Rejected Addresses; Or, The New Theatrum PoetarumSmith, James
General
Rejected Addresses; Or, The New Theatrum Poetarum
Smith, James
Parodies
mistaken lenity of Government. At a given signal, a well-known O. P. was
to cry out from the gallery, “Nosey! Music!” whereupon all the O. P.’s
were to produce from their inside pockets a long pair of shears, edged
with felt, to prevent their making any noise, manufactured expressly by a
wretch at Birmingham, one of Mr. Brougham’s evidences, and now in
custody. With these they were to cut off the heads of all the loyal N.
P.’s in the house, without distinction of sex or age. At the signal,
similarly given, of “Throw him over!” which it now appears always alluded
to the overthrow of our
never-sufficiently-enough-to-be-deeply-and-universally-to-be-venerated
constitution, all the heads of the N. P.’s were to be thrown at the
fiddlers, to prevent their appearing in evidence, or perhaps as a false
and illiberal insinuation that they have no heads of their own. All that
we know of the further designs of these incendiaries is, that they are
by-a-great-deal-too-much-too-horrible-to-be-mentioned.
The Manager has acted with his usual promptitude on this trying occasion.
He has contracted for 300 tons of gun powder, which are at this moment
placed in a small barrel under the pit; and a descendant of Guy Faux,
assisted by Col. Congreve, has undertaken to blow up the house, when
necessary, in so novel and ingenious a manner, that every O. P. shall be
annihilated, while not a whisker of the N. P.’s shall be singed. This
strikingly displays the advantages of loyalty and attachment to
government. Several other hints have been taken from the theatrical
regulations of the
not-a-bit-the-less-on-that-account-to-be-universally-execrated monster
Bonaparte. A park of artillery, provided with chain-shot, is to be
stationed on the stage, and play upon the audience, in case of any
indication of misplaced applause or popular discontent (which accounts
for the large space between the curtain and the lamps); and the public
will participate our satisfaction in learning that the indecorous custom
of standing up with the hat on is to be abolished, as the Bow-street
officers are provided with daggers, and have orders to stab all such
persons to the heart, and send their bodies to Surgeons’ Hall. Gentlemen
who cough are only to be slightly wounded. Fruit-women bawling “Bill of
the Play!” are to be forthwith shot, for which purpose soldiers will be
stationed in the slips, and ball-cartridge is to be served out with the
lemonade. If any of the spectators happen to sneeze or spit, they are to
be transported for life; and any person who is so tall as to prevent
another seeing, is to be dragged out and sent on board the tender, or, by
an instrument to be taken out of the pocket of Procrustes, to be
forthwith cut shorter, either at the head or foot, according as his own
convenience may dictate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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