Punch (30.1856)

June 21, 1856.]

253

is provided for different tastes; and the combination of music with
supper has this advantage, that one can attend to the one or the other,
as one chooses. The fast man, bored with Wibeb, can occupy himself
with his chop; the dull slow man, who is incapable of appreciating the
^Ethiopian serenaders, may, if he pleases, concentrate his entire
attention on his poached eggs, during their popular performance.
Some people rejoice in sentiment, others prefer wit and humour.
The Villaneile from Marie Stvart^xW charm the forrrer ; the burlesque
song of the Ghost in Hamlet will delight the latter. It is sung and
danced by a gentleman half in scale armour, half in appropriate
mourning—half Samlet and half Ghost.
If you hear the Ethiopians at all, you will probably hear them twice,
for they are generally encored. They throw a considerable portion of
the audience into convulsions—by sympathy, perhaps, -with those into
which they throw themselves, and which are supposed to constitute
their national comedy, but which the stupid philosopher will possibly
mistake for the gesticulations of epileptic idiotism. One of them, more-

over, dances with much grace, and make3 a more diverting, because a
more ludicrous, exhibition of himself t han any ballet-dancer.
Anybody wanting to hear a little good music, sup, and get to bed
betimes, will be precisely suited at this place. Singing commences at
f ight. Any country curate, now, or indeed, rector, being in town under
those circumstances, would find it. just answer his purpose. To a
serious young man, disapproving of the Opera, and tired of Exeter
Hall, it would be a pleasant change from the last-named institution.
Moreover it has the advantage of cheapness—so important to all who
are truly serious. Even a bishop might give it an occasional inspection,
without derogation from the decorum of his shovel hat and gaiters. A
resort whereat unobjectionable amusement is provided for the youthful
bachelor—t he student of law—of medicine—nay, of divinity—offers an
attraction in the right direction which is powerful to counteract a
tendency towards the wrong: and a glass of grog, with the accom-
paniment of good singing, may have a moral value superior to that of
a teetotal harangue and a cup of Twankay.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE WITH THEM P


supposed that the advocates of community of property, and
the sanguinary republic were the only people capable of
giving satisfaction to M. Barbes. Ejection from Spain
will be, for M. Babbes, restoration to his native land.
The Spanish Government, of course, will soon expire under
the withering consci usness of the poor opinion of them
which the important M. Babbes says that he carries away
with him.

We regret to state that,
in spite of all our pro-
tests, the offence of bad
joke-making seems still
upon the increase. If we
thought it would p-oduce
a salutary effect, we should
not hesitate from pub
lishing, from time to time,
a sort of Newgate Calendar
of Puns, for which we
have always the most
ample materials in the
many thousands of bad
jokes which we commit
annually to the condemned
cell at our butterman's.
It is clear to us that the
attention of Parliament
must before long be di-
rected to the matter; and
we would hope the pre-
sent Session will not pass
without leave being moved
for by some patriotic
Member to bring in a Bill
for the Prevention of Pun-
ning. We are satisfied
that unless some such
course as this be followed,
it will soon be hardly sale for anyone with ordinary nerves to venture out into \ In the operatic battle^
society. Even as it 'is, one can scarcely ever now go out of an evening without ; In the Prima Donna's life
having a pun put like a pistol to one's ear, in a manner that implies your ; Quit the herd—the vocal cattle,
laughter or your life. We ourselves the other night, while we were assisting our j Be a Gkisi in the strife.
partner to refreshment, were most brutally assaulted in the execution of our duty . . •
by one of a gang of funny ruffians that were present, who observed to us with a ! Trust no promise Lowe er pleasan.
chuckle, that the glass of wine we were carrving, put him in mind of what the ! Not who may be, but who are:
Times had said that morning of the Turkish stock, hecause (with an emphatic poke , f iccolomini at present,
into our ribs) he saw it was Made-dearer ? And we had scarcely recovered from : Is tue bright particular star.
the effects of this attack, when a person, bearing the garb and appearance of a i f ,;,.«*,«,«, all remind us

A PERSON OE CONSEQUENCE.

According to a Spanish paper called the Discusion, M. Barbeb the French lied
Republican Refugee, has been conducted out of Barcelona and conveyed—against
his own wish—in a corvette to Cadiz. M. Barbes ha* published a letter to ths
Luke de la Yictoria, in which he pronounces the following judgment on the
Spanish ministry :—
" In leaving Spain I am satisfied with the conduct of the Spanish people, whom I do not render
responsible for the injustice done me, but I carry with me a very poor opinion of the men who
govern them."
The Spanish people must receive with much gratification the assurance that
it has satisfied TV], Barbes. The Emperor of the French will also rejoice to find
that M. Barbes is satisfied with the Spanish people, having heretofore probably

THE VOICES OF THE NIGHT
By a Long Fellow running after a Short Young Lady
Tell me not in mournful numbers
Opera is all a dream,
Piccolomini wakes its slumbers;
She does more than merely seem.
She is real, she's in earnest,
She has reached at once the height,
If thou goesf, thou returnest,
To those Voices of the Night.
First enjoyment, and then sorrow,
She with equal truth portrays,
Does she act—to-night—to-morrow ?
All are asking when she plays.
Art is long and time is fleeting,
But of genius the soul,
Ordinary talent beating,
Reaches at one stride the goal.

We must leave the cr.owd behind us,
If we wish to be in time.

have detected a fiend in human form, caught on a sudden our unguarded ear and
button-hole, and in a bland and most insinuating whisper asked us : " Why does
the river Thames, when the tide is in, more resemble Longfellow's last poem
than it can be said to do when the tide is out ? " Speechless with fright, we made j ^e musf giggle with each other,
an ineffectual attempt to answer him. Upon which the monster, who had been Pushing with our might and main;
speaking English previously with the purest accent, suddenly burst into the If we lose our weaker brother,
broadest Irish brogue as he exclaimed,—" Arrah ! sure, becase it's Higher-ivather ! " jn ^\ie pjt we meet agaiu,
Let us then be up and doing,
Opera begins at eight,
At the door your course pursuing—
Learn to labour—and to wait.

Spiders in Ink.

Take a spider—the recipe is an old one—dip it in ink,
then let it crawl upon a sheet of paper, and it will write its
name quite as legibly as many folks write theirs. There
have been certain signatures to petitions against, the Sun-
day Music, and for Sunday sack-cloth in general, obtained by
almost a similar process. The difference is only this ; in-
stead of spiders, take black-beetles.