Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 93, November 5, 1887Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 93, November 5, 1887
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
The Arabs bearing no ill-will, dancing
follows, and the fighting being quite over and forgotten, General
BOULANGER, accompanied by a Staff, swaggers in and assists at further
military exercises. Then the bugle-band heads the procession of French
and Arabs, and, after marching past BOULANGER, _exeunt_. The attack
upon the train, if a little perplexing from a purely historical point
of view, is capitally managed, and very exciting. Since the opening
night the large hall has been very well attended; and now that the
American Exhibition is closed, may be expected to be crowded--and a
crowded audience at the Addison Road cannot be recorded in less than
five figures. "The Wild West is gone--long live Olympia!"
A second visit to the Royal Westminster Aquarium has not improved my
opinion of "the Wolves, the Wolves, the Wolves!" (see Advertisement)
as a pleasure-insuring entertainment. I have already said that the
tricks of these animals cause a "creepy" sensation, and when I made
this observation I referred to the "kissing act," wherein a wolf
embraces the portly person in the Polish lancer's uniform who has
trained it. But the fights between master and brutes are even less
tolerable, as may be judged to be the case when I say that, on
a recent occasion when I was present, the trainer seemed to be a
good-half-hour (no doubt it was an infinitely less period of time) in
getting one of his wild beasts into its allotted cage. It is not at
all a nice sight to see a man beating a snapping and yelping wolf with
a whip, for one feels that there is the element of cruelty on both
sides. Take it allround, I prefer "the _belle_ FATMA,"--that is,
taking her all round, on which I need hardly say I should not
venture,--to "the Wolves, the Wolves, the Wolves!" And I sincerely
hope that FATMA (the old lady near her looks more like Fat Ma) may
always be able to keep the wolf from her door.
* * * * *
GENTLE JOHNNY BULL.
The way with "demonstrations" tyrants used to take was brief--
Justices gave a rioter the guerdon of a thief!
Not only durance vile--our gentler nature how it shocks--
But whipping-cheer, and oh! they set their Brother in the Stocks!
In those days a Stump-Orator had reason to take care,
How he denounced, derided, and defied the Powers that were.
And if he talked High Treason--Imagine this, my dears!
They put him in the pillory, and sometimes clipped his ears.
A People's Friend, unless he took good heed to what he said,
Was liable to answer for his language with his head.
How venerable soever, a too talkative old Cock,
His eloquence might bring him, though a Statesman, to the block.
But happily we, Brethren, now are men of milder mood,
And not, as were our ancestors, vindictive, stern, and rude.
So much has done the milk of human kindness to assuage,
The bile of British hardihood in this forbearing age!
* * * * *
MR. GLADSTONE ON THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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