قراءة كتاب The Emperor's Rout

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‏اللغة: English

The Emperor's Rout

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg

الصفحة رقم: 5

disgrace the Guildhall,

(To compare for a moment such great things with small,)

Where London’s Lord Mayor and his Aldermen deign

To feast upon turtle, and tipple champagne.

[p34]
Old Drinker,⁹⁹ the butler, of wine served the best,

And a Footman¹⁰⁰ was placed at the chair of each guest,

In orange, in yellow, or black coats dressed out,

For their liveries, ’twas said, were all made for the rout,

The Emperor began mirth and glee to inspire,

When a loud cry was heard, of “the chimney’s on fire;”

All started in fear from the table to learn

If the house was in flames, or likely to burn;

[p35]
Each snatched up a candle, so left the room dark,

And the moment was seized by the Chamomile Shark¹⁰¹

To plunder the table. The Yorkshire Magpie¹⁰²

Strove also with his share of booty to fly,

But was stopped by the Lacqueys, who then in a trice

Demolished themselves every thing that was nice.

[p34a]

M. Gauci del^t. Printed by C. Motte 23. Leicester Sq^re.
THE ALARM.

’Midst this glorious confusion a mischievous Pug¹⁰³

Contrived of the claret to empty each jug,

But not unperceived by young Miss Exclamation,¹⁰⁴

[p36]
Who by her loud cries caused immense consternation.

Meanwhile came the Sweep,¹⁰⁵ with the Chimney Sweep’s Boy,¹⁰⁶

And two other Assistants,¹⁰⁷ who ran to employ

Every means they could think of to put out the flame,

In which they succeeded, and found that the blame

Belonged to the Housewife,¹⁰⁸ who had thrown in the fire

Some grease, which occasioned the accident dire.

[p37]
The guests in a panic had now left alone

The Emperor and Empress their ills to bemoan.

Said the Empress, “My dear, let us never more try

With the Butterflies’ party so vainly to vie;

For what with the heat, the fatigue, and the fright,

I never before passed so trying a night;

I would not again undergo the vexation

Of such a soirée, for the wealth of a nation.”

“With you I agree,” the sage Emperor replied,

Who deemed it a lesson to cure them of pride;

[p38]
“And I trust that the thread of our lives will spin out,

Ere we ever again attempt such a rout.

Alas! we must own we were never designed

To flit in the sunshine, or soar on the wind;

Nature’s changeless decree has allotted its share

To each beast of the field, to each bird of the air,

To each reptile that creeps, to each insect that flies;

And who dares to rebel against nature but dies?”

1 Saturnia pavonia minor. The caterpillars of these moths are of a beautiful green, with blue spots, and after living together for three weeks, they separate, and disperse themselves in all directions. The Chrysalis is covered with a strongly glutinous matter, which resists not only weather, but the perforation of other insects. The Pavonia Major is the largest of European moths, and, according to Latreille, a manufactory of silk from the cocoons has been established in Germany.

2 Pterophorus pentadactylus. Large White Plume. By some called Ragged Robin. The moths of this genus have their wings divided, or formed of feathers united at the base. The chrysalis is black.

3 Female of the Saturnia pavonia minor.

4 Pygæra bucephala.

5 Endromis versicolor.

6 Noctua catana.

7 Noctua aprilina.

8 Noctua batis.

9 The attitude of the caterpillars, resembling that of the Sphinx, has given this name to the tribe. The moths of the Sphinx have the peculiar power of erecting

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