_The Stranger_, _The Flying Tailor_, and _James Rigg_. In “The Poetic Mirror.” By James Hogg. Longman & Co. London. 1816. Specimen the Fourth, in “Rejected Odes” (London, 1813), is a parody of “Alice Fell.” _The Story of Doctor Pill and Gaffer Quake_, after the most approved modern style, and containing _Words-worth_ imitation, appeared in Vol. 10 of _The Satirist_ (London.) This is a long and spiteful parody of _Goody Blake and Harry Gill_, which was first published in _Lyrical Ballads_ (Bristol) in 1798. “_Tim the Tacket_, a lyrical ballad, supposed to be written by W. W.” is to be found in _Poetical Works_ by William Motherwell, Paisley. Alexander Gardner. 1881. It is a fairly good imitation of style, and might pass for one of Wordsworth’s minor ballads. ――――:o:―――― WORDSWORTH AS POET LAUREATE. On the death of Robert Southey, in 1843, the appointment of Poet Laureate was offered to Wordsworth. At first he declined on the plea that he was too far advanced in life to undertake the duties of the office; thereupon Sir Robert Peel wrote:――“Do not be deterred by the fear of any obligations which the appointment may be supposed to imply. I will undertake that you shall have _nothing required_ from you.” Thus pressed, Wordsworth accepted the title and the pension, he being already in the receipt of a handsome annuity from the Government. The warrant was dated April 6, 1843, and he retained the office till his death in 1850. He wrote a sonnet on the occasion of his appointment, which for vanity and egotism is probably unparallelled in literature, but beyond this he paid little further attention, either to the office, or its ancient duties.[79] MR. WORDSWORTH’S SUPPOSED ODE ON THE INSTALLATION OF H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT AT CAMBRIDGE, JUNE, 1847. (_Exclusive._) I. Sons of the Cam, awake! Come, stir, ye sleeping elves; Arise, or else your Prince will take A rise out of yourselves. Fast man, come breakfast faster, Slow man, drink off your sloe; Proctor and Doctor, gyp and Master, Do show some little go! Ye Principals, majestical move on; And all ye Dons, come rolling like the Don. II. We’ve _our_ Field Marshal now, Let Isis pride be o’er; Those sons of Oxon shall not cow Our spirits as of yore. “Pig” of St. John, With “Fox” of Bonn, Henceforth in learning’s feast go snacks, And Germany Shall crowd to see Our Cambridge races run in Saxe. III.