in addition to the regular nobility who call themselves,
par excellence, the aristocracy of the country. The butler lords it
over the footboy, and the regular dustman is too aristocratic to talk
to the mere mud-lark.

Army. The whole military force of a nation, from the Com-
mander-in-Chief down to Old Jones, the unpromoted private who
distinguished himself at Waterloo by hiding in a hay-stack. The
early Saxons were all soldiers, and a book might have been published

Arraignment. Calling an accused person to the bar, to say
whether he is guilty or not guilty, when he is generally urged to
say the latter, though he may be willing to confess to the former ;
for the law loves a quibble so much, that it will not have the plain
truth, if there be any means of getting the opposite. When a man
was arraigned, he was told to hold up his hand, which might have
been a good practice with regard to a pickpocket, for, says Ghotius,
the Court could see, by his holding up his hand, if he were one of
the light-fingered gentry.

Assent, Royal. The right of saying yes, which is socrcti" —
dictated by the fear of saying otherwise. The royal assent is
usually given by commission, and the clerk of the Parliament is
compelled to repeat some Norman-French ; but as some of these
clerks have, on economical principle?, attempted to acquire French
without a master, they often make a sad mess of it. Cromwell, the
Protector, who tried to protect the King's English, did away with
the custom of assenting to a Bill in French ; but at the restoration
the old barbarous method was restored, and prevails at the present
moment.

The Hero of a Hundred Razzias.

There is a report that Bugeatjd is to leave Africa. His successor, who-
ever he may be, will have a difficult task in wielding the torch and sabre
called, « Every Man his own Sentinel." Those who wish to know what after him. Only think of the Marshal's noble achievements ! On the smallest
a Saxon soldier was like, may consult some needlework which is in ! computation he has conquered 3000 camels put ^ the sword 10 000
existence, showing the wars of Harold—the needle being peculiarly cocks and he.ns> -P^ed * .least a m.lhon sheep and ^Ab>,-^Ka»»
n±1 . - ', °, , , tt , „ !? ■ -i prisoner no less than 2/2 times. What more can Ins successor ao . unie.s,

fittedfortheverysharpworkwhichHAROLnmadeofit. Before the civil ' hanc he ha8 the good fortune to kill Abd-el-Kader twice as often.

wars there was no permanent army in England ; but the Charleses
and James the Second were so fond of playing at soldiers, that the
number was increased to 30,000. The Bill of Rights declared a

We look forward with the strongest interest to his first bulletin.

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