Punch (77.1879)

July 12, 1679.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

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BORN, MARCH -1, 1811. DIED, JUNE 27, 1879.

Not in the far-off church, where his grey head
He bowed in worship, should that head be laid;

His place, of right, is with our famous dead,
Who sleep within the Abbey's storied shade.

There let him sleep, where they too are at rest,
Who helped him stay our empire when it reeled—

Clyde, Pollock, Outkam—kings of men contest,
He chief in council as these chief in field.

We saw him, grave and grey, deep-furrowed, stern,
Of visage something rugged : face and frame

Bespeaking strength; not swift, nor slow, to learn ;
In choice of men of an unerring aim ; ; „^

Just, and in justice armed, nor fearing, then,
What chance or change might bring, as one that knew

The world is ruled of God and not of men,
That what's begun in right is half brought through.

In his proconsulships, from small to great,

He held his name, knowing 'twas England's too,

So high and stainless, he to love turned hate
And made of sullen foemen followers true.

Bight manhood's heart he won, where'er he came,
Gentle for aU his bluntness and plain ways ;

Still taking Truth and Justice for his aim,
Unswayed by pride, or profit, or men's praise :

Then, when at length came trial's testing hour,
And all our Indian Empire shook and swayed,

Like a great city in an earthquake's power,
He bridled panic, and confusion stayed,

Till fluttering Fear took strength of his strong will,
And where Defiance braved Obedience bowed,

And, crippled of its power to work us ill,
Baffled Rebellion crouched before him, cowed.

While he, a wall of shelter,rtower of strength,
Stood full against the storm, and to him drew

All means of best defence, until at length,
Our armourVweakest'part its'strongest grew :

For there stood Lawrence, with his calm, clear eye,
His iron will, wise judgment, winnowing ear,

Nor prone to trust, nor boastful to defy,
As high above all favour as all fear.

That England's Empire from that furnace came
Unshattered thanks to this man most are due ;

And let not scorn be heaped upon his name,
Because small men's small fears he never knew ;

When, gauging India's and her foemen's power,
From the Great Mountains to the Southern Blue,

He would not join the clamour of the hour,
Nor, to 'scape fancied risks, run danger true,

Burdens on India's poverty to lay,

That shadowy frontier shadowy foes may ward ;
And, for dim fears and distant,"waste away

Strength that wise'rule and justice best can guard.

Lay him with the Great Dead, who, living, held
High place with the best Living; let him sleep

After his life of toil, who heart unquelled
Unspoiled, unsoured, unspotted, still could keep.

A simple-mannered, rude and rugged man,
But true, and wise, and merciful and just.

Of all these monuments, when all we scan,
Which rises o'er more justly honoured dust ?

In the Event of a Dissolution.

" The Members of the Huddersfield Working-Men's ConservativeAssocia-
tion have presented Lord Beaconsfield with a Malacca cane, with gpld
handle."

One prospect this Malacca cane awaits—
It may prove useful in Malacca Straits!

The Right Stick.—Now Protection is rearing its head again, a
good use for the Cobden Club would be to floor it.

vol. lxxvlt.

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