High on the Thracian hills, half hid in the billows of clover, Thyme, and the asphodel blooms, and lulled by Pactolian streamlet, She of Miletus lay, and beside her an aged satyr Scratched his ear with his hoof, and playfully mumbled his chestnuts. Vainly the Mænid and the Bassarid gambolled about her, The free-eyed Bacchante sang, and Pan――the renowned, the accomplished―― Executed his difficult solo. In vain were their gambols and dances! High o’er the Thracian hills rose the voice of the shepherdess, wailing―― “Ai! for the fleecy flocks,――the meek-nosed, the passionless faces; Ai! for the tallow-scented, the straight-tailed, the high-stepping; Ai! for the timid glance, which is that which the rustic, sagacious, Applies to him who loves but may not declare his passion!” Her then Zeus answered slow: “O daughter of song and sorrow,―― Hapless tender of sheep,――arise from thy long lamentation! Since thou canst not trust fate, nor behave as becomes a Greek maiden, Look and behold thy sheep.”――And lo! they returned to her tailless! BRET HARTE. ―――――――― In 1856 a pamphlet was published (at the price of two shillings), by W. J. Golbourn, of Princes Street, Leicester Square, entitled: “MARKS AND REMARKS for the Catalogue of the Exhibition of the Royal Academy, MDCCCLVI. (after the manner of ――――) by A. E., to which is added a DIRGE (in imitation of another).” This very scarce pamphlet consists of thirty-two pages, mostly occupied by descriptions of the pictures in the Royal Academy for that year, and the author’s comments upon them, in the metre of _Hiawatha_, commencing thus:―― “Should you ask me whence the Stories? Whence the legends and traditions’ That have furnished forth our Artists With the most attractive subjects For the present exhibition?” “I should answer, I should tell you, They have drawn them from the Poets, From the Book-of-books have drawn them, From the best Historic sources, From the Mountains, Lakes, and Rivers, From the Hills, the Lanes, the Meadows, From the Highland and the Lowland, And the mighty surging Ocean; And the Portraits, large and little, And the Portraits of all sizes, With their frequent repetitions, Pillars, table cloths and curtains, From the Court, the Camp, the Senate, And plain Gentlemen and Ladies.” * * * * * ―――――――― A long political parody appeared in _Punch_, February 23, 1867, entitled “The Great Medicine-Man; a new Canto of Hiawatha.” This was _apropos_ of Mr. Disraeli’s Reform proposals, then submitted to the House of Commons in Thirteen Resolutions.