Calm warder then, challenger now.
The tower he reared would
he attack,
Because—they have
not called him back
Like CINCINNATUS from the plough?
“The wounds that he doth bear for
Rome,”
Should speak wide-lipped against
the change.
The new Coriolanus!
Strange,
So great a past to this should
come!
The imperious Roman, banished, bared
Against Rome’s walls
a traitor blade.
But you—revenge
is scarce your trade,
Hero, in faction’s mazes snared.
The shirt of Nessus poisoned not,
Nor angered Hercules as you
Seem angered, poisoned.
Yet you knew
On ARNIM’s shield to bare the blot.
What should it say, Count HARRY’s
ghost,
Could it beside your couch
appear,
And whisper in his foeman’s
ear?
Share you not that which shamed him most?
You flaunt the Press against the
Throne?
You bare State secrets
to the crowd?
You who against the Mob were
loud,
With mockery MARCIUS well might own?
It doth not fit a splendid past.
The Sentinel in arms arrayed
Against the Citadel, a shade
Of gloom o’er glory’s sheen
will cast.
The illustrious name of BISMARCK blot
With no such treason as could
dim
The Roman’s glory, nor,
like him.
Yourself unknit your “noble
knot”!
[Footnote 1: See Cartoon “At the Gates,” p. 151, vol. 85, year 1883.]
* * * * *
THAT DUTCHMAN OOMS.
AIR—“THE ADMIRAL’S BROOM.”
[J.J.K. OOMS, an amateur sculler
from Amsterdam, won easily
the “Diamond Sculls” at Henley this
year, beating V. NICKALS,
and others of our crack oars.]
Oh, OOMS was a champion brave and
bold,
The Dutchman’s pride was he;
And he cried, “I can row on the Thames, I
know,
As well as the Zuyder Zee,
As well as the Zuyder Zee!”
And as his boat he set afloat,
And looked o’er the Henley tide,
He saw all England taking note,
And he trimmed his sculls and cried:—(Bis.)
“I’ll win those ‘Sculls!’”
said he,
“The ‘Diamond Sculls’ for
me!
That the world may know, wherever I go
Thames yields to the Zuyder Zee!” (Bis.)
Cried JOHN BULL, “Here!
You Dutchman queer.
To-day you must row with me;
For while I ride Thames’ silver tide,
I’ll be second to none,” said he;
“I’ll be second to none,”
said he.
So they blazed away at that Dutchman gay,
Stout NICKALS, brave BOYD, and all—
But the Dutchman’s ship our best did
whip,
And BULL cried to his merry men all, (bis)
“We’re whipped, boys, for once,”
said he,
“It’s a whip that’s a licker
to me.”
Right well OOMS pulls, and the ‘Diamond Sculls’
Are gone to the Zuyder Zee!
VAN TROMP with his broom made free,
But this OOMS has “swept” Hen-ley.
Here’s his health! But oh! those Sculls,
you know,
Must come back from the Zuyder Zee.”