Punch (62.1872)

Fkbbuaut 17, I872.| PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 67

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HIS day one hundred years, Feb. 6, 1772, did Charles Fox arise in
the House of Commons, and being weary of the inactivity of the
House, and desirous to have some sort of disturbance, tbat he might
manifest his powers, did give notice that he should move for a repeal
of the Marriage Act. When he gave this notice he had never read
the Marriage Act, nor did he read it until some days after. You
may like also to know that just then Town was talking of the
arrest of the Queen op Denmark, sister to our King. She was
charged by her husband with certain non-conjugalities. About a
week later the Prussian Envoy came up to Mr. Punch, and said,
with a sneer, " Qu'est devenue voire Heine de Danemarc f " Then,
as now, ever prompt with reply, Mr. Punch answered, "with spirit,"
" Appar eminent qu'elle est a Spandau avec votre Princesse Royale "
—who had been divorced, for good reasons. Tou will find all this,
or about all this, in Waxpole, not in the immortal and immoral
letters, but in the " Last Journals," ably edited by He. Doban,
F.S.A.

Mr. Punch presumes that by this time his reader, the World,
knows him too well to suppose that he would hesitate at making
any record or reference that occurred to him, whether it appeared
to bear immediately on the matter in hand, or not. If, however,
any person supposes that Mr. Punch is bound by any rule, the
sooner that supposition is dismissed the better. This delightful
Parliamentary narrative will, as heretofore, be varied and
enlivened by anything that he may deem it fit to interpolate.
He will bring forth from his treasury things new and old, as
may seem good to his generous nature. By Dodo, who was the
mother of Zoroaster, Mr. Punch will be no slave to Parliament
or any other authority, save that of Beauty! Now you know all
£21—r about it.

—i?_P To-day, as here is pictured Parliament met. Her Majesty was
not present, being wisely occupied in acquiring, amid the pure air of
the Island of Wight, strength for the Day of Thanksgiving, about to be mentioned.

Lord Chancellor Hatheelet read the Royal Speech, and Mr- Punch reluctantly notes that his Lordship read it very badly,
stumbling, and pausing, and requiring to be prompted by the Earl oe Ripon. Mr. Punch would not, of course, have mentioned this
nad any infirmity been its cause, but Lord Hatheelet can read his own judgments perfectly well, and therefore it is clear that the