So take and bill me early, bill me early HENRY, dear; I'm going to make the biggest hit of all the coming year; Of all the coming year, HENRY:--and if it shouldn't pay:-- Still _I_ shall have written your play, HENRY, _I_ shall have written your play! From _Punch_, December 4th, 1880. These verses had reference to the announcement that the Poet Laureate was writing a tragedy to be produced at the Lyceum Theatre.--_The Cup_ was indeed a greater success than most of Mr. Tennyson's previous dramatic productions, but it owed its popularity to splendid acting, and the magnificent _mise-en-scene_, far more than to its merits as a _play_, beautiful as it was as a poem.--It was produced on the 19th February, 1881. In _The Referee_ for December 2, 1882, the following parodies were published. It will be noticed that the first part imitates Cowper's _John Gilpin_, the second part Tennyson's _May Queen_, and the third part Campbell's _Hohenlinden_. "I beg very humbly to submit a poem to the Royal Family, the Bench, the Bar, and the British public on the opening of the new Law Courts." A MEDLEY FOR MONDAY. John Bulljohn was a citizen Of credit and renown, Of Volunteers a captain he Of famous London town. John Bulljohn's mother said, "My dear, Though living here we've been This goodness knows how long, yet we Have never seen the Queen. "To-morrow to the new Law Courts Our sovereign does repair;" Says John, "Good gracious! so she does-- Dear mother, we'll be there." And ere he went to bed, J. B. His aged ma did kiss; And, feeling like a boy again, Did softly warble this: You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear-- To-morrow'll be the happiest time of all this famous year; Of all this famous year, mother, the grandest, jolliest day, For look on our Queen we may, mother, look on our Queen we may. There's many a loyal heart, they say, but none so true as mine, There's Sandy and there's Dougal, across the Border line; But none so true as Johnny, not e'en by Alum Bay, So look on my Queen I may, mother, look on my Queen I may. All the Strand, dear mother, 'll be gay with flag and green; And they're selling seats in windows for gold to see the Queen; O long shall Johnny remember the Law Courts' opening day, When look on the Queen he may, mother, look on the Queen he may. In London when the Queen was low, Too sad at heart about to go, Or in our streets her face to show Did loyalty fade rapidly.