“My darling child, pray tell me now, “If politics still you’re inclined to? “Which party in the state to support “Have you the greatest mind to?”-- “The quality, my mother dear, “Of your oranges cannot be beaten; “The sweet juice I swallow with much delight, “But I leave the peel uneaten.” CAPUT XXI. They bit by bit are building again The hapless half-burnt city; Like a half-shorn poodle Hamburg now looks, An object to waken one’s pity.[60] Full many a street has disappear’d That mournfully one misses-- Where is the house, wherein I kiss’d Love’s first delicious kisses? Where is the printing-house, where I My _Reisebilder_ printed? The oyster shop, where I oysters gulp’d down With appetite unstinted? The Dreckwall too,--where is it now? I now should seek it vainly; Where the pavilion, where I ate So many cakes profanely? Where is the town-hall, wherein sat The senate and burghers stately? A prey to the flames! The flames spared not Whatever was holiest lately. The people still were sighing with grief, And with most mournful faces The history sad of the great fire told, And pointed out all its traces:-- “It burnt in every corner at once, “All was smoke and flames fiercely flashing; “The churches’ towers all blazed on high, “And tumbled in with loud crashing. “The old exchange was also burnt, “Where our fathers in every weather “Were wont to assemble for centuries past, “And honestly traded together. “The bank, the silvery soul of the town, “And the books which have always served us “To note the assets of every man, “Thank heaven! have been preserved us. “Thank heaven! In every land they made “On our behalf large collections; “A capital job,--we got no less “Than eight millions in all directions. “The money from every country flow’d “In our hands, which were far from unwilling, “And plenty of food they also sent, “And we gladly accepted each shilling. “They sent us clothes and bedding enough, “And bread, and meat, and soups too; “The King of Prussia, to show his regard, “Would fain have sent us troops too. “Our losses in property thus were replaced, “A matter of mere valuation; “But then the fright,--our terrible fright, “Admits of no compensation!” I cheeringly said: “My worthy friends, “You should not lament and bawl so! “A far better city than yours was Troy, “And yet it was burnt down also. “Rebuild your houses as fast as you can, “And dry up every puddle; “Get better engines and better laws, “That are not quite such a muddle.