Seventy-five years! Wherein do they rejoice Who read his work, who, as he writes, decays? This――plain folk echo their protesting voice―― “Wondrous! but _no more_, thanks! old thou of days.” ――――:o:―――― On page 103, Volume 5 of this Collection some extracts were given from “The Poets at Tea” a series of short parodies which appeared in _The Cambridge Fortnightly_, for February 7, 1888. The three following verses, which were then omitted, may be given here:―― THE POETS AT TEA. _Tennyson, who took it hot._ I think that I am drawing to an end, For on a sudden came a gasp for breath, And stretching of the hands, and blinded eyes, And a great darkness falling on my soul. O Hallelujah!... Kindly pass the milk. _Swinburne, who let it get cold._ As the sin that was sweet in the sinning Is foul in the ending thereof, As the heat of the summer’s beginning Is past in the winter of love: O purity, painful and pleading! O coldness, ineffably gray! O hear us, our hand-maid unheeding, And take it away! _Browning, who treated it allegorically._ Tut! bah! We take as another case―― Pass the bills on the pills on the window-sill; notice the capsule. (A sick man’s fancy, no doubt, but I place Reliance on trade-marks, sir)――so perhaps you’ll Excuse the digression――this cup which I hold Light-poised――bah! its spilt in the bed――well, let’s on go―― Held Bohea and sugar, sir; if you were told The sugar was salt would the Bohea be Congo? * * * * * ――――:o:―――― Of Mr. Browning’s later poetry, or, what may be termed his involved and complicated style, some excellent parodies exist. They are rather long, and would be somewhat tedious reading to those who are unfamiliar with the originals; as the books in which most of these parodies occur are easily obtainable a few extracts will suffice. First, may be mentioned _Diversions of the Echo Club_, an American work written by the late Mr. Bayard Taylor, published, in London, by Chatto and Windus. This contains no less than four imitations of Robert Browning’s poetry, they are all good, but perhaps the following is the most characteristic in style:―― ANGELO ORDERS HIS DINNER.