DOI issue:
July to December, 1851
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16608#0265
254
FREE THOUGHTS ON A CERTAIN EVENT AND
A CERTAIN PRINCE.
Well !—ne'er I knew, till taught it thus,
—Till this last news flashed o'er the wave—
The worst harm that a Tyrant does,
Is what he does when in his grave !
It seems, the corpse of Greatness dead,
Like vulgar corpses here in town,
May such a ghastly vapour spread
As serves to knock a nation down !
It floats about—they call it Glory—
Its sickly haze enshrines a spark,
And—oh, fine moral of the story—
Shines clearest when the sky is dark !
The people watch the sparkle fair,
Within the vapour in the night,
And think the ignisfatuus there
A steady, useful, beacon-light.
And, Oh ! fair spark, and purple haze,
The people cry, who watch the toinb,
Till, in the middle of their gaze,
It chokes their Freedom into gloom !
Well! I'd prefer the former lot,
And live upon my little wits,
Rather than shine—conspicuous Spot—
Upon the sun of Austerlitz !
I'd really rather slink about
From idle house to gambling den—
Than send a stolen Eagle out
To lap the blood of gallant men :
—Than steal along, with muffled spi'e,
—"•^Bfc-^^^^^^^^^^^^sSHBB ' ° catch France sleeping on the watch
^sj^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^MSf'-""jjsljg^-'"' And wreathe with laurels, prigg'd at nig! ;,
JSS^KSiBE^^^^ 1110 D0W^ ot' mv debased debauch !
^=-*as-—;*=s^ __ Perhaps, though, Paris up will bring,
_ ^^-^s^^^^jCT== ' To make the most of her disaster,
;^3i[]SllSls==^ This little image of a King,
Made of her very poorest Plaster:
DISAGREEABLE TRUTH. Perhaps, she'll stick it up thus, yet,
And go to play,—for some suppose
Soldier. " Now, then ! You must Move away from here.'
Such fickle people only fit
Rode Boy. "Ah ! But rou mustn't, Old Feller !" For dominus and dominoes !
A FEW SUPPOSITIONS.
Suggested ly the state of things in France.
tjppose the head of the Executive,
or the Minister for the time
being, were to take it into his
head one morning to abolish the
Houses of Parliament:
Suppose some of the members
elected by large constituencies,
were to think it a duty to go
and take their seats, and were
to be met at the doors by swords
and bayonets, and were to be
wounded, and taken off to prison
for the attempt:
Suppose the Minister, having
been harassed by a few Parlia-
mentary debates and discussions,
were to send off to Newgate or
the House of Correction a few
ot the most eminent members
of the opposition, such as the
Disraelis, the Grahams, the
Gladstones, the Barings, and
a sprinkling of the Humes, the Wakleys, the Walmsleys the
Cobdens, and the B rights :
Suppose the press having been found not to agree with the policy of
the Minister, he were to peremptorily stop the publication of the Times
Herald, Chronicle, Post, Advertiser, Daily News, Globe, &c, &c and
limit the organs of intelligence to the Government Gazette, or one or two
other prints that would write or omit just what he, the Minister,
might please:
Suppose, when it occurred to the public that these measures were not
exactly in conformity with the law, the Minister were to go or send
some soldiers down to Westminster Hall, shut up the Courts, smd
the Lord Chancellor about his business, and tell Lords Campbell,
Cranworth, and all the rest of the high judicial authorities, to make
the best of their way home :
Suppose a few Members of Parliament were to sign a protest against
these proceedings; and suppose the documents were to be torn down
by soldiers, and the persons signing them packed off to Coldbath Fields
or Pentonville:
Suppose all these things were to happen with a Parliament elected
by Universal Suffrage, and under a Republican form of Government:
And lastly—
Suppose we were to be told that this sort of thing is liberty, and
what we ought to endeavour to get for our own country ; - Snould we
look upon the person telling us so, as a madman, or a knave, or both ?
and should we not be justified in putting him as speedily and as un-
ceremoniously as possible—outside our doors ?
Our Duty as Regards the Fare.
(To the Chancellor of the Exchequer))
" Right Hon. Sir,—The duty on cabs amounts to eighteen-pence a
day. Couldn't you divest the tax of its oddity ? I mean the odd six-
pence. Don't you think that the reduction would be compensated by
the public taking an additional quantity of cab ? If you would trust
to me in this business, I am as sure I should satisfy you as that
"I am, One Bob."
FREE THOUGHTS ON A CERTAIN EVENT AND
A CERTAIN PRINCE.
Well !—ne'er I knew, till taught it thus,
—Till this last news flashed o'er the wave—
The worst harm that a Tyrant does,
Is what he does when in his grave !
It seems, the corpse of Greatness dead,
Like vulgar corpses here in town,
May such a ghastly vapour spread
As serves to knock a nation down !
It floats about—they call it Glory—
Its sickly haze enshrines a spark,
And—oh, fine moral of the story—
Shines clearest when the sky is dark !
The people watch the sparkle fair,
Within the vapour in the night,
And think the ignisfatuus there
A steady, useful, beacon-light.
And, Oh ! fair spark, and purple haze,
The people cry, who watch the toinb,
Till, in the middle of their gaze,
It chokes their Freedom into gloom !
Well! I'd prefer the former lot,
And live upon my little wits,
Rather than shine—conspicuous Spot—
Upon the sun of Austerlitz !
I'd really rather slink about
From idle house to gambling den—
Than send a stolen Eagle out
To lap the blood of gallant men :
—Than steal along, with muffled spi'e,
—"•^Bfc-^^^^^^^^^^^^sSHBB ' ° catch France sleeping on the watch
^sj^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^MSf'-""jjsljg^-'"' And wreathe with laurels, prigg'd at nig! ;,
JSS^KSiBE^^^^ 1110 D0W^ ot' mv debased debauch !
^=-*as-—;*=s^ __ Perhaps, though, Paris up will bring,
_ ^^-^s^^^^jCT== ' To make the most of her disaster,
;^3i[]SllSls==^ This little image of a King,
Made of her very poorest Plaster:
DISAGREEABLE TRUTH. Perhaps, she'll stick it up thus, yet,
And go to play,—for some suppose
Soldier. " Now, then ! You must Move away from here.'
Such fickle people only fit
Rode Boy. "Ah ! But rou mustn't, Old Feller !" For dominus and dominoes !
A FEW SUPPOSITIONS.
Suggested ly the state of things in France.
tjppose the head of the Executive,
or the Minister for the time
being, were to take it into his
head one morning to abolish the
Houses of Parliament:
Suppose some of the members
elected by large constituencies,
were to think it a duty to go
and take their seats, and were
to be met at the doors by swords
and bayonets, and were to be
wounded, and taken off to prison
for the attempt:
Suppose the Minister, having
been harassed by a few Parlia-
mentary debates and discussions,
were to send off to Newgate or
the House of Correction a few
ot the most eminent members
of the opposition, such as the
Disraelis, the Grahams, the
Gladstones, the Barings, and
a sprinkling of the Humes, the Wakleys, the Walmsleys the
Cobdens, and the B rights :
Suppose the press having been found not to agree with the policy of
the Minister, he were to peremptorily stop the publication of the Times
Herald, Chronicle, Post, Advertiser, Daily News, Globe, &c, &c and
limit the organs of intelligence to the Government Gazette, or one or two
other prints that would write or omit just what he, the Minister,
might please:
Suppose, when it occurred to the public that these measures were not
exactly in conformity with the law, the Minister were to go or send
some soldiers down to Westminster Hall, shut up the Courts, smd
the Lord Chancellor about his business, and tell Lords Campbell,
Cranworth, and all the rest of the high judicial authorities, to make
the best of their way home :
Suppose a few Members of Parliament were to sign a protest against
these proceedings; and suppose the documents were to be torn down
by soldiers, and the persons signing them packed off to Coldbath Fields
or Pentonville:
Suppose all these things were to happen with a Parliament elected
by Universal Suffrage, and under a Republican form of Government:
And lastly—
Suppose we were to be told that this sort of thing is liberty, and
what we ought to endeavour to get for our own country ; - Snould we
look upon the person telling us so, as a madman, or a knave, or both ?
and should we not be justified in putting him as speedily and as un-
ceremoniously as possible—outside our doors ?
Our Duty as Regards the Fare.
(To the Chancellor of the Exchequer))
" Right Hon. Sir,—The duty on cabs amounts to eighteen-pence a
day. Couldn't you divest the tax of its oddity ? I mean the odd six-
pence. Don't you think that the reduction would be compensated by
the public taking an additional quantity of cab ? If you would trust
to me in this business, I am as sure I should satisfy you as that
"I am, One Bob."