DOI Heft:
February 22, 1862
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16869#0079
February 22, 1862.]
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
71
PARFUM DE ROME.
Our old friend Veuillot has published a book under
the above suggestive title, which is principally devoted to
heaping coals of fire on the head of Cavour, and cursing
M. l’Abbe Passaglia, through as many varieties of tense,
mood and figure, as ever the Archbishop of Rheims cursed
his sacrilegious jackdaw—according to the monkish chroni-
cler, Thomas de Ingoldsby :—
“ In holy anger, and pious grief.
He solemnly cursed that rascaily thief!
He cursed him at hoard, he cursed him in bed ;
From the sole of his foot, to the crown of his head ;
He cursed him in sleeping, that every night,
He should dream of the devil, and wake in a fright;
He cursed him in eating, he cursed him in drinking,
He cursed him in laughing, in sneezing, in winking:
He cursed him in sitting, in standing, in lying,
He cursed him in walking, in riding, in flying ;
He cursed him in living, he cursed him dying.”
Indeed, we may go on, with the chronicler—
“ Never was heard such a terrible curse !
But what gave rise
To no little surprise,
Nobody seemed one penny the worse ! ”
But Veuillot is not satisfied with common-place cursing.
He has his own peculiar graces of execration—a private
commination service for his special use. Thus, after hurling
at poor Abbe Passaglia, such mild objurgations as “ infa-
mous wretch,” “parricide,” “Judas Iscariot,” he goes on to
pray that Heaven “may accumulate on him the load of
the sins which he has committed and those which he may
have remitted;” that “his robe may become a robe of
fire,” and that Heaven “ may refuse him a single tear to
temper its burning.”
Taking the matter and title of Yeuillot’s pamphlet
together, it would seem that his “ Parfurn de Rome ” is a
compound of the smell of roasted heretic and brimstone,
with a dash of Oreme de Billingsgate. Veuillot would do
well to remember the Arabic proverb, that “ curses, like
young chickens, always come home to roost.”
Fascinating Gent. “Pardon me, Madam, but I think you dropped this? ”
[Lady is immensely delighted of course.
Move on There !—The way to open the approaches
to the Great Exhibition—Mayne Eorce.
PUNCH’S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
February 10, Monday. By way of instructing the Peers in natural his-
tory, Lord Carnarvon laid some uncommonly fine specimens of Mare’s
Nests upon the table of the House, and read Earl Russell a lecture
thereon. The subject was the detention of certain English subjects by
the United States Government, on suspicion that these Englishmen were
“ secesshers.” Lord Russell picked the lecture to pieces rather
satisfactorily, and though Lord Derby thought that the lecturer
deserved a vote of thanks, the Peers were not acclamatious. A point
was made out of the fact that one of these Englishmen had not re-
nounced his allegiance to Queen Victoria, but it turned out that he
had given the legal notices of his intention to perform that graceful
act, and he did not seem a client of whom Lord Carnarvon had much
cause to be proud. Lord Malmesbury then complimented the
Ministers on the way in which they have managed the American diffi-
culty, but was particularly anxious to know what was the real state of
the Blockade. Lord Russell was much obliged for the support he
had received from the Opposition, and replied that he could not exactly
say whether the Blockade were real or not, but that he had ordered
every kind of information to be sent home, and would speedily produce
the results. Lord Granville then as politely invited the Conserva-
tive leaders to explain whether they had intended to signify that the
Declaration of Paris, in 1856, which proclaims the inviolability of
enemy’s goods in neutral ships, ought to be disregarded in case of war.
Lord Malmesbury would not say that it “ought” to be disregarded
when we or the French had our respective monkeys, or to speak more
heroically, our blood, Up—but he certainly thought that it Would.
Lord Granville then announced—and the statement will be
received by the country with no satisfaction—that the promoters of the
Memorial to the late Prince Consort are seeking to evade the
admitted difficulty of deciding upon its character, by throwing the task
of selection upon the most Illustrious Person in the realm. This is no
time for intruding such a question in that quarter, and moreover, the
Memorial is intended—and we contribute to it because it is intended—
to signifv national and not individual appreciation of the merits of a
departed Prince. A word used by Lord Granville sufficiently
indicates the feeling which those who tender advice in the highest
quarter entertain upon the subject. “ If the application be made, the
Sovereign will not ‘ shrink ’ from giving Her views.”
Sir George Grey announced that the Government had no intention
of trying to settle the Church Rate question, so all parties may have a
Pree Eight. The Abolition Bill has been re-introduced, and other plans
are pushed forward, and so Ecclesia and Little Bethel must have
it out on an early Wednesday.
Some protests were made against the Income-Tax, which was pro-
nounced detestable in itself, and doubly detestable from the way in
which it is collected. Mr. Gladstone sweetly remarked that he be-
lieved cases of abuse were very rare, but that he should like the duty of
collecting the tax to be transferred to Government, only that this would
make Government very unpopular. This was Homerically frank, at
all events.
Mr, Han key moved for a Committee to inquire into the subject of
Eires in London. Mr. Punch begs to illustrate the present state of the
case by an example which is in everybody’s eye. There is, in the City,
a Cathedral, built by Sir Christopher Wren, and dedicated to the
Apostle St. Paul. We are all rather proud of it. Near this Cathedral
have lately been built some huge and hideous warehouses, which hor-
ribly interfere with the architectural effect of St. Paul’s. These ware-
houses also threaten the Cathedral with destruction, for if they catch
fire, as warehouses generally do, and the wind should blow from the
east or thereabouts, as it generally does, the flames will in all proba-
bility take the sacred edifice. That is not all. The proprietors of these
hideous nuisances have no doubt insured them. Fire breaks out. The
Fire-Engines belong to the Assurance Offices, and it would be the duty
of the gallant firemen to exert themselves to the utmost to save the
horrible warehouses, but it would be no part of their duty to save St.
Paul’s. Apply the same rule all over London, and recollect that if an
insured bacon shop is afire, and the National Gallery also, Claude
and Rembrandt must burn while the bacon is saved. Clearly it
is time to consider whether we ought not to have some National
Engines, for the protection of national property; and the Committee is
appointed.
Tuesday. A most touching Reply to the Lords’ Address was delivered
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
71
PARFUM DE ROME.
Our old friend Veuillot has published a book under
the above suggestive title, which is principally devoted to
heaping coals of fire on the head of Cavour, and cursing
M. l’Abbe Passaglia, through as many varieties of tense,
mood and figure, as ever the Archbishop of Rheims cursed
his sacrilegious jackdaw—according to the monkish chroni-
cler, Thomas de Ingoldsby :—
“ In holy anger, and pious grief.
He solemnly cursed that rascaily thief!
He cursed him at hoard, he cursed him in bed ;
From the sole of his foot, to the crown of his head ;
He cursed him in sleeping, that every night,
He should dream of the devil, and wake in a fright;
He cursed him in eating, he cursed him in drinking,
He cursed him in laughing, in sneezing, in winking:
He cursed him in sitting, in standing, in lying,
He cursed him in walking, in riding, in flying ;
He cursed him in living, he cursed him dying.”
Indeed, we may go on, with the chronicler—
“ Never was heard such a terrible curse !
But what gave rise
To no little surprise,
Nobody seemed one penny the worse ! ”
But Veuillot is not satisfied with common-place cursing.
He has his own peculiar graces of execration—a private
commination service for his special use. Thus, after hurling
at poor Abbe Passaglia, such mild objurgations as “ infa-
mous wretch,” “parricide,” “Judas Iscariot,” he goes on to
pray that Heaven “may accumulate on him the load of
the sins which he has committed and those which he may
have remitted;” that “his robe may become a robe of
fire,” and that Heaven “ may refuse him a single tear to
temper its burning.”
Taking the matter and title of Yeuillot’s pamphlet
together, it would seem that his “ Parfurn de Rome ” is a
compound of the smell of roasted heretic and brimstone,
with a dash of Oreme de Billingsgate. Veuillot would do
well to remember the Arabic proverb, that “ curses, like
young chickens, always come home to roost.”
Fascinating Gent. “Pardon me, Madam, but I think you dropped this? ”
[Lady is immensely delighted of course.
Move on There !—The way to open the approaches
to the Great Exhibition—Mayne Eorce.
PUNCH’S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
February 10, Monday. By way of instructing the Peers in natural his-
tory, Lord Carnarvon laid some uncommonly fine specimens of Mare’s
Nests upon the table of the House, and read Earl Russell a lecture
thereon. The subject was the detention of certain English subjects by
the United States Government, on suspicion that these Englishmen were
“ secesshers.” Lord Russell picked the lecture to pieces rather
satisfactorily, and though Lord Derby thought that the lecturer
deserved a vote of thanks, the Peers were not acclamatious. A point
was made out of the fact that one of these Englishmen had not re-
nounced his allegiance to Queen Victoria, but it turned out that he
had given the legal notices of his intention to perform that graceful
act, and he did not seem a client of whom Lord Carnarvon had much
cause to be proud. Lord Malmesbury then complimented the
Ministers on the way in which they have managed the American diffi-
culty, but was particularly anxious to know what was the real state of
the Blockade. Lord Russell was much obliged for the support he
had received from the Opposition, and replied that he could not exactly
say whether the Blockade were real or not, but that he had ordered
every kind of information to be sent home, and would speedily produce
the results. Lord Granville then as politely invited the Conserva-
tive leaders to explain whether they had intended to signify that the
Declaration of Paris, in 1856, which proclaims the inviolability of
enemy’s goods in neutral ships, ought to be disregarded in case of war.
Lord Malmesbury would not say that it “ought” to be disregarded
when we or the French had our respective monkeys, or to speak more
heroically, our blood, Up—but he certainly thought that it Would.
Lord Granville then announced—and the statement will be
received by the country with no satisfaction—that the promoters of the
Memorial to the late Prince Consort are seeking to evade the
admitted difficulty of deciding upon its character, by throwing the task
of selection upon the most Illustrious Person in the realm. This is no
time for intruding such a question in that quarter, and moreover, the
Memorial is intended—and we contribute to it because it is intended—
to signifv national and not individual appreciation of the merits of a
departed Prince. A word used by Lord Granville sufficiently
indicates the feeling which those who tender advice in the highest
quarter entertain upon the subject. “ If the application be made, the
Sovereign will not ‘ shrink ’ from giving Her views.”
Sir George Grey announced that the Government had no intention
of trying to settle the Church Rate question, so all parties may have a
Pree Eight. The Abolition Bill has been re-introduced, and other plans
are pushed forward, and so Ecclesia and Little Bethel must have
it out on an early Wednesday.
Some protests were made against the Income-Tax, which was pro-
nounced detestable in itself, and doubly detestable from the way in
which it is collected. Mr. Gladstone sweetly remarked that he be-
lieved cases of abuse were very rare, but that he should like the duty of
collecting the tax to be transferred to Government, only that this would
make Government very unpopular. This was Homerically frank, at
all events.
Mr, Han key moved for a Committee to inquire into the subject of
Eires in London. Mr. Punch begs to illustrate the present state of the
case by an example which is in everybody’s eye. There is, in the City,
a Cathedral, built by Sir Christopher Wren, and dedicated to the
Apostle St. Paul. We are all rather proud of it. Near this Cathedral
have lately been built some huge and hideous warehouses, which hor-
ribly interfere with the architectural effect of St. Paul’s. These ware-
houses also threaten the Cathedral with destruction, for if they catch
fire, as warehouses generally do, and the wind should blow from the
east or thereabouts, as it generally does, the flames will in all proba-
bility take the sacred edifice. That is not all. The proprietors of these
hideous nuisances have no doubt insured them. Fire breaks out. The
Fire-Engines belong to the Assurance Offices, and it would be the duty
of the gallant firemen to exert themselves to the utmost to save the
horrible warehouses, but it would be no part of their duty to save St.
Paul’s. Apply the same rule all over London, and recollect that if an
insured bacon shop is afire, and the National Gallery also, Claude
and Rembrandt must burn while the bacon is saved. Clearly it
is time to consider whether we ought not to have some National
Engines, for the protection of national property; and the Committee is
appointed.
Tuesday. A most touching Reply to the Lords’ Address was delivered