The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore Collected by Himself. In Ten Volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore |  |
Sept. 6.
Heard of the fate of our Ambassador
In China, and was sorely nettled;
But think, my Lord, we should not pass it o'er
Till all this matter's fairly settled;
And here's the mode occurs to me:—
As none of our Nobility,
Though for their own most gracious King
(They would kiss hands, or—any thing),
Can be persuaded to go through
This farce-like trick of the Ko-tou;
And as these Mandarins wo'n't bend,
Without some mumming exhibition,
Suppose, my Lord, you were to send
Grimaldi to them on a mission:
As Legate, Joe could play his part,
And if, in diplomatic art,
The “volto sciolto” 's meritorious,
Let Joe but grin, he has it, glorious!
A title for him's easily made;
And, by-the-by, one Christmas time,
If I remember right, he play'd
Lord Morley in some pantomime ;—
As Earl of M*rl*y then gazette him.
If t'other Earl of M*rl*y'll let him.
(And why should not the world be blest
With two such stars, for East and West?)
Then, when before the Yellow Screen
He's brought—and, sure, the very essence
Of etiquette would be that scene
Of Joe in the Celestial Presence!—
He thus should say:—“Duke Ho and Soo,
“I'll play what tricks you please for you,
“If you'll, in turn, but do for me
“A few small tricks you now shall see.
“If I consult your Emperor's liking,
“At least you'll do the same for my King.”
He then should give them nine such grins,
As would astound ev'n Mandarins;
And throw such somersets before
The picture of King George (God bless him!)
As, should Duke Ho but try them o'er,
Would, by Confucius, much distress him!
In China, and was sorely nettled;
But think, my Lord, we should not pass it o'er
Till all this matter's fairly settled;
And here's the mode occurs to me:—
As none of our Nobility,
Though for their own most gracious King
(They would kiss hands, or—any thing),
Can be persuaded to go through
This farce-like trick of the Ko-tou;
And as these Mandarins wo'n't bend,
Without some mumming exhibition,
Suppose, my Lord, you were to send
Grimaldi to them on a mission:
As Legate, Joe could play his part,
And if, in diplomatic art,
The “volto sciolto” 's meritorious,
Let Joe but grin, he has it, glorious!
180
And, by-the-by, one Christmas time,
If I remember right, he play'd
Lord Morley in some pantomime ;—
As Earl of M*rl*y then gazette him.
If t'other Earl of M*rl*y'll let him.
(And why should not the world be blest
With two such stars, for East and West?)
Then, when before the Yellow Screen
He's brought—and, sure, the very essence
Of etiquette would be that scene
Of Joe in the Celestial Presence!—
He thus should say:—“Duke Ho and Soo,
“I'll play what tricks you please for you,
“If you'll, in turn, but do for me
“A few small tricks you now shall see.
“If I consult your Emperor's liking,
“At least you'll do the same for my King.”
181
As would astound ev'n Mandarins;
And throw such somersets before
The picture of King George (God bless him!)
As, should Duke Ho but try them o'er,
Would, by Confucius, much distress him!
I start this merely as a hint,
But think you'll find some wisdom in't;
And, should you follow up the job,
My son, my Lord (you know poor Bob),
Would in the suite be glad to go
And help his Excellency, Joe;—
At least, like noble Amh*rst's son,
The lad will do to practise on.
But think you'll find some wisdom in't;
And, should you follow up the job,
My son, my Lord (you know poor Bob),
Would in the suite be glad to go
And help his Excellency, Joe;—
At least, like noble Amh*rst's son,
The lad will do to practise on.
Mr. Fudge is a little mistaken here. It was not Grimaldi, but some very inferior performer, who played this part of “Lord Morley” in the pantomime,—so much to the horror of the distinguished Earl of that name. The expostulatory letters of the Noble Earl to Mr. H*rr*s, upon this vulgar profanation of his spick-and-span new title, will, I trust, some time or other, be given to the world.
| The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore | |