Punch (62.1872)

June 29, 1872.1 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI

/"I ENTLEMEN Arbitrators, I salute you in the concrete," said Mr. Punch, walkiug up to the table of the Hall of
\J[ Congress at Geneva. " I also salute you specially. Count Sclopis, una voce poco fa; M. Staempfli, my Merry
Swiss Boy, point a" argent, point de Suisse; Baron Itajuba, I hope your sangre azul is cool this hot weather."
" Really, Mr. Punch," said the Lord Chief Justice Coceburn——

" And really, my dear Sir Alexander," was Mr. Punch's lightning-like repartee. " How are you ? and Davis, my
Bancroft, how are you ? Have you seen Mrs. Bancroft in Caste ? Capital, isn't she ? And now to business, and after
that we'll go for a row on the Lake, my Allobroges. Know they settled here, Davis?"

" I know several things," said Mr Davis, " and one is that you have no business in this chamber."

" Rem acu tetigisti, my Occidental. My visit is strictly on pleasure. And I reckon to have the pleasure of sticking
these here Negotiations in a greased groove before I quit."

" Porter ! " exclaimed the Count Sclopis, angrily.

" Not a drop, I thank you," said Mr. Punch, smiling. " We should not get it good here. A bottle of Seltzer, if you
please, with a slight dash of the liquid named after yonder lake, but unsweetened."

His exquisite good-temper—he associates with Granville and Disraeli—was too much for the dignitaries. They
all shook hands with him, said he was welcome, and begged that he would go away until dinner-time.

" Not a bit of it, my Beamish Boys," said Mr. Punch. " I am going to earn that dinner."

" But, dear Mr. Punch," pleaded Mr. Davis, " we can't admit another British Representative, especially so omni-
potent a one as yourself."

" You are polite, and I'm cosmopolite, my dear Davis. N011 ubi nascor, sed ubi paseor, and being asked to an
international repast I shall behave internationally."

" You will have to let him speak," laughed Baron Itajuba.

" You open your mouth to drop Brazilian diamonds, my Baron."

" He'd better remain, for I don't think he '11 go," gaily carolled the Chief Justice, with a reminiscence of a burlesque
written at a time when burlesques were comic.

"Take your brief, and belabour away,"'' sang the Merry Swiss Boy.

" Come, Mr. Punch," said the Count, " you and I have a common Italian ancestry- Do us credit."

" Con rispetto parlando, Count, you ought not to doubt that I shall Arbitrators ! Have you all read Rabelais?"

" There's a question ! " shouted Everybody, indignantly. " Have five great nations sent clowns to represent them?"