University of Virginia Library

Round goes the chat,—the R*g*rs tells,
“No music like a ring of Belles;”
Deliciously the measure varies—
Who loves, who hates, who fights, who marries.
—“Heavens! how the Duchess lost at cards!
The money was of course her ward's.”
“How the dear Viscount will be miss'd!
But yesterday the hands were kiss'd;
Some horrid place, Fate knows how far off,
Is always sure to take our star off:
The man who dances à merveille
Is certain to be first to sail.”
—“Delightful opera, that La Gazza,
With Ayton playing the Ragazza,
Fine figure as she steals the spoons
To that most exquisite of tunes.”
—“But Toso—ah, superbe sensation!
That prima donna importation”—
“Too much at once—youth, voice, and beauty;
True Roman,—‘pupil of Velluti.’”
“What think you, Colonel, of her eye?”
“Oh, magnifique!—quite look and die.
I envy from my soul her sposo!
Ah ‘Idol del mio core,’ Toso!
“She'll be a first rate hit for Ebers.”
—“So, M---re has melodramed the Ghebers;
The scenery all of Amh---rst's sketching—
The various forms of fever-catching;
The British style of marsh-encamping;
The Indian style of army-swamping;—
In short, you have before you set,
Au vif, a whole Rangoon Gazette.”