Let them touch each other's hands in a fresh They answer, "Who is God that he should hear us, wreathing Of their tender human youth! Let them feel that this cold metallic motion Is not all the life God fashions or reveals; Let them prove their living souls against the notion That they live in you, or under you, O wheels! While the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred? When we sob aloud, the human creatures near us Pass by, hearing not, or answer not a word; And we hear not (for the wheels in their resounding) Strangers speaking at the door : Is it likely God, with angels singing round him, Hears our weeping any more? X. THE PILGRIMS AND THE PEAS. "Two words, indeed, of praying we remember, We know no other words except 'Our Father,' 5 They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory They know the grief of man without his wisdom; And hold both within his right hand which is Are worn, as if with age, yet unretrievingly strong. 'Our Father!' If he heard us, he would surely XI. "But, no!" say the children, weeping faster, And they tell us, of his image is the master Go to!" say the children-" up in heaven, Dark, wheel-like turning clouds are all we find. Do not mock us; grief has made us unbelieving; We look up for God, but tears have made us blind." Do you hear the children weeping and disproving, O my brothers, what ye preach ? The blessing of its memory cannot keepAre orphans of the earthly love and heavenly: Let them weep! let them weep! XIII. They look up, with their pale and sunken faces, For they mind you of their angels in high places "How long," they say, "how long, O cruel nation, heart: Stifle down with a mailed heel its palpitation, And tread onward to your throne amid the Our blood splashes upward, O gold-heaper, For God's possible is taught by his world's loving, But the child's sob curses deeper in the silence THE PILGRIMS AND THE PEAS. [DR. WOLCOTT, born at Dodbrooke, in Devon, 1738. Was ordained, and held a living in Jamaica; but returned to England and practised as a physician at Truro. Published satires, under the assumed name of Peter Pindar. Died in Somers Town, January 14, 1819. Buried in St. Paul's, Covent Garden.] [GEORGE COLMAN, the Younger, born October 21, 1762. Educated at Westminster and Oxford. Favourite companion of George IV., and by him made licenser of plays. Died in London, October 26, 1836.] ANGLOSS. Never before | whose name, in the College of Aberdeen, is subjoined LL.D., signifying Doctor of Laws; to which has been recently added the distinction of A double S; the Roman initials for a Fellow of the Society of Arts. did honour and affluence let fall such a shower on the head of Dr. Pangloss! Fortune, I thank thee! Propitious goddess, I am grateful! I, thy favoured child, who commenced his career in the loftiest apartment of a muffinmaker, in Milk Alley. Little did I think-good Shakespeare-hem!-of the riches and literary dignities which now My pupil! 66 easy man Enter DICK DOWLAS. 99 Dick. I am your most obedient, Richard Dowlas; to whose name, in his tailor's bill, is subjoined D.R., signifying Debtor; to which are added L.S.D., the Roman initials for pounds, shillings, and pence. Pang. (Aside.) Ha! this youth was, doubtless, designed by destiny to move in the circles of fashion, for he dips in debt, and makes a merit of telling it. Dick. But what are your commands with me, doctor? Pang. I have the honour, young gentleman, of being deputed an ambassador to you, from your father. Dick. Then you have the honour to be ambassador of as good-natured an old fellow as ever sold a ha'porth of cheese in a chandler's shop. Pang. Pardon me, if on the subject of your father's cheese, I advise you to be as mute as a DR. PANGLOSS AND HIS PUPIL. mouse in one for the future; 'twere better to keep that alta mente repostum! Virgil-hem! Dick. "Come with the doctor to my house in Hanover Square "-Hanover Square! 'I remain Dick. Why, what's the matter? Any mis- your affectionate father, to command.-DUBERLY.” fortune ?-Broke, I fear? Pang. No, not broke; but his name, as 'tis customary in these cases, has appeared in the Gazette. Dick. Not broke, but gazetted! why, zounds! Pang. Check your passions; learn philosophy. When the wife of the great Socrates threw a— hum!-threw a teapot at his erudite head, he was as cool as a cucumber. When Plato Dick. Hang Plato! What of my father? Pang. Don't hang Plato. The bees swarmed round his mellifluous mouth as soon as he was swaddled. Cum in cunis apes in labellis consedissent.-Cicero-hem! Dick. I wish you had a swarm round yours, with all my heart. Come to the point. Pang. In due time. But calm your choler. Ira furor brevis est.-Horace-hem! Read this. [Gives a letter. Dick. [Snatches the letter, breaks it open, and reads.] 66 "DEAR DICK,--This comes to inform you I am in a perfect state of health, hoping you are the same." Ay, that's the old beginning. 'It was my lot, last week, to be made"-ay, a bankrupt, I suppose?" to be made a "—what?" to be made a PEAR." A pear!-to be made a pear! What on earth does he mean by that? Pang. A peer!-a peer of the realm. His lordship's orthography is a little loose, but several of his equals countenance the custom. Lord Loggerhead always spells physician with an F. Dick. A peer!-what, my father? I'm electrified! Old Daniel Dowlas made a peer! But, let see. (Reads on.)—“A pear of the realm. Lawyer Ferrett got me my tittle "-titt-oh, title!" and an estate of fifteen thousand per ann., by making me out next of kin to old Lord Duberly, because he died without-without hair." "Tis an odd reason, by-the-by, to be next of kin to a nobleman because he died bald. me Pang. That's his lordship's title. Dick. It is? Pang. It is. Dick. Say sir to a lord's son. more manners than a bear! You have no Pang. Bear! Under favour, young gentleman, I am the bear-leader, being appointed your tutor. Dick. And what can you teach me? Pang. Prudence. Don't forget yourself in a sudden success. Tecum habita.-Persius-hem! Dick. Prudence to a nobleman's son with fifteen thousand a year! Pang. Don't give way to your passions. Dick. Give way! Zounds! I'm wild-mad! You teach me! Pooh! I have been in London before, and know it requires no teaching to be a modern fine gentleman. Why, it all lies in a nutshell: sport a curricle-walk Bond Street-play at faro-get drunk-dance reels-go to the Operacut off your tail-pull on your pantaloons, and there's a buck of the first fashion in town for you. D'ye think I don't know what's going? Pang. Mercy on me! I shall have a very refractory pupil. Dick. Not at all. We'll be hand and glove together, my little doctor. I'll drive you down to all the races, with my little terrier between your legs, in a tandem. Pang. Dr. Pangloss, the philosopher, with a terrier between his legs, in a tandem! Dick. I'll tell you what, doctor: I'll make you my long-stop at cricket-you shall draw corks when I'm president-laugh at my jokes before company-squeeze lemons for punch-cast up the reckoning-and woe betide you if you don't keep sober enough to see me safe home after a jollification! Pang. Make me a long-stop, and a squeezer of lemons! Zounds! this is more fatiguing than walking out with the lapdogs! And are these the qualifications for a tutor, young gentleman? Dick. Come now, tutor, go you and call the waiter. Pang. Go and call. Sir-sir! I'd have you to understand, Mr. Dowlas Dick. Ay, let us understand one another, doctor. My father, I take it, comes down handsomely to you for your management of me? Pang. My lord has been liberal. Dick. But 'tis I must manage you, doctor. Acknowledge this, and, between ourselves, I'll find means to double your pay. Pang. Double my pay! Say no more-done! Actum est!-Terence-hem! Waiter. (Bawl ing.) Gad, I've reached the right reading at last! |