Punch (10.1846)

112

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

popped it down tke old Galcongee's mouth with so much grace, that
his heart was won. Russia was put out of Court at once, and the
treaty of Kabohanople was signed. As for Diddloff, all was over with
him, he was recalled to St. Petersburg, and Sir Roderic Murchison
saw him, under the No. 3967, working in the Ural mines.

The moral of this tale I need not say, is, that there are many
disagreeable things in society which you are bound to take down, and
to do so witli a smiling face.

FATHER AND SON.

SCENE FROM AN OLD COMEDY.

A regular piece of comedy, of the Old School, has lately been enacted
by Lord Lincoln and his father the Duke of Newcastle. The lat-
ter lias appeared as a testy old man, a regular political Captain
Absolute, threatening to knock down that young jackanapes of a son of
his if lie should run counter to the wishes of his kind and indulgent old
governor. The Earl of Lincoln has been figuring as the light come-
dian of the political world, a dashing young scapegrace, following the
last new fashions, and, in fact, showing all that kind of spirit that is
generally met with in the modern farces, or those repositories of worn
out rubbish, the sterling, legitimate, five-act comedies of the early part
of the present century.

The scene, as lately acted, comes upon the public with all the fresh-
ness of a revival, but we cannot say that it has been a very successful
one. The choleric and impetuous style of the testy old man is quite
gone by in the present day, and there is no longer any fun to be found
in the mixture of obstinacy, stupidity, and violence which made up the
characters of the dramatic " fathers " of thirty years ago; when, if they
went fuming about, calling their sons rascals and making fools of
themselves, it was merely put down to the score of testiness. Lord
Lincoln has not been particularly happy as the dashing young fellow,
Hying in opposition to his father's wishes.

In order to render the farce complete we ought to have had old
Newcastle relenting at the last moment, handing over Nottingham,
the object of his affection, to Lincoln, and saying to him, " There,
there, you dog; go, and be happy."

A few purses pitched about among the populace would have ren-
dered everything perfectly en regie for the fall of the curtain.

A Good Speculation.

We have to notice a gross oversight on the part of Ministers, the
more remarkable since they are converted to Free Trade principles.
One of the leading axioms of Free Trade is, that prices are created by
demand. Surely, the demand for the Stewardship of the Chiltern
Hundreds would create a good price for it : why do they not, then,
make it a saleable office ?

THE POLITICAL BIRDS—AND OTHER ANIMALS.

(not of aristophanes.)

the geese.

Quirk ! quirk ! quirk ! quirk '. quirk !

Gobble ! gobble ! gobble !
Here's a pretty piece of work !

We 're in a hobble.
To feed on the land

Our species wras born ;
But our ruin is plann'd

Through Free-Trade in corn.
What a villanous shame !
Let us hiss Peel and Graham.
Oh ! can't they the sliding-scale manage to cobble ?
Gobble-gobble ! quirk-quirk ! quirk-quirk-quirk ! gobble-gobble !

the bees.

Hum ! hum ! hum !

Nonsense ! stuff!
Come, come, come,

You've been gobbling long enough.
Gobbling up the land's best fat,
Now we '11 have no more of that ;
Yet your fields will pasture raise
Whereupon you still may graze :
If. 0 Geese, you '11 only please
To imitate th' industrious Bees.

the owls.

Boohoo ! boohoo ! boohoo !

Oh dear ! what shall we do ?

Political economy's new light

Bewilders, dazzles, and confounds our sight.

Oh, for the ancient way !

Oh, for our good old day !
Which was night !
We then our prey could manage to pursue,
Uhui ! uhui ! uhui ! boohoo ! boohoo !

the ravens.

Kurroak ! kurroak ! kurroak !
The fatal word is spoke.

The axe we see

At thy root, oh tree !
British oak !
When they've repeal'd the tax on bread,
How shall we and ours be fed ?
Woe ! Disaster ! Revolution !
Ruin to the Constitution !
Nay, the matter's past a joke ;
The nation's doom'd : kurroak ! kurroak !

the donkies.

Eehaw ! eehaw ! eehaw ! eehaw ! eehaw !
Let's ha' no alteration o' the law.
We '11 goo on like our veathers afore we was born,
They didn't want none o' your vorreigners' corn.

Doant talk to we

Of imports free ;

We wunt hear on't,

Doant you fear on't ;

Naw naw ! Eehaw !

the hats.

Weak ! weak 1 weak 1 weak ! weak !

Is the cause that once we stood by ;
For another row we'll squeak,—

One that we may get some good by :

At Protection let us gnaw.—

Bees. Bravo, Rats !

Donkies. Oh, oh ! eehaw !

bees.

Cackle, Geese, your silly strain ;

Hoot, ye Screechowls—" hoot owa' "
Croak, ye Ravens, croak amain ;

Donkies, raise the loud eehaw :
Though 'twill be of little use,
Donkey, Raven, Owl, and Goose,
Cackle, hoot, and croak, and bray,
Since you've got no more to say.