Big Ben, that beats from Barry's Tower The march of time and tide, To Britain's Commons, and the world Of London far and wide, Stops--and the town that marked the hush Of his deep voice with pain, Is glad to hear 'tis but a halt, To clean his "going train." * * * * * O, brave Big Ben, that keep'st true step Thus with the tide of time, Long may'st thou to the Commons set Example so sublime; That England, both of House below And Clock above, may say, 'Tis no vain boast that to the world She shows the time of day! May headlong Wits, that on the seats Under the Clock may show, Learn by its even beat above To tune hot brains below. And never hold up hands unless The voice of truth to swell; Nor strike, except at the right hour, And then strike strokes that tell. [Sidenote: _Cabs v. Omnibuses_] Complaints against the public vehicles of London and their drivers continue, but are hardly pitched in so strident a tone as in earlier years. Still the brigandage of competitive 'buses is severely denounced in 1858; the extent of the evil may be gauged from the drastic regulations issued in the autumn of 1860, so drastic as to excite compassion for the conductor who faithfully carried them out. _Punch's_ hostility to the "growler" and its bibulous and rapacious driver as the first of all London nuisances remained implacable. A report was circulated at the close of 1869 that their final disappearance was imminent; it was nearly fifty years too "previous," but the wish being father to the thought, _Punch_ indulged in a premature farewell to this "unseemly vehicle". With the advent of "clean cabs and civil drivers" he anticipated that no one would ever think of entering an omnibus, little thinking that a time would come when, with clean and swift 'buses, only the affluent would think of entering a taxi-cab. [Illustration: SWELL (to corpulent cabman): "Haw, here's sixpence--get yourself--glass--beer." CABBY: "Thank you, sir, all the same; but I never take it. I'm a follerin' Mr. Bantin's adwice for corpulence, sir. He says, I may take two or three glasses o' good claret, or a glass or two of sherry wine, or red port, or medeiry, any sort o' sperits--" (_Swell, deeply touched, makes the sixpence half-a-crown._)]