“ON THE BLAZON’D SCROLL OF FAME.”

[To each man of the Crews of the three Life-boats stationed in the Isle of Wight, at Brighstone, Brook and Atherfield, respectively, Mr. Punch has had pleasure and pride in presenting an illuminated copy of the Picture and Poem entitled “MR. PUNCH TO THE LIFE-BOAT MEN,” which appeared in his issue of February 13.  The names of the coxswains and crews of these three boats, the Worcester Cadet, the William Slaney Lewis, and the Catherine Swift, are inscribed thereon (as they should be in the memories of all true Britons), as follows:—­Of the Worcester Cadet, JAMES COTTON (Coxswain), ROBERT BUCKETT (Second Coxswain), ROBERT SALTER, WILLIAM BARTON, FRANK EDMUNDS, FRANK BUCKETT, GEORGE NEW, GEORGE MORRIS, GEORGE SHOTTER, GEORGE HAWKER, EDGAR WHITE, WILLIAM MERWOOD, and JAMES HEDGECOCK.

    Of the William Slaney Lewis, JOHN HAYTER (Coxswain), BEN
    JACOBS (Second Coxswain), ROBERT COOPER, W. JACOBS, J. COOKE,
    G. WHITE, W. CASSELL, T. HOOKEY, J. NEWBURY, J. COOPER, J.
    HOOKEY, R. WOODFORD, M. CASSELL, WILLIAM HAYTER, W. BLAKE, and
    W. HOOKEY.

    Of the Catherine Swift, WILLIAM COTTON (Coxswain), DAVID
    COTTON (Second Coxswain), JAMES COTTON, THOMAS COTTON, FRANK
    COTTON, JOHN COTTON, CHARLES COTTON, WALTER WOODFORD, WALTER
    WHITE, CHARLES HARDING, and B. WHILLIER.

These names thus receive—­as they deserve—­honourable record “For distinguished bravery and gallant conduct whilst on duty on the occasion of the wreck of the s.s. Eider, January 31, 1892.”]

  On the Scroll!  And why not?  Be you sure that it bears
  Many entries less worthy of record than theirs,
  The rough sea-faring fellows, whose names now go down,
  With applause from their Sovereign to swell their renown,
  To posterity’s ears.  And right pleasantly, too,
  They should sound on those ears; for, run over each crew
  And you’ll find that those names have a true homely smack
  Both of country and kinship; there’s JIM, there is Jack,
  There is BOB, there is BILL, TOM and GEORGE, CHARLIE, FRANK;
  Can you not hear them sound o’er the waves as in rank
  They go down to their work, ringing right cheery hail
  Through the shrieks of the storm that shall not make them pale,
  Those bold Britons?  They’re brothers, sires, cousins, and sons,
  For see how the “family name” through them runs
  Those COTTONS could make up a crew at a pinch! 
  Whilst the HOOKEYS and WHITES from that task need not flinch. 
  Yes, these names sound as well on the Scroll, after all,
  As NAPOLEON or CAESAR; and when the Great Call
  Of the last human Muster Roll comes, some plain “BILL,”
  Whose business was rather to save than to kill,
  May step before mad ALEXANDER. 
                                 Well,