Punch (14.1848)

104

PUNCH. OR THE LONDON CHARTVART.

THE DELECTABLE BALLAD OF THE FOUR KINGS OF ITALY;

SHOWING HOW TUEY EACH TOOK HIS ROUGH DRAUGHT Of A CONSTITUTION, AND HOW IT SORE MISLIKED SOME OF THEM.

Vie Pope. "I feel all the better f<>r my dose, am) I think your King of Sardinia. " As Naples is taking it, I may as well."
Majesties cannot do better than follow my example." King of Denmark. "I suppose there is no help for it,so here goes !"

King of Naples. " Take away that nasty compound." King of Pnutia. " I mixed mine myself, and so I know it's all right."

It was four king9 into the South,

And oil, they were brave to sec ;
Three of them had a crown a-piece,

But the fourth, oh he had three.

The first he was King of Sardinia ;

The next, Duke of Tuscanif. ;
The third, lie was the Pope ok Rome ;

And Naples, the fourth was he.

Sardinia he nodded 'twixt wink and wake,

And Tuscanv shut one eye;
But Naples he slept as fast as a church,

With his crown set all awry.

Then it's up and spake Pope Pius,

That was ware and wakeful too,
" Oh rouse ye, rouse ye, my cousins,

For there is work to do.

" I hear a bird that sings strangely,

And the burden of his song
Is aye ' Up with the rule of Right,

And down with the rule of Wrong.' "

At Sardinia he lugged, and at Naples tugged,

With Tuscany struggled sore,
But the more he strove to rouse them,

The louder those kings did snore ;
Till at last—were Popes not holy men—

I had said his Reverence swore.

Then it's up and spake a little foot-page,

That sat below the board,
" I hear the clash as of musquet-buts,

And the clank as of a sword."

And it's in fame a Lord High Chamberkki,

And oh hut he was pale :
" Now leave off your bowing and scraping, my lo

And straight unfold your tale.

Excuse this rude waking, Sir Kings," he said,
" And say will ye fight or flee ?
Here comes young Sardinia, young Napl*s,
In fact all young Italy.

" ' Come peace, come fight, he '11 have his right;

To humbug him you 're not to hope;
He'll take no chaff from Tuscany straw ;

He '11 have no Naples soap;

u ' Sardinia may keep his oil

For pickling his own Sardines."—
So he says, and, please your Majesties,

What he says I think he means."

Then a lusty knock came to the gate,

And a tirling at the pin ;
And with bonnet on brow, and never a bow,

Young Italy he walked in.

He looted him low before the Pope :
" A blessing, Lord Pope, I crave ; "

And then lie looked the three kings in the lin e,
And I trow the three kings were grave.

For they saw the red glow in his eye,

And the long sword at his side,
And they heard the tramp of his weary men,

As they entered the court so wide.

" 'Tis an ugly dream," quoth Naples,

When he saw his brethren quake ;
And'twas not till he pinched himself black and blue,

That he felt he was awake.

Young Italy took four cups of gold,

Ycarven quaint and fair ;
" Now pledge me ye kings, ere hence I go,

In a draught though rough that's rare.

" The draught is mixed of precious things,

Long kept under bar and ban ;
Its strength is Right—that mighty wine

Makes glad the heart of man.

" Its bitter is Water from the well

Where Truth hides from man's blindness;

Its sweet is Mercy's honey-dew,
With milk of human kindness.

" Old Egypt's queen quaffed melted pearls,

Plucked from her diadem ;
So have we melted in our draught

Justice—that priceless gem.

" And the draught I tend, as the health 'twill mend,

Is ' a Constitution ' hight;
They use it in merry England most,

And it makes them wise and wight."

Quoth the Pope, " Your host will allow me a toast;

' Here's luck to the triple crown !' "
The cup was full that he took up;

'Twas empty that he set down.

Then Tuscany and Sardinia

Drained their draughts with a gulp and a sigh.
" I like it much," quoth Tuscany ;

Quoth Sardinia " And so do I."

But Naples ! it was a sorry sight

To see him over his cup ;
Thrice he tried with a sob and a scunner,

And thrice he gave it up.

He tried it in spoonfuls and in sips,

And with holding of his nose ;
As ye see a boy with the rhubarb toy,

Or with the sable dose.

Then Tuscany and Sardinia

At their brother sore did scoff ;
"I'll count twenty," quoth young Italy,

" And then, if it's not drunk off-!"

He scarce had reached eighteen, eighteen,

Eighteen and barely one,
When Naples he made a desperate plunge,

And lo, the trick was done !

He turned him over on his side,

Well nigh slipped off his throne ;
" I'm gone, my friends ; the business cr.ds;

Oh—leave u»e—do—alone."

" Now nay—now nay—thou silly king,,

It will but do thee good."
So said they all, till he was fain

To agree he thought it would

Since then those kings are all alive,

Tho' Naples at times will snore ;
They admit that what Constitutions were

They never knew before.

And the Pope he leads a happy life,

And bids them bless the day
That young Italy did physic them,

Whether they would or nay.