arisen, and has asserted itself by the mouths of many loud-voiced "boomers." It has been Mr. Punch's good fortune to secure several specimens of this new product, not through the intervention of middle men, but from the manufacturers themselves. He proposes to publish them for the benefit and enlightenment of his readers. But first a word of warning. There are perhaps some who believe that a poem should not only express high and noble thoughts, or recount great deeds, but that it should do so in verse that is musical, cadenced, rhythmical, instinct with grace, and reserved rather than boisterous. If any such there be, let them know at once that they are hopelessly old-fashioned. The New Poetry in its highest expression banishes form, regularity and rhythm, and treats rhyme with unexampled barbarity. Here and there, it is true, rhymes get paired off quite happily in the conventional manner, but directly afterwards you may come upon a poor weak little rhyme who will cry in vain for his mate through half a dozen interloping lines. Indeed, cases have been known of rhymes that have been left on a sort of desert island of a verse, and have never been fetched away. And sometimes when the lines have got chopped very short, the rhymes have tumbled overboard altogether. That is really what is meant by "impressionism" in poetry carried to its highest excellence. There are, of course, other forms of the New Poetry. There is the "blustering, hob-nailed" variety which clatters up and down with immense noise, elbows you here, and kicks you there, and if it finds a pardonable weakness strolling about in the middle of the street, immediately knocks it down and tramples upon it. Then too there is the "coarse, but manly" kind which swears by the great god, Jingo, and keeps a large stock of spread eagles always ready to swoop and tear without the least provocation.

However, Mr. Punch may as well let his specimens speak for themselves. Here, then, is

No. I.—A GRAVESEND GREGORIAN.

BY W.E. H-NL-Y. (Con Brio.)

QUITE UNANSWERABLE.

Ethel. "MAMMY DEAR! WHY DO YOU POWDER YOUR FACE, AND WHY DOES THOMAS POWDER HIS HAIR? I DON'T DO EITHER!"

EPISCOPACY IN DANGER.—Mr. Punch congratulates Dr. PEROWNE, Bishop of Worcester, on his narrow fire-escape some days ago, when his lawn sleeves (a costume more appropriate for a garden-party than a pulpit) caught fire. It was extinguished by a bold Churchwarden. In future let Churchwardens be prepared with hose whenever a prelate runs any chance of ignition from his own "burning eloquence." If Mr. Punch's advice as above is acted upon, a Bishop if "put out" may probably mutter, "Darn your hose." But this can be easily explained away.

BETTER AND BETTER.—The Report last week about Sir ARTHUR SULLIVAN was that "he hopes to go to the country shortly." So do our political parties. Sir ARTHUR cannot restrain himself from writing new and original music at a rapid pace. This, is a consequence of his having taken so many composing draughts.

"OUR BOOKING OFFICE."—Not open this week, as the Baron has been making a book. Interesting subject, "On the Derby and Oaks." Being in sporting mood, the Baron adopts as his motto King SOLOMON's words of wisdom, out of his (King SOLOMON's) own mines of golden treasures,—"And of book-making there is no end." He substitutes "book-making" for "making of books," and with the poetic CAMPBELL (HERBERT of that ilk) he sings, "it makes no difference."

AFTER THE EVENT.—Last Sunday week was the one day in the year when ancient Joe Millers were permissible. It was "Chestnut Sunday." We didn't like to mention it before.

The Royal General Theatrical Fund Dinner, held last Thursday, will be remembered in the annals of the Stage as "ALEXANDER's Feast."

HORACE IN LONDON. TO A COQUETTE. (AD PYRRHAM.)

OPERATIC NOTES.

Monday.—L'Amico Fritz at last! Better late than never. A Dramatic Operatic Idyl. "Nothing in it," as Sir Charles Coldstream observes, except the music, the singing, and the acting of Signor DE LUCIA as Fritz Our Friend, of M. DUFRICHE as the Rabbi of Mlle. GIULIA RAVOGLI as Boy Beppe, of Mlle. BAUERMEISTER as Caterina, and of Madame CALVÉ as Suzel. Not an indifferent performer or singer among them, and not an individual in the audience indifferent to their performance.