Punch (99.1890)

256

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [November 29, 1890.

RIGHT-DOING ON THE RIALTO;

os, the modern shylock.

(A Short Shakspearian Sequel.)

Enter the Modern Shylock and
Bartngo Brothers.

Shylock. Five Millions sterling
for three months ? And this
Yon say, they -will advance, if

you can show
Sufficient guarantee ?
Baringo. Indeed 'tis so.

Shy. Well, well I But how
comes it about that you
"Whose honoured name has so long

held the sway
Of all safe dealing, that men only
asked,

" If a Babingo backed it," to take
up

Unquestioning the newest stock,—
should thus

"With sudden flash flare up and set
in blaze

The whole commercial world ?
Bar. Oh ! press me not,

Nor question me too closely! "Ar-
gentines!"

That fatal word sums up the evil
spell

That in these latter luckless days

has fallen
Upon our swaying House.

Shy. I see your case!

A cry for gold finds you all un-
prepared, '' I don't know what it is, Mark
Tour capital locked up beyond to-day

the seas. '' Let's see your Gun, Sir. Ah !—well, I'd try what

You cannot realise. | could do wits some Oariridoes in it, ie I was you, Sir !"

Bar. Alas! too true! -

That is the situation !

Shy. Badly done!

Ah! it has been a sorry piece of work,
Your " management."

Bar. I bow my head to that!

But you will lend your aid ? You '11 pull us
through ? [oft
Shy. Listen, Baringo. Many a time and
In this English land men have rated me
About my moneys and my usuries.

But that is long ago; the times

have changed,
And feeling in more righteous

channel set,
Now turns itself in flood to sweep
away

The wrongs of vanished years.

Nay, more than this.
But yesterday one of my ancient
race,

Filled, with his Christian col-
leagues' heartiest will,
The civic throne; and at this very
hour

A protest from all classes in the
land

From low and high, from peasant

and from peer,
G-oes forth to plead with the

despotic power
That 'neath brute persecution's

iron heel
"Would trample out my brethren's

life. So, there,
Which way I look I meet a greet-
ing hand.
So, not repeating here the venge-
ful plot

Of the old Shylock of the play;
without

My pound of flesh or pound of
anything,— [hood
But solely for the bond of brother-
That should link loyal workers in

one field,
Count on my help in this your

stress—for I
Will be your guarantee!
Bar. You will I Oh, thanks
For such blest help!
Shy. Such help is only right,—
So say no more 1

Bar {aside). Thank Heaven! That
Ends our plight!

\_Dances wild fandango of delight as Cur-
tain descends.

The earlier part of My Life, by Sidney Cooper, R.A., is very
interesting, as must almost always be the story of the early career
of such an ancient mariner as is this well-known animal-painter.
There muBt be a halo of romance about recollections which no one
living can or cares to contradict. When these biographical reminis-
cences come within the memory of middle-aged men, then this said
memory doth run somewhat to the contrary of that of the veteran
painter who put the cart before the horse, so to speak, in his artistic
career, seeing that he commenced with carriages and ended with cows.
As far as Mr. Punch is concerned, the Baron has already denied
that Douglas Jerrold was ever the Editor of Mr. P.'s paper; and
Mr. Cooper's account of the Punch dinners must be taken with the
contents of a well-filled salt-cellar, as Mr. Sidney Cooper was never
present at any one of them. Inaccurately he attributes a repartee of
Thackeray's to Douglas Jerrold ; and the well-known retort of

OUE BOOKING-OEFICE.

Here are some regular sea-breezy Nautical stories for our youthful
Islanders. From Middy to Admiral of the Fleet, by Dr. Macaulay,
which is a good long step ; but this is the life of Commodore Anson.
Up North in a Whaler, by Edward A. Rand ; a pleasant little trip
for the Summer holidays—not inviting now—but try it later. Messrs.
flDTcmiisoN & Co. also publish " The Low-Back'd Car," by Samuel
Lover—an old Song in a fresh setting of charming Illustrations, by
W. Magrath. '' We don't kill a pig every day ! " But j ust for once
and away get My Prague Pig, by S. Baring Gould. W. Clark
Russell's Master Bockafellar's Voyage, recommended.

To the ambitious young entertainer, Magic at Home, translated
by Professor Hoffman, will be a source of delight, and if some of
the experiments should lead to slight temporary inconvenience, it,
will only help to pass a more cheerful evening Jerrold to Albert Smith he gives so incor-
than usual. \ A rectly, that in this instance the Attic salt has
For drawing-room plays apply to George Rout- . a1 ^v\\ ~\\.\'. lost its savour. There is too much soft-soapi-
ledge, who publishes a set, one of which, Acting ff^b > * ' neaB in his reminiscences of personal interviews
Charades and Proverbs, by Anne Bowman, will |I ml .\-/V^'«/ ..-.V viith. Royalty to please robust readers. Judging
be found very useful. A Bowman hits the mark. H sgl . ^JsJa t&Qk \ from the latter portion of the second volume,
Those who know their London a« bout des angles, v |f ^SH ^m&dPm /8§£V wherein, as I should take it, there is considerable
can tell you of many quaint spots of beauty, •% l| I^HBt~wl " padding," it would seem that "_ the aged P." has
which may be seen when it is not quite enveloped , t| «' n &^}MSm<m^& already secured an excellent position among " the
in a cheerful fog, though several of the more A; \| \A \\ J «SllLKff«^ immortals." Hitherto it was generally supposed
ancient landmarks are fast vanishing ; yet in Pic- ,.) \W -\"3§l&a % that °^ ^he ar*s Music alone would survive in
turesque London, by Percy Fitzgerald, M.A., |' \\\^^BMBW'^r^) seesula sceculorum; but perhaps, after all, Painting
F.S.A., will be found a happy collection of all the M ill V ^^|HBhB^>^^ ^aa a c^anoe' an(l especially animal painting, even
most taking parts, both in odd corners, and inter- ''" jff'MWv^B^^v though the animals may be allegorical. With its
esting structures. Charming illustrations by Hume, WjlB wSflHHHE' pardonable defects of memory, and its occasional
Nisbet, and Herbert Railton. x || ■ W touch of Royal Windsor Livery complaint, the re-
Christmas special numbers are not exactly up to [| «| Rlran^^^ml^ ' minisoenoes of Sidney Cooper, R.A., are pleasant
date ; they are turned out so early that by the ~Jl j^<^^Bp«aH"M^M an(L of the first volume especially be it said, inte-
time they ought to be seasonable, they are almost M\ resting reading.

ancient history. The Ladies' Pictorial is filled js^i— fiaLgsr The Auld Scotch Songs, arranged by Sinclair

with short stories by popular authors, which are ^^^"sssi^St^s- awB^" Dunn. Well Dunn, sing clair!

well illustrated. The Mirror of Justice. Baron de Book-Worms & Co.