The way was long, the wind was cold, The Minstrel was infirm and old; His wither’d cheek, and tresses gray, Seem’d to have known a better day! The harp, his sole remaining joy, Was carried by an orphan boy. The last of all the bards was he, Who sung of Border chivalry; For, well a day! their date was fled, His tuneful brethren all were dead; And he, neglected and oppress’d Wish’d to be with them, and at rest. No more on prancing palfrey borne, He caroll’d light as lark at morn; No longer courted and caress’d, High placed in hall, a welcome guest, He pour’d, to lord and lady gay, The unpremeditated lay: Old times were changed, old manners gone A stranger fill’d the Stuarts’ throne; The bigots of the iron time Had called his harmless art a crime. A wandering Harper, scorn’d and poor, He begg’d his bread from door to door, And tuned, to please a peasant’s ear, The harp, a king had loved to hear. WALTER SCOTT. * * * * * ―――― ANOTHER LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. The Tide was low, the wind was cold, Upon the sands the minstrel strolled; His burnt-cork cheek and croaking lay Seemed to have known a better day; His banjo, sole remaining joy, Was thrummed by an obstreperous boy; The last of all the band was he Who sang of nigger minstrelsy. For, well a day! their date was fled―― His tuneful brethren earned their bread In other channels. He confessed That had he done so it were best. No more to fiddle, harp and horn, He sang his melodies forlorn; No longer courted and caressed, The tenor squared his manly chest, And poured to lord and lady gay His unpremeditated lay. Old times were changed, old music gone, The folks had “scientific” grown, Neglected his untutored chime, Pronouncing _Wagner_ quite sublime. A wandering nigger, scorned and poor, He hummed and strummed from door to door, And tuned, to please a vagrant ear, The banjo swells had loved to hear. _Funny Folks_, May 22, 1875. ―――― THE GRAND OLD M――INSTREL. [“Mr. Gladstone, attired in a light summer suit, and without any wrapper round his throat, walked on Tuesday afternoon up Whitehall from his residence in Richmond-terrace. On reaching Trafalgar Square the right hon. gentleman was closely followed by a considerable number of people. He repeatedly raised his hat in acknowledgment of the salutes he received from many persons as he proceeded. Turning up the Strand, Mr. Gladstone made his way in the direction of Covent Garden, still followed by about a hundred persons.”――_Daily News_, July, 1885.]