Let thy queenly voice be heard-- Who shall dare to disobey?-- It but costs thy Royal word, And the lash is cast away. With thyself it rests to scour From our arms the loathsome stain; Then of mercy show thy power, And immortal be thy reign! This may not be great poetry, but doggerel verse can be simple and passionate. The appeal was not granted until 1881. [Illustration: A SILLY TRICK JOHN BULL: "Come, come, you foolish fellow; you don't suppose I'm to be frightened by such a turnip as that!"] [Sidenote: _The Invasion Scare_] In 1848 the French invasion scare was in full swing, but _Punch_ maintained an attitude of satirical scepticism. Impetus was lent to the alarm by the letter of Lord Ellesmere to _The Times_, and by the letter of the Duke of Wellington. These were welcomed by _Punch_ as a letting-off of alarmist steam. "Folks who feared an invasion, authorized by Lord Ellesmere and the Duke of Wellington, have said their say, have contributed their quota to absurdity, and, satisfied with the effect, may now rest content for life." In the same vein the suggestion of the formation of a National Guard who should train and practise shooting on Sundays provokes sarcastic comment on this new form of "Sunday balls." The enrolment of Special Constables, as a precaution against the violence of the "physical force" extremists among the Chartists, is a frequent theme of comment generally jocular and unsympathetic. England's immunity from the general upheaval made for optimism. Cobden in 1848 and 1849 was still in favour with _Punch_ as the "cleverest Cob" in England and the apostle of "Peace, Retrenchment, and Reform." His Arbitration Motion in the latter year met with _Punch's_ cordial approval:-- PEACE AND WAR IN PARLIAMENT Mr. Cobden took a businesslike view of the question, and by the practicability of his notions obtained the expressed goodwill--could more be expected?--of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. For ourselves, we entirely accord with the position of Mr. Cobden, and have a most cheerful faith in the ultimate prosperity of his doctrines, for they are mingling themselves with the best thoughts of the people, who are every day more and more assured that whatever may be the cause of war, they are the first sacrificed for it; it is they who pay the cost. Just as the sheep is stripped of his skin for the noisy barbarous drum, to beat the lie of glory, so are the people stripped to pay for the music.