DOI issue:
November 17, 1855
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16616#0216
204
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
[November 17, 1855.
PUNCH'S ILLUSTRATIONS TO SHAKSPEARE.
Ophelia. " There's fennel for you, and columbines." Hamlet, Act v. Scene 5.
EGYPTIAN DARKNESS.
In the Egyptian Hall there has been celebrated a feast of Egyptian
Darkness. A Mb. Ewart having worried the weakness of Parliament
to pass an Act which permitted ratepayers of cities and towns to
establish therein museums and free libraries, at the cost of an impost of
a penny in the pound—(there is penny wisdom for you; as if rate-
payers were such geese as to pluck themselves),—the Lord Mayor
attempted to celebrate one of the latter days of his government, by
singing a swan-like strain (or rather a swan-hopping strain) in praise of
knowledge!
Happily, however, there was a Peacock present—Peacock, the deputy.
Now this Peacock is deep in sewers (as testified by the blackness
of legs common to the species Peacock), and having much experience
in sewage duty, of blind puppies, he was of course the better enabled
to speak to the real wants of the young men of the city of London.
There was no need of books: besides, how could people with the
Emperor oe Hussia on their hands, bother themselves with the
educational wants of clerks and shopmen? The interests of sewage
SALE AT THE SURREY ZOOLOGICAL.
We have been rather startled by the announcement of the intended
Sale by Auction of our old friends the animals, who have for some
years formed a feature, or rather a collection of very formidable
features, at the Surrey Zoological Gardens. We understand that this
step has been decided on, in consequence of the superior attraction
of the Concerts, for it is felt that not even the lion stands a chance
of popularity by the side of such an unrivalled lion as the Mons.
JuLLIEN.
We do not quite understand how the sale is to be managed, and
how the respectable auctioneer, Mr. Stevens, of King Street, Covent
Garden, proposes to knock down the elephant. It is all very well to
talk of bringing the beasts to the hammer; but we tremble for the
hand that attempts to bring the bysena to the hammer, or to any-
thing else that the brute may not have an inclination for. We shall
be anxious to see the catalogue of the various lots, from the eligible
elephant, down to the monkeys, who would probably come under the
head of Miscellaneous ; and the snakes, which would perhaps fall
were paramount to the cant of knowledge. In a time of war, books under the denomination of Sundries. The Brahmin bulls will either
may be necessary as paper runs short, for ball-cartridges. Therefore, be sold at so much per head, or perhaps may be taken by the horns,
Peacock would have no museum, no reading-room, and, if Minerva's for the convenience of the purchaser.
own owl had propounded the motion, the bird of wisdom would have j We shall keep our eye upon the sale, but we shall remain at a
stood no chance against the scream of the vigilant Peacock with, as is respectful distance from the various lots, while they are being handed
the wont of peacocks, all his eyes about him. j round: for we should be sorry to get a living boa round our neck; and
In the Egyptian Hall, Peacock was victorious in Egyptian darkness, we should not be surprised, if while the auctioneer is soliciting "an
But what is to be expected of a Peacock? "The tenderness of the advance upon the tiger," the tiger were to make a sudden and unex-
pith in his wing and tail-feathers," says an old writer, "proceeding out pected advance on the audience. It will be rather difficult to show
of a quill, not an inch long, and soe thin and tender, that for want of the lots to advantage, and there are some of them that will scarcely
substance and strength they are not so useiul as the quill of a crow." be under sufficieat restraint to enable the porters to display them
Thus, peacocks are not given to writing; and, carrying eyes on their during the continuance of the auctioneer's eloquence. It is possible
tails, can hardly be expected *o look forward. True it is, that Queen that while he describes a lot of monkeys as "going, going," one or
Sheba brought peacocks to King Solomon ; but we doubt not, only as | more of the mischievous brutes may be " gone " before he is aware of it.
fine illustrations of the truth of Solomon's sad saying that "all ^^^==^======^
is vanity." Any way, the civic Peacock screams and says, "Books is [
wanity, and I moves the previous question." And the question is ! Apropos de bottes.—Italy has often been compared to a Boot-
carried ; and Peacock, after the fashion of peacocks, pulleth back his and it is a Boot, we should say, that would almost give its soul, if it
head, and strutteth amazingly. " could only ses the last of Austria.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
[November 17, 1855.
PUNCH'S ILLUSTRATIONS TO SHAKSPEARE.
Ophelia. " There's fennel for you, and columbines." Hamlet, Act v. Scene 5.
EGYPTIAN DARKNESS.
In the Egyptian Hall there has been celebrated a feast of Egyptian
Darkness. A Mb. Ewart having worried the weakness of Parliament
to pass an Act which permitted ratepayers of cities and towns to
establish therein museums and free libraries, at the cost of an impost of
a penny in the pound—(there is penny wisdom for you; as if rate-
payers were such geese as to pluck themselves),—the Lord Mayor
attempted to celebrate one of the latter days of his government, by
singing a swan-like strain (or rather a swan-hopping strain) in praise of
knowledge!
Happily, however, there was a Peacock present—Peacock, the deputy.
Now this Peacock is deep in sewers (as testified by the blackness
of legs common to the species Peacock), and having much experience
in sewage duty, of blind puppies, he was of course the better enabled
to speak to the real wants of the young men of the city of London.
There was no need of books: besides, how could people with the
Emperor oe Hussia on their hands, bother themselves with the
educational wants of clerks and shopmen? The interests of sewage
SALE AT THE SURREY ZOOLOGICAL.
We have been rather startled by the announcement of the intended
Sale by Auction of our old friends the animals, who have for some
years formed a feature, or rather a collection of very formidable
features, at the Surrey Zoological Gardens. We understand that this
step has been decided on, in consequence of the superior attraction
of the Concerts, for it is felt that not even the lion stands a chance
of popularity by the side of such an unrivalled lion as the Mons.
JuLLIEN.
We do not quite understand how the sale is to be managed, and
how the respectable auctioneer, Mr. Stevens, of King Street, Covent
Garden, proposes to knock down the elephant. It is all very well to
talk of bringing the beasts to the hammer; but we tremble for the
hand that attempts to bring the bysena to the hammer, or to any-
thing else that the brute may not have an inclination for. We shall
be anxious to see the catalogue of the various lots, from the eligible
elephant, down to the monkeys, who would probably come under the
head of Miscellaneous ; and the snakes, which would perhaps fall
were paramount to the cant of knowledge. In a time of war, books under the denomination of Sundries. The Brahmin bulls will either
may be necessary as paper runs short, for ball-cartridges. Therefore, be sold at so much per head, or perhaps may be taken by the horns,
Peacock would have no museum, no reading-room, and, if Minerva's for the convenience of the purchaser.
own owl had propounded the motion, the bird of wisdom would have j We shall keep our eye upon the sale, but we shall remain at a
stood no chance against the scream of the vigilant Peacock with, as is respectful distance from the various lots, while they are being handed
the wont of peacocks, all his eyes about him. j round: for we should be sorry to get a living boa round our neck; and
In the Egyptian Hall, Peacock was victorious in Egyptian darkness, we should not be surprised, if while the auctioneer is soliciting "an
But what is to be expected of a Peacock? "The tenderness of the advance upon the tiger," the tiger were to make a sudden and unex-
pith in his wing and tail-feathers," says an old writer, "proceeding out pected advance on the audience. It will be rather difficult to show
of a quill, not an inch long, and soe thin and tender, that for want of the lots to advantage, and there are some of them that will scarcely
substance and strength they are not so useiul as the quill of a crow." be under sufficieat restraint to enable the porters to display them
Thus, peacocks are not given to writing; and, carrying eyes on their during the continuance of the auctioneer's eloquence. It is possible
tails, can hardly be expected *o look forward. True it is, that Queen that while he describes a lot of monkeys as "going, going," one or
Sheba brought peacocks to King Solomon ; but we doubt not, only as | more of the mischievous brutes may be " gone " before he is aware of it.
fine illustrations of the truth of Solomon's sad saying that "all ^^^==^======^
is vanity." Any way, the civic Peacock screams and says, "Books is [
wanity, and I moves the previous question." And the question is ! Apropos de bottes.—Italy has often been compared to a Boot-
carried ; and Peacock, after the fashion of peacocks, pulleth back his and it is a Boot, we should say, that would almost give its soul, if it
head, and strutteth amazingly. " could only ses the last of Austria.