Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.: with remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants, and anecdotes of distiguished public characters. In a series of letters by a German Prince.Pückler-Muskau, Hermann, Fürst von
History
Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.: with remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants, and anecdotes of distiguished public characters. In a series of letters by a German Prince.
Pückler-Muskau, Hermann, Fürst von
Great Britain -- Description and travel; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
In the second act we find Punch at a rendezvous with his mistress Polly,
to whom he pays his court, not in the most refined manner, and assures
her that she alone can drive away all his cares, and that if he had as
many wives as Solomon, he could kill them all for her sake. A courtier
and friend of Polly's then pays him a visit; this time he does not kill
his man, but only thrashes him well: he is then 'ennuyé,' and declares
that the weather being fine he will take a ride. A wild horse is
brought, upon which he capers about for some time in a ludicrous
fashion; but at last, from the dreadful plunging of the untameable
animal, is thrown. He calls out for help, and happily his friend the
doctor happens to be passing, and comes immediately. Punch lies like
dead, and groans piteously. The doctor tries to tranquillize him, and
feels his pulse: Punch, to be short, makes so uncivil a return for the
doctor's attentions, that the latter exclaims, "Here, Master Punch, I
bring you a wholesome medicine, the only one fit for you," and begins to
thump him soundly with his gold-headed cane.
"Oh dear!" cries Punch, "many thanks to you; I want none of your physic,
it gives me the headache." "Ah, that's only because you have taken it in
too small doses," says the doctor; "take a little more, and it will cure
you."
Punch at last feigns himself conquered, falls down exhausted, and begs
for mercy; but when the credulous doctor bends down over him, Punch
darts upon him like lightning, wrests the stick out of his hand and lays
about him as usual.
"Now," cries he, "you must take a little of your charming physic,--only
a little, respected friend;--there--there!"
"Oh Lord, you will kill me!" cries the doctor.
"Not worth talking of--only what's usual--doctors always die when they
take their own physic. Come, only one last pill:" and so saying, the
ruthless Punch runs him through the body with the point of his stick.
The doctor dies. Punch, laughing, exclaims, "Now, my good friend, cure
yourself if you can."
[_Exit, singing and dancing._
After other adventures, which have almost all the same tragical end,
justice is at length awake, and the constable is sent to arrest Punch.
He finds him, as usual, in the highest glee, and just busied, as he
says, in making music with the help of a dustman's bell (a very 'naïf'
confession of the musical capacity of the nation.)
The dialogue is brief and important.[27] It ends with the constable
showing Punch the warrant for his arrest: "And," says Punch, "I have a
warrant for you, which I will soon execute." Hereupon he seizes the
bell, which he has held concealed behind him, and gives the constable
such a blow on the occiput, that, like his predecessors, he falls
lifeless; whereupon Punch springs off with a 'capriole,' and is heard
singing behind the scenes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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