DOI Heft:
January to June, 1847
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16544#0025
14 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
THE DIPLOMATIC BOUQUET.
" Was. about len feet, and wide in proportion :
the frame was richly covered with Christmas holly,
laurels, misletoe, and evergreen, with a great variety
of winter flowers. There were twenty-two head of game, consisting of larks, snipes,
woodcocks, teal, French and English partridges, grouse, widgeons, wild ducks,
blackcocks, pheasants, a leveret, a hare, and golden plovers. The interstices were lightly
filled with wheat and oats, the whole ornamented with tri-coloured ribbons."
We see a profound political lesion in this bouquet. The oriental
mode of a declaration of love by means of flowers is well known ; and
Soyer, like a great genius, has elevated a comparative common-place
into the grand and instructive. Lord Palmerston may write long
letters with the quill of the thunder-bearing eagle, and the Marquis of
Norma nby, with face of diplomatic stone, may present them,—but
what is all this to the significance of Soyer's bouquet ? There is
matter in it for a whole winter Dight's contemplation, long a3 winter
nights are at this present writing. Let us first consider the frame.
The holly" with its prickly spikes, hints of English swords and
bayonets, and, moreover, if Louis-Philippe be a reader of Soothey,
which no doubt he is, suggests to him, that
"All vain asperities he day by day
Should wear away,
'Till the smooth temper of his age should be
Like the high leaves upon the holly tree."
The " laurel" is, as Ophelia would say. for memory of certain little
affairs in the last war with perfidious Albion ; whilst the " misletoe"
suggests—and we thank Soyer for the suggestion—the propriety of
a kiss of lasting peace between the two nations. The " larks" have a
playful allusion to the friskiness of Louis-Philippe at Eu, when he
out-diplomatised (we choose to make a word now and then) our good,
unsuspecting little Queen. (Perhaps lapwings, that only pipe to
cheat, would have been a truer illustration ; but, possibly, a little too
strong.) The " woodcocks," living only on suction, indicate the con-
dition of England depending upon the mere word of the King of the
French. The "wild-duck" gaily points to the sportive Duchess be
Montpensier, whilst the " leveret" means something about the Spa-
nish Crown, arid its future heir. " Golden plovers" indicate the
money-power of England to carry on a war ; whilst the "wheat and
oats" touchingly declare the right and duty of nations to bestow upon
one another their daily bread. We understand that Louis-Philippe
was much affected on reading (more Turcorum) the bouquet, and as he
trave orders to his cook to have it served at table, there is no doubt
that his Majesty has ere this laid the contents nearer to his heart than
any missive ever yet written by Aberdeen or Palmerston.
IMAGINARY (RAILWAY) CONVERSATIONS.
The perusal of the Electric Telegraph, if we could trace in those
lines what they are talking about, would, we are sure, fun.ish a most
amusing volume of miscellanies. When we see the wire vibrate with I call them the most promising States in the world, considering their
THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES.
ertainlt that great cook, Soter — ^*
the only true Minister of the Interior— «=—
has resolved that France and England
shall not mutually retire into a state of
isolation. No ; Soter would carry the
olive into the very bowels of France,
and bind the two countries together in
one Bouquet de Gibier ; or what may be
freely translated, a nosegay of game. To
which end, he despatched from the Re-
form Club, on the 23rd ult., the aforesaid
nosegay to their Majesties of the French.
'* The height of the bouquet," says the
Times—
Oh, why will man such danger run.
And madly brave the Fates,
To get some temporary fun
Upon a pair of skates ?
T)8 pleasant, on a winter's day,
Fleet o'er the ice to glide ;
But what is Life itself, I pray,
But one long winter slide ?
A rapid journey, where a stop
Ls fatal to success ;
Keep moving, or you '11 surely drop—
Such crowds bthind you press.
Unless you onward boldly go,
Backsliders in your train
Will cause your sudden overthrow—
You'll ne'er get up again.
Heed not, although you are not strong,
Pursue your even way ;
Although you cannot get along,
Some friend behind you may.
Straightforward, if your action proves,
Ne'er from right line recoiling ;
By aid sometimes of friendly shoves,
You'll keep the pot a-boiling.
How much for tne Bonds of Union T
From a letter in the Times it appears that out of the twenty-sever:
States which compose the Union, there are eight which have failed to
pay their debts. Pennsylvania is not included in that number, as she
has. singular to state, resumed payment since February, 1845. Eight
Mates out of twenty-seven, however, is not a bad beginning for a
juvenile country, which is scarcely yet out of its teens. We should
a thrilling motion, we can fancy that it bears some ecstatic message
from some ardent lover, and we see, in our imagination, the
" Soft intercourse Irom soul to soul,
Wafted along from pole to pole,'
creditors are never paid in anything but promises. Instead of dividing-
the Union into North and South America, it would be better, we think
to make a fresh division. Future geographers should make a separat
mention of those States which have paid their debts, and those which
e
• + ~„o„L L^.™. ,r„t;™ ♦ tu 4.1 TA-n i ■ i ^ ■ nave repudiated them. They might be distinguished as the Solvenl
,sjt passes from one station to the other. Filled with these sentimental and TruAvtmt Rteo. nf *mJM
reflections, we rushed into the telegraph-room at a London terminus,
and made it an earnest request that we should be admitted to the
confidence of that electric communicator, so refined and " air- drawn,"
like Macbeth's dagger. Our entreaty was answered with ready acqui-
escence, when to our utter horror the question asked, was, " How are
the portuguese service.
The two armies in Portugal seem, instead of rushing into each others
arms, intent upon keeping up the distance there has lately been be-
you off for coals ?" and the answer returned, was "Pretty well, thank tween them. The soldiers must have been told, before they entered
you." I jnto service, " No foDowers allowed."
THE DIPLOMATIC BOUQUET.
" Was. about len feet, and wide in proportion :
the frame was richly covered with Christmas holly,
laurels, misletoe, and evergreen, with a great variety
of winter flowers. There were twenty-two head of game, consisting of larks, snipes,
woodcocks, teal, French and English partridges, grouse, widgeons, wild ducks,
blackcocks, pheasants, a leveret, a hare, and golden plovers. The interstices were lightly
filled with wheat and oats, the whole ornamented with tri-coloured ribbons."
We see a profound political lesion in this bouquet. The oriental
mode of a declaration of love by means of flowers is well known ; and
Soyer, like a great genius, has elevated a comparative common-place
into the grand and instructive. Lord Palmerston may write long
letters with the quill of the thunder-bearing eagle, and the Marquis of
Norma nby, with face of diplomatic stone, may present them,—but
what is all this to the significance of Soyer's bouquet ? There is
matter in it for a whole winter Dight's contemplation, long a3 winter
nights are at this present writing. Let us first consider the frame.
The holly" with its prickly spikes, hints of English swords and
bayonets, and, moreover, if Louis-Philippe be a reader of Soothey,
which no doubt he is, suggests to him, that
"All vain asperities he day by day
Should wear away,
'Till the smooth temper of his age should be
Like the high leaves upon the holly tree."
The " laurel" is, as Ophelia would say. for memory of certain little
affairs in the last war with perfidious Albion ; whilst the " misletoe"
suggests—and we thank Soyer for the suggestion—the propriety of
a kiss of lasting peace between the two nations. The " larks" have a
playful allusion to the friskiness of Louis-Philippe at Eu, when he
out-diplomatised (we choose to make a word now and then) our good,
unsuspecting little Queen. (Perhaps lapwings, that only pipe to
cheat, would have been a truer illustration ; but, possibly, a little too
strong.) The " woodcocks," living only on suction, indicate the con-
dition of England depending upon the mere word of the King of the
French. The "wild-duck" gaily points to the sportive Duchess be
Montpensier, whilst the " leveret" means something about the Spa-
nish Crown, arid its future heir. " Golden plovers" indicate the
money-power of England to carry on a war ; whilst the "wheat and
oats" touchingly declare the right and duty of nations to bestow upon
one another their daily bread. We understand that Louis-Philippe
was much affected on reading (more Turcorum) the bouquet, and as he
trave orders to his cook to have it served at table, there is no doubt
that his Majesty has ere this laid the contents nearer to his heart than
any missive ever yet written by Aberdeen or Palmerston.
IMAGINARY (RAILWAY) CONVERSATIONS.
The perusal of the Electric Telegraph, if we could trace in those
lines what they are talking about, would, we are sure, fun.ish a most
amusing volume of miscellanies. When we see the wire vibrate with I call them the most promising States in the world, considering their
THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES.
ertainlt that great cook, Soter — ^*
the only true Minister of the Interior— «=—
has resolved that France and England
shall not mutually retire into a state of
isolation. No ; Soter would carry the
olive into the very bowels of France,
and bind the two countries together in
one Bouquet de Gibier ; or what may be
freely translated, a nosegay of game. To
which end, he despatched from the Re-
form Club, on the 23rd ult., the aforesaid
nosegay to their Majesties of the French.
'* The height of the bouquet," says the
Times—
Oh, why will man such danger run.
And madly brave the Fates,
To get some temporary fun
Upon a pair of skates ?
T)8 pleasant, on a winter's day,
Fleet o'er the ice to glide ;
But what is Life itself, I pray,
But one long winter slide ?
A rapid journey, where a stop
Ls fatal to success ;
Keep moving, or you '11 surely drop—
Such crowds bthind you press.
Unless you onward boldly go,
Backsliders in your train
Will cause your sudden overthrow—
You'll ne'er get up again.
Heed not, although you are not strong,
Pursue your even way ;
Although you cannot get along,
Some friend behind you may.
Straightforward, if your action proves,
Ne'er from right line recoiling ;
By aid sometimes of friendly shoves,
You'll keep the pot a-boiling.
How much for tne Bonds of Union T
From a letter in the Times it appears that out of the twenty-sever:
States which compose the Union, there are eight which have failed to
pay their debts. Pennsylvania is not included in that number, as she
has. singular to state, resumed payment since February, 1845. Eight
Mates out of twenty-seven, however, is not a bad beginning for a
juvenile country, which is scarcely yet out of its teens. We should
a thrilling motion, we can fancy that it bears some ecstatic message
from some ardent lover, and we see, in our imagination, the
" Soft intercourse Irom soul to soul,
Wafted along from pole to pole,'
creditors are never paid in anything but promises. Instead of dividing-
the Union into North and South America, it would be better, we think
to make a fresh division. Future geographers should make a separat
mention of those States which have paid their debts, and those which
e
• + ~„o„L L^.™. ,r„t;™ ♦ tu 4.1 TA-n i ■ i ^ ■ nave repudiated them. They might be distinguished as the Solvenl
,sjt passes from one station to the other. Filled with these sentimental and TruAvtmt Rteo. nf *mJM
reflections, we rushed into the telegraph-room at a London terminus,
and made it an earnest request that we should be admitted to the
confidence of that electric communicator, so refined and " air- drawn,"
like Macbeth's dagger. Our entreaty was answered with ready acqui-
escence, when to our utter horror the question asked, was, " How are
the portuguese service.
The two armies in Portugal seem, instead of rushing into each others
arms, intent upon keeping up the distance there has lately been be-
you off for coals ?" and the answer returned, was "Pretty well, thank tween them. The soldiers must have been told, before they entered
you." I jnto service, " No foDowers allowed."