PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. VOL. 93. DECEMBER 17, 1887. THE LETTER-BAG OF TOBY, M.P. FROM THE MINISTER TO PERSIA. _Hampstead, Saturday._ DEAR TOBY, I am, as you will understand, so busy in my preparations for departure, that I fear I may not find time to call upon you, _p.p.c._, and therefore take up my pen to write these few lines, hoping they will find you well, as they leave me at present. It is an odd reflection to one who has reached my time of life, that henceforward sixteen-shilling trousers shall have no more interest for me. Already, in the privacy of my room, I don the flowing robes of the East, and sit by the hour as you see me in a little sketch I have had made, and beg your acceptance herewith. It is all very strange to me yet. As GR-ND-LPH says, it is the oddest thing in the world that the Ark and I, after much tossing about in troublous waters, should finally settle down in the neighbourhood of Ararat. If I had had my choice, I would not have gone so far afield. The wise men, you know, come from the East, they do not go there; at least, not further than Constantinople, which would have suited me admirably. Rome I have eyed askance. I could have dressed the part for St. Petersburg. Berlin would not have been bad; and I feel that I was born for Paris. But the Markiss of course has his way, and he has mapped mine out for Teheran. It is odd to reflect (and as I sit here trying to grow accustomed to the hookah, I feel in a reflective mood) that if BR-DL-GH had not been elected for Northampton in 1880, I would never have been Her Majesty's Minister at the Court of the SHAH. Do you remember the night, nearly eight years gone, when I jumped up from my seat below the Gangway and physically barred BR-DL-GH'S passage up the House? In the loose way history is written, GR-ND-LPH gets the credit of incubating the Fourth Party. But if it had not been for me, that remarkable cohort would never have existed, and the history of English politics for the last seven years would have been written differently. GR-ND-LPH was actually not in the House when I created the BR-DL-GH difficulty. Three weeks earlier, on BR-DL-GH'S first presenting himself, FREDDY C-V-ND-SH had moved for a Select Committee to consider his claim to make affirmation. ST-FF-RD N-RTHC-TE had seconded the hum-drum motion, the Committee was agreed to, and there the matter ended. When GR-SV-N-R moved to nominate the Committee, I came to the front, was snubbed by H-LK-R at the instance of our respected Leaders, but stuck to it then and after, till presently, the Conservative Party, seeing the advantage, came round to my view and poor ST-FF-RD N-RTHC-TE had to eat his words. GR-ND-LPH came on the field and the ball was set rolling; but it was I who gave it the first kick.