As Blue-Beard for blood loudly howl’d o’er his wife, And sister Anne pleaded so well for her life, Mat’s fav’rite spectre he saw dance in air, And he gave up his spirit a prey to despair. To his parent he bow’d, and now penitent groan, Cried “Thy strength and my empty pretences I own, “In vain were my hopes to supplant thee on earth, “And immortal, O mother, thou art in thy birth! “As now you behold me in penitence sunk, “Take all my Romances, nay, take too my Monk; “But leave me, since thus I acknowledge my crime, “My epilogues, sonnets, and lady-like rhyme.” Mother Goose, as her son was in penitence sunk, Took all his Romances, but took, too, his Monk; And left him in pity to trifle his time In epilogues, sonnets, and lady-like rhyme. If you wish me the moral, dear Mat, to rehearse, ’Tis that nonsense is nonsense in prose or in verse; That the man who to talent makes any pretence, Should write not at all, or should write common sense! ANONYMOUS. (_First printed in_ 1801.) ――――:o:―――― Champagne Goschen is my name! Champagne Goschen is my name! Good for any sort of tax, dear boys, Put it on to wheels and pleasure hacks, my boys, Champagne Goschen is my name! Beautiful to look on is my game! Good for any sort of tax, my boys! Oh, that’s the little game of JOKIN’ G! _Punch._ 1888. The Right Hon. G. Joachim Goschen, Chancellor of the Exchequer, proposed an increased duty on bottled wines.) [Illustration] LEIGH HUNT. BORN, 1784. DIED, August 28, 1859. ABOU BEN ADHEM. Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!) Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace, And saw within the moonlight in his room, Making it rich and like a lily in bloom, An angel writing in a book of gold: Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, And to the Presence in the room he said, “What writest thou?”――The vision raised its head, And, with a look made of all sweet accord, Answer’d――“The names of those who love the Lord.” “And is mine one?” said Abou; “Nay, not so,” Replied the angel.――Abou spoke more low, But cheerly still; and said, “I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.” The angel wrote, and vanish’d. The next night It came again, with a great wakening light, And show’d the names whom love of God had bless’d―― And, lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest! LEIGH HUNT. ―――― MAKING UP THE SLATE.