Chinamen out there in “_Pee_king,” Treaty obligations breaking, Our Ambassador is seeking wily stubborn men to awe, Telling them the British nation anger’d cannot brook evasion; Better listen to persuasion, or he threatens he’ll withdraw; So they wisely yield submission. Frightened of the Lion’s paw, China says she’ll keep the law. Sea is rough and weather breezy, still “Serapis,” steaming easy, Slowly sails from out Brindisi, bearing son of Britain’s Queen, Foaming billows nobly riding, Eastern seas her prow dividing, Soon in sunny waters gliding Royal Standard will be seen; Prince will have a royal welcome, Rajahs proud, of royal mien, Greeting son of India’s Queen―― Thus he spake what he intended, and his croaking speech was ended, Flapping wings he soon descended from his perch above the door. Not another word was spoken, nor again the silence broken, He had given me the token, and he hopp’d along the floor, Thro’ the window into darkness――glancing at my parlour door, Raven saw I nevermore! _The Porcupine_ (Liverpool), October 30, 1875. ―――――――― A BLACK BIRD THAT COULD SING BUT WOULDN’T SING. (_A Lyric of the American Southern States._) Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, O’er the War of the Rebellion and the things that were before; While I sat absorbed in thinking, brandy cocktails slowly drinking, Suddenly I saw a blinking, one-eyed figure at my door―― Saw a nasty, stinking, blinking, one-eyed figure at my door, Standing up as stiff as steel-yards, just across my chamber floor, Peeping in, and――nothing more. Ah! I never shall forget it, how in glancing round I met it, And I ever shall regret it that I looked towards that door, For I saw a monstrous figure――like a giant, only bigger, And there stood a big buck nigger, with his back against the door, Darting, with a hideous snigger, glances right across my floor, A reeking, lantern-jaw’d buck nigger bolt upright against my door, Glancing in, and――nothing more. Quick instinctively espying where my ham and eggs were frying, There I saw a poker lying near the hearth upon the floor, And with most determined vigour seized and hurled it at the nigger, But so quick was he on the trigger, as he jump’d it struck the door, Struck beneath him, as he bounded just like lightning from the floor, As like a tarr’d and feather’d Mercury, up he bounded from the floor, Grazed his heel, and――nothing more.