Punch (7.1844)

179

PEACE — PEACE — PEACE!

To vo gririando,—pace, pace, pace '—Pitiaica.

We recognised him in a moment—he was Young France ! Yes, albeit he sat in
a. dirty estaminet with one half-glass of beer before him, in close neighbourhood to a
couple of gamins playing at one-sou dominoes,—we knew him by his beard, by his
gloomy thoughtfulness, by his ferocious intelligence—he was Young France !

He took up La Presse. He read—his hand shook with passion as he grasped and
grasped the paper—his cheek became red, then yellow, then burning red again. One
hot tear rose to his eye, and then fell hissing down his cheek. He twitched his cas-
quette from his head—flung it upon the floor, and then jumping up, magnanimously
stamped upon it. Throwing forth his right arm—he ground his teeth — cried,
u Perfide Albion," and then spat !

The two young gentlemen paused at their dominoes, and looked admiringly at
Young France. He immediately saw he had an audience : his indignation would
obtain hearers—his overladen heart might discharge itself in bitter, burning words :—

" Look ye here, Messieurs," cried Young France, pointing to the Presse, " peace—
peace—nothing but peace! This King of the Barricades—this Man with the
Umbrella—this Louis-Philippe, voyages to 'perfidious Albion' only to preach
peace. Itls thus that the glorious ardour of France is insulted ; that her warriors
are snubbed ; that her old heroic associations are laughed to scorn. Peace—peace
—nothing but peace. At Portsmouth and at Windsor, still the same song—peace !

"Then wherefore have we stormed Tangier—wherefore conquered at Isly —
wherefore has the magnanimous Bruat done all that lay within his mighty soul to
light the flames of glorious war, when we have a shopkeeping king shipping himself
for no other purpose than to cry 'peace, peace,'—to shake hands with Portsmouth
recorders and Windsor mayors ?

"Bones of Napoleon! do ye not rattle with indignation? Hear this!"—and
Young France read Louis-Philippe's answer to the Windsor address :—

" our view should BE peace, while we leave evert other COUNTRY in possession* of those
blessings which it hath pleased DlVINE providence to bestow on them."

" A Divine Providence ! Ha, ha!" cried Young France, bitterly—"Did Napoleon
ever talk such stuff! Was there such balderdash under ' the Empire ?'" And then,
with curling lip, he read on —

" Happy! ax that tou appreciate mt constant endeavours, assisted bt a wise Govern-
m_e-nt at home, to promote the most friendly and peaceful relations between the two
countries. France has nothing to ask of England, and Englanb has nothing to ask of
France, but cordial union."

" France nothing to ask of England! Ha, ha !"—and Young France laughed like
a demon—"she has everything to ask, and to have of her—her navy, her colonies,
her commerce—her all—until the tricolor shall wave on the tower of Windsor !

" Nothing to ask! She has to ask—that Waterloo shall be forgotten!! ! " roared Yonng
France, who then emptied his half-glass of beer, and strided into the street like a
colossus. And here the two young gentlemen resumed their play—forgetting the

miseries, the wrongs of France in one^ou dominoes ! a horse-guard, to be completed w 12 parts.

Dreadful Shipwreck.

We understand that another steamer lias just gone down in the North
Sea. She had only one boat, which was swamped by the desperate pas-
sengers crowding into her. We lament to state that among them were
one Royal Duke, three Peers, and half-a-dozen Members of Parliament,
with their wives and families.

a later account.

We are happy to state that there is no truth in the above paragraph ;
but when there shall be—when Dukes, and Peers, and Members of Par-
liament, go to the bottom with common people, then—and it would seem
not until then—will there be an Act compelling shipowners to carry boats
of sufficient size to contain the crew and passengers.

REPORT OF A SHOP-WALKER.

The Walker of a linendraper's shop is the person who has to walk up
and down in it, doing the agreeable to ladies, handing chairs to them, and
seeing that they are properly shaved ; so that the name of Walker has
by no means been injudiciously conferred upon him. The Walker has,
among other things, to furnish a report to his master of the negligence
of the other assistants in effecting sales ; and the following is a sample of
a report so furnished :—

" Sunday Morning, 1 a.m.

" Mr. Tidd has this week been very inattentive. He has let six ladies
go away without buying anything ; and, on more than one occasion, has
neglected to inquire whether 'there was any other article.'

"Mr. Wells has missed several opportunities. On Tuesday, when a
eustomer complained of the price of a de laine, he omitted to pledge his
word of honour that it was the only thing of the kind in town.

" Mr. Baker let a lady have several yards of a ribbon ticketed in the
window, whereas he might have served her with an inferior article if he
had chosen.

"Mr. Cooper, when a poor person inquired whether a certain stuff
would wash, confessed he was afraid it would not.

"Mr. Jackson, on a lady's questioning him whether the colours of a
barege were fast, replied that he could not say. He likewise hesitated to
warrant a Spitalfields silk to be French, when he might have done so with
perfect safety.

u I caught Mr Stevens, having nothing to do, reading a number of
Punch"

VERY LIKELY.

"Goon News! Good News ! ! — We understand that a petition to! Colonel Sibthorpe wishes to know if the lady advertised to enter the
Louis Philippe is in course of signature in the city, praying his Majesty cage, accompanied by Ma. Carter, is the Lady of Lyons who played so
to rafale Alderman Gibbs (the Lord Mayor elect) a-Count. | long at the Haymarket ?

MOTTOES.

Mr. O'Connell.—"This man talked learnedly, as if he could tell how
to make a rebellion and never break the peace."—Lord Bacon's History
of Henry VII.

" Beginning already to squint one eye upon the crown and another upon
the sanctuary."—Ibid.

Lord Brougham. — " Thoul't beggar my derision utterly. Ii tnon
stayest longer I shall want a laugh."—Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit at

Several Weapons, act hi., sc. 1.