DOI Heft:
October 8, 1859
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16864#0154
October 8, 1859.]
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
143
THE HEAD OF ENGLISH COMPOSERS.
Tew days ago we
were startled by read-
ing in the Musical
World, or somewhere,
the following painful
announcement:—
“ W. M. BALFE.
TWO LOCKS OF
HAIR. 2s.”
We are sorry to
hear that the com-
poser of the Bohemian
Girl, who has fur-
nished thepublic with
so many beautiful
airs, should be re-
duced to such a very
low state himself.
Has it, then, come to
this, that the head
of our musical pro-
fession has but “ Two
Locks of Hair ” that
he can call his own ?
or are we to under-
stand that he is cut-
ting off all his curls,
and selling them to
his numerous admi-
rers at the modest
rate of a shilling a
lock. The price is
very slight — too
slight; whereas the
consumption in bears’
grease and macassar,
to replace the loss,
measured by the enormous demand, must be unusually large. We shall only be too happy to
have a lock ourselves, in order to help him through the hirsute, struggle, if so small a
quantity as a shilling’s worth is made. We say only one lock, as it would be awrkward to
wear two lockets. We only hope that our friend’s hair has the same prolific power as his
musical genius, for we should be sorry to see one so distinguished as W. M. Balee
appearing before the public in the character of a bald composer,—though the. baldness
would be but little apparent in his case, from the number of laurels with which his musical
brow is profusely decorated. Hoes he think it would do him any good to consult the Barber
of Seville ?
nevertheless does it so quietly, as our friend,
(if he will only allow us so to call him,) the
Government Broker. May he always be buying
another £15,000!
FRANKLIN.
The Polar clouds uplift—
A moment and no more—
And through the snowy drift,
We see them on the shore—-
A band of gallant hearts,
Well-ordered, calm, and brave;
Braced for their closing parts—
Their long march to the grave.
Through the snow’s dazzling blink,
Into the dark they’ve gone.
Ho pause : the weaker sink,
The strong can but strive on.
Till all the dreary way
Is dotted with their dead:
And the shy foxes play
About each sleeping head.
Unharmed the wild deer run,
To graze along the strand:
Nor dread the loaded gun
Beside each sleeping hand.
The remnant that survive
Onward like drunkards reel;
Scarce wotting if alive.
But for the pangs they feel.
The river of their hope
At length is drawing nigh—
Their snowr-blind way they grope,
And reach its banks to die!
Thank God: brave Franklin’s place
Was empty in that band.
He closed his well-run race
Not on the iron strand.
Not under snow-clouds white.
By cutting frost-wind driven,
Did his true spirit fight
Its shuddering way to Heaven.
I
h.
THE GOVERNMENT BROKER.
What would the Government do without its Broker ? There never is a difficulty in the
Money Market but he generously comes forward, and spends his £15,000 or £20,000 with no
more concern than a school-boy would drop his halfpenny at the nearest apple-stall. This he
does, not merely one day, or a couple of days, but he will go on buying for weeks and weeks
together. He is the financial physician to the State, and no sooner does "Government feel a
little tightness in its chest, than the Government Broker is ready to relieve it by immediately
applying for an investment, the happy application of which to the part affected enables the
patient to exclaim, with as much saltatory glee as the dressing-gowned invalid in George
Cruikshank’s pictorial advertisement, “ Ha! Ha! Cured in an instant! ” He is the best
friend the Old Lady in Threadneedle Street ever had, and, supposing that elderly female ever
took it into her head to marry, we should not at all wonder at the Government Broker being
the object of her affections. His wealth must be something enormous, considering the
amount .he. spends in the course of the twelvemonth; and his frugality must be almost as
great as his wealth, for we notice that he never buys for any other purpose than that of
paying into the Sayings’ Banks. He must make money very fast, or else has an enormous
“ready-cash” business, that brings him in thousands every week throughout the whole year,
inasmuch as it is a stereotyped fact that the Government Broker limits his operations generally
to buying, for you rarely catch him selling. This is a proof of the sure principle upon which
he always conducts his business, and the consequence is, that the interest which accrues is
invariably not less sure than the principal.
The wonder that takes away our breath is, how a man who commands so much wealth, and
scatters so much good wherever he scatters his gold, should have remained so long unknown ?
Is it not curious that, the British Association, which amuses itself in solving some of the
most abstruse mysteries of science, as connected especially with commerce, should not have
raised, some inquiry as to the name of this large public benefactor ? A little investigation
into his. character would have well repaid philosophic curiosity. Seemingly, he is one of those
pure-minded philanthropists, who do good by stealth, and would blush to find it fame. He
must be a large-hearted, open-handed individual, whom we confess we should like extremely
to know. It is not often you meet with a man who is so rich, and at the same time, so
liberal. But few capitalists in the City are so colossal in their dealings, and yet so modest;
we cannot recall to mind another millionnaire, who does so much good in his golden 'way, and
But warm, aboard his ship.
With comfort at his side,
And hope upon his lip,
The gallant Franklin died.
His heart ne’er ached to see
His much-loved sailors ta’en;
His sailors’ pangs were free
From their loved captain’s pain.
But though in death apart,
They are together now;
Calm, each enduring heart—
Bright, each devoted brow!
The Grame of Piedmont.
We observe that a new pastime is adver-
tised under this name. According to our idea,
the game of Piedmont must resemble that of the
umpire who was chosen by two gentlemen play-
ing all-fours, who had considerable doubts with
regard to each other’s honesty. He was to
receive so much a game for seeing fair play, and
at the close of the evening proved to be the
only winner.
IRISH all over!
An Irish Paper, describing the Talking Fish,
says, “it is quite a rara avis.” This Bull, how-
ever, comes in most happily, as it presents us.
with a combination that occurs but rarely, of
Fish, Flesh and Fowl.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
143
THE HEAD OF ENGLISH COMPOSERS.
Tew days ago we
were startled by read-
ing in the Musical
World, or somewhere,
the following painful
announcement:—
“ W. M. BALFE.
TWO LOCKS OF
HAIR. 2s.”
We are sorry to
hear that the com-
poser of the Bohemian
Girl, who has fur-
nished thepublic with
so many beautiful
airs, should be re-
duced to such a very
low state himself.
Has it, then, come to
this, that the head
of our musical pro-
fession has but “ Two
Locks of Hair ” that
he can call his own ?
or are we to under-
stand that he is cut-
ting off all his curls,
and selling them to
his numerous admi-
rers at the modest
rate of a shilling a
lock. The price is
very slight — too
slight; whereas the
consumption in bears’
grease and macassar,
to replace the loss,
measured by the enormous demand, must be unusually large. We shall only be too happy to
have a lock ourselves, in order to help him through the hirsute, struggle, if so small a
quantity as a shilling’s worth is made. We say only one lock, as it would be awrkward to
wear two lockets. We only hope that our friend’s hair has the same prolific power as his
musical genius, for we should be sorry to see one so distinguished as W. M. Balee
appearing before the public in the character of a bald composer,—though the. baldness
would be but little apparent in his case, from the number of laurels with which his musical
brow is profusely decorated. Hoes he think it would do him any good to consult the Barber
of Seville ?
nevertheless does it so quietly, as our friend,
(if he will only allow us so to call him,) the
Government Broker. May he always be buying
another £15,000!
FRANKLIN.
The Polar clouds uplift—
A moment and no more—
And through the snowy drift,
We see them on the shore—-
A band of gallant hearts,
Well-ordered, calm, and brave;
Braced for their closing parts—
Their long march to the grave.
Through the snow’s dazzling blink,
Into the dark they’ve gone.
Ho pause : the weaker sink,
The strong can but strive on.
Till all the dreary way
Is dotted with their dead:
And the shy foxes play
About each sleeping head.
Unharmed the wild deer run,
To graze along the strand:
Nor dread the loaded gun
Beside each sleeping hand.
The remnant that survive
Onward like drunkards reel;
Scarce wotting if alive.
But for the pangs they feel.
The river of their hope
At length is drawing nigh—
Their snowr-blind way they grope,
And reach its banks to die!
Thank God: brave Franklin’s place
Was empty in that band.
He closed his well-run race
Not on the iron strand.
Not under snow-clouds white.
By cutting frost-wind driven,
Did his true spirit fight
Its shuddering way to Heaven.
I
h.
THE GOVERNMENT BROKER.
What would the Government do without its Broker ? There never is a difficulty in the
Money Market but he generously comes forward, and spends his £15,000 or £20,000 with no
more concern than a school-boy would drop his halfpenny at the nearest apple-stall. This he
does, not merely one day, or a couple of days, but he will go on buying for weeks and weeks
together. He is the financial physician to the State, and no sooner does "Government feel a
little tightness in its chest, than the Government Broker is ready to relieve it by immediately
applying for an investment, the happy application of which to the part affected enables the
patient to exclaim, with as much saltatory glee as the dressing-gowned invalid in George
Cruikshank’s pictorial advertisement, “ Ha! Ha! Cured in an instant! ” He is the best
friend the Old Lady in Threadneedle Street ever had, and, supposing that elderly female ever
took it into her head to marry, we should not at all wonder at the Government Broker being
the object of her affections. His wealth must be something enormous, considering the
amount .he. spends in the course of the twelvemonth; and his frugality must be almost as
great as his wealth, for we notice that he never buys for any other purpose than that of
paying into the Sayings’ Banks. He must make money very fast, or else has an enormous
“ready-cash” business, that brings him in thousands every week throughout the whole year,
inasmuch as it is a stereotyped fact that the Government Broker limits his operations generally
to buying, for you rarely catch him selling. This is a proof of the sure principle upon which
he always conducts his business, and the consequence is, that the interest which accrues is
invariably not less sure than the principal.
The wonder that takes away our breath is, how a man who commands so much wealth, and
scatters so much good wherever he scatters his gold, should have remained so long unknown ?
Is it not curious that, the British Association, which amuses itself in solving some of the
most abstruse mysteries of science, as connected especially with commerce, should not have
raised, some inquiry as to the name of this large public benefactor ? A little investigation
into his. character would have well repaid philosophic curiosity. Seemingly, he is one of those
pure-minded philanthropists, who do good by stealth, and would blush to find it fame. He
must be a large-hearted, open-handed individual, whom we confess we should like extremely
to know. It is not often you meet with a man who is so rich, and at the same time, so
liberal. But few capitalists in the City are so colossal in their dealings, and yet so modest;
we cannot recall to mind another millionnaire, who does so much good in his golden 'way, and
But warm, aboard his ship.
With comfort at his side,
And hope upon his lip,
The gallant Franklin died.
His heart ne’er ached to see
His much-loved sailors ta’en;
His sailors’ pangs were free
From their loved captain’s pain.
But though in death apart,
They are together now;
Calm, each enduring heart—
Bright, each devoted brow!
The Grame of Piedmont.
We observe that a new pastime is adver-
tised under this name. According to our idea,
the game of Piedmont must resemble that of the
umpire who was chosen by two gentlemen play-
ing all-fours, who had considerable doubts with
regard to each other’s honesty. He was to
receive so much a game for seeing fair play, and
at the close of the evening proved to be the
only winner.
IRISH all over!
An Irish Paper, describing the Talking Fish,
says, “it is quite a rara avis.” This Bull, how-
ever, comes in most happily, as it presents us.
with a combination that occurs but rarely, of
Fish, Flesh and Fowl.