Punch (74.1878)

February 16, 1878.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHAKIVARL 61

NO r QUITE THE SAME THING.

Small Child {whose favourite Aunt is "engaged"). " Grandma, where is Auntie May ? "
Grandmamma. "She is sitting in the Library with Captain Herbert, my dear."
Small Child {after a moment's thought). "Grandma, couldn't you go and sit in the Library
with Captain Herbert, and Auntie May come and Play with me?"

A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.

According to newspaper reports,
the celebrated African, explorer, Mr.
H. Stanley, is a total abstainer. If
so, there is one bond fide traveller
who would never claim the b.f.tfs San-
day privilege. Teetotallers, indeed,
may quote Mr. Stanley's example
to show that such a traveller can do
without such a privilege on any day
of the week. But that depends on the
requirements of a man's particular
constitution; and the denial of need-
ful refreshment to anybody whom-
soever, whether on' a Sunday or a
working day, is doubly unconstitu-
tional.

A prcpos of the Six Millions.

{A Hint from Beaumarchais.)

" Figaro {instructing Count Almaviva
as to gaining admittance to the house of
Dr. Bartholo). Vous, mon Seigneur,
1'habit de soldat, le billet de logement, et
de l'or dans vos poeb.es !

Le Comte. Pour qui de l'or ?

Figaro (vivement). De l'or, mon Dieu,
de l'or ! C'est le nerf de l'intrigue.

Le Comte. Ne te fache pas, Figaro
J'en prendrai beaucoup."

Bar bier de Seville, Act i. Sc. 6.

Britannia to the Bellows -
Blowers.

(A propos of Votes of Confidence.)

My blatant D. T., and my fierce
P. M. G.,
And you, small fry, who swim
after these,
The trust that I vote trust in you
don't denote,
But in your Antipodes.

The Late Earthquake. — No
great shakes.

BORN MAY 13, 1792. DIED FEBRUARY 7, 1878.

With war-clouds gathering over sea and sky,
"War's thunder rattling loud, or rolling low,

Shall Europe turn to watch an old man die,
And dress her face in masquerade of woe ?

How much he had outlived! His younger self—
Long since we saw the patriot King-Pope die,

To be entombed with Ghibelline and Guelf,
Beside the Love that took his name for cry.

As he outlived that brief term in Love's school,
So he outlived the People's wrath and scorn,

Flight, exile, war ; on waves he thought to rule,
Toy of strong currents, hither, thither, borne.

He outlived, too, his weakest, proudest hour,
Which saw the Church around St. Peter's chair

Bowed, by its Bishops, to the awful power
That Heaven's Vicegerent claims o'er souls to bear.

But not outlived that mockery of God
And man alike, which takes a sinner's hand

To wield Right's rule and Truth's divining-rod,
And write itself " Infallible " in sand.

Outlived the crown forged from the Fisher's ring,

The throne wrought by old wrong from Peter's seat;
Strangest of all, outlived the stalwart king,

Who the " Infallible " had dared defeat.
Happy that one thing he did not outlive,

The charitable soul, the kindly heart,
That rigid dogma's slaves could scarce forgive,

Fearing lest he might play them Balaam's part,

And bless whom he should curse ; and so they drew
Their bonds about him closer, day by day

Living or dying, till no will he knew
But theirs, and as they pointed, marked the way.

Nor yet out-lived the wit that cheered dark days,
Stout heart that stayed him on an up-hill path,

Free hand that still with blessing sowed his ways,
Meekness that humbled pride, and bridled wrath.

A blameless, genial, gentle, good old man !

Not such the hand to Chaos to give form ;
Nor, as from cloud to cloud the lightnings ran,

" To ride the whirlwind and direct the storm."

Of God's Vicegerent to assert the claim;

With his " Non-possumus " arrest the tide ;
Free-thought forbid, free press, free speaking blame,

Bind Progress by Church limits to abide.

Task beyond power of man, or Church, or creed ;

Task few more blameless hands have e'er resigned
Than Pio Nono's. Let who will succeed,

Few better, many worse, the world will find.

A Sum in Proportion.

Not one of the orators who opposed the Vote of Credit brought
forward our old friend, " the thin end of the wedge." Yet he
would have been strictly in place. Given £6,000,000 as the thin end
of the wedge, required the money-equivalent of the thick end ?

a change oy keys.

Heinrich Heine has said that the keys of this world are at Con-
stantinople, those of the next at Rome. It is a curious coincidence
that on Thursday, February 7th, 1878, both keys changed hands.

vol. lxxiv.

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