His sword is an axe, and his spear is a hose, But Paladins famous in story For gallantest charges and swashingest blows, Though demons and dragons they met as their foes Were ne'er more deserving of glory. Back, lurid in air, for another regale, The Fire-Fiend who's down but not settled, With fresh bellowsed flame will return without fail, And help to oppose him he'll thankfully hail Our Water-King manly and mettled. He is down, but not dead, and his dreadful red head He again will be lifting to-morrow. 'Tis Hydrant 'gainst Hydra, and shall it be said That for lack of assistance this demon so dread Shall doom the great City to sorrow? This fierce All-devourer is hungry as Time, And would wolf all the world as food-fuel. A champion we have--is his pose not sublime?-- And so let us help him--to fail were a crime-- To give the Fire Demon his gruel. Fierce tyrant is Fire, and his foes are too few For a Fiend so alert and so furious, Would London be safe, gallant SHAW and his crew She must manfully back, and she'll find it won't do In this instance to be too penurious. [Illustration: THE "FIRE FIEND." SHAW THE LIFEGUARD MAN. "I'VE GOT HIM UNDER!--BUT I MUST HAVE SUPPORT TO _KEEP HIM DOWN_!!"] * * * * * [Illustration: DISTRIBUTION. _Robert (to stingy Old Gent, who had given him a Halfpenny)._ "YOU'LL 'XCUSE ME, SIR--BUT--WOULD YOU MIND--AH--MAKIN' IT A PENNY, SIR--WHICH WE HAS TO DIVIDE IT--'MONGST THE OTHER WAITERS, SIR!"] * * * * * ROBERT AT THE MINISTERIAL BANKWET. HER Majesty's Ministers, so far as I understands these sollem matters, don't seam to have been having a partickler cumferal time of it lately. BROWN, who's quite a grate Pollytishun, or at any rate thinks hisself so, which I spose is pritty much the same thing, says, in his wulgar way, as they have been and had 2 or 3 slaps in the face lately as has a good deal staggered 'em, but in course he was ony speaking paragorically, as the chymists says, so I don't suppose as they was werry much hurt by 'em, and they most suttenly didn't show not no sines of 'em when, on Wensday last, they all marched in in triumph to receeve from the Rite Honnerabel the LORD MARE the proud assurance that in his Rite Honnerabel opinion, and in that of the Grand Old Copperashun over witch he so royally presides, they had nobly done their dooty, and well herned the werry hiest reward as he had it in his power to bestow, wiz., a reel Manshun Ouse Bankwet!