( 159 )

VICTOR VANQUISHED.

[From the same.]

GALLIA's boastful Emperor

Is once more foil'd by us;
His mighty General Victor,
Graham has made Victus.

THE BATTLE OF BARROSA AND MASSENA'S
RETREAT.

To our gallant Heroes in Spain and Portugal.
BY WILLIAM THOMAS FITZGERALD, ESQ.

[From the same.]

WHILE ruin'd nations heave the inward groan,

And waste their blood to prop a tyrant's throne;

They see Britannia, in that awful hour,

Foe to his crimes, but rival of his power!

Where'er her gallant sons the falchion wield,
The Gallic legions, vanquish'd, quit the field:
Iberia's plains the glorious truth attest,

Where vict'ry plumes her wings on Graham's crest!
Numbers, in vain, oppose his valiant bands,
Who hold their country's honour in their hands;
Resolv'd to die, or conquer, they advance,
And tear the Eagle from presumptuous France;
"Through hosts of foes they cut their glorious way,
And fame immortal marks Barrosa's day!
To those who fell let grateful tears be shed,
For glory crowns the living and the dead.
On every side the patriot turns his eye,
And sees his country's flag triumphant fly!
Near Tagus' banks, on Lusitania's shore,
Thrice-laurel'd Wellesley gains one trophy more;
One trophy more! to those so nobly won,
From Orient Regions to the Western Sun!

The

The baffled chief must now forget his name,
The favour'd child of fortune, and of fame * !
His flying troops no more our hero face,
But seek, by flight, their safety in disgrace,
France will not now her usual boast maintain,
That Britons only conquer on the main :
Then let her tyrant's vanity subside-
His ships are strangers to the ocean's tide!
While on the seas he dares not trust his slaves,
The majesty of England walks the waves!

I

OLD Q.'s TOKAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PUBLIC LEDger, &c.

SIR,

your

KNOW few ways in which the spare part of paper is better employed, than in giving us those little anecdotes and traits of manners which describe a class, at least, if they do not a nation. One would not wish that every folly you record were considered as characteristic of the people of England; but in as far as the manners of the people of fashion are depicted, something is gained to the stock of useful information; and, perhaps, some reasonable check administered.

The information you gave us, a few days ago, of the sale of the late Duke of Queensberry's Tokay, at seven pounds sterling per bottle, has no doubt amazed the little people, who have been for some years brooding over the hardness of the times, lamenting over the price of butcher's meat, and bewailing the rising state of the quartern loaf. They cannot conceive how such things are: finding some difficulty in procuring a glass of port wine for cases of sickness, they have no conception of a race of beings, who will give seven pounds for a bottle of Tokay, which is to be drank for plea

* Massena has been called the Spoiled Child of Fortune.

sure.

OLD Q.'s TOKAY.

161

sure. Others again, who profess to be political calculators, and who see our once eminent merchants and manufacturers applying to Parliament for relief, begin to doubt the validity of their calculations, and to question whether, after all, there is not a great deal of money somewhere in this kingdom.

But I know not, Sir, that the speculations of the one or the other party, on such subjects, will deserve the attention of persons of fashion; and I would rather, therefore, suggest to the latter, that they should endeavour to study a consistency in their expenses; and, when they can place wine on their tables at eighty-four pounds per dozen, take care that every thing else is in proportion. For want of attention to this rule, I have often witnessed, at the tables of the great, a heterogeneous mixture of cheap and dear ingredients, as absurd, in my humble opinion, as a party of nobility and vulgar placed at the same table.

I own, however, that there is some difficulty in this. I have not the honour of knowing any of the gentlemen who have purchased the Duke of Queensberry's Tokay, but I humbly conceive they will find it rather difficult to bring the other articles, either of the dinner or dessert, up to the standard of his Grace's wine. I am afraid that the markets of this metropolis, the owners of which are by no means deficient in charging, nor even the landlords of our taverns, who are privileged to make many comfortable additions to the expense of a dinner-I say, Sir, I am afraid that all these put together, and with the kind aid of the Covent Garden fruiterers, will never be able to bring a mouthful up to the price of a glass-full of his Grace's Tokay. On the contrary, the inferiority of price must be in most cases so striking as to discompose that uniformity of extravagance which constitutes the eclat of a feast. We have no reason to complain of the cheapness of turtle and venison, of green peas in January,

or

or strawberries and cherries in April; yet these, with all their enormity of price, are scarcely fit to keep company with wine at seven pounds per bottle. As to butcher's meat and poultry, I trust no person of taste and fashion would ever think of disgracing their wine in such low company. Fish, indeed, may do something. There are times when that article, one would think, was almost fit to swim in his Grace's Tokay. Last Christmas, for example, we were told of four guineas and a half being given for a single cod-fish. This was pretty well, as it served only about six persons; and had the old Duke's sale then taken place, these guests might have quenched their thirst in a most consistent manner. Another little anecdote of later date convinces me that we may occasionally place an implicit reliance on the conscience of a fishmonger. A Lady of fashion, in a village near London, wished to entertain an illustrious young personage with a dish of fish. Unfortunately for her, the day happened to be what is called a great fish-day, and the fish she wanted was procured, at a price too vulgar for me to notice, and not perhaps above twice the sum it would have cost a London citizen. What was to be done? She luckily thought of Smelts, and no smelts were at market! But that was no objection-Smelts must be got; and her fishmonger, no doubt with an infinite deal of pains, and travelling twice to town upon this important mission, procured Ja dozen of these favourite little fishes; for which he -charged at the rate of only seven shillings each!-And shere I think, for once, we have an instance of an article. fit to be on our plates while the Duke's Tokay is going round: and I hope that this anecdote will illustrate what I term the consistency and uniformity of expenses, and for which I earnestly contend.

I am, Sir, yours,

HELIOGABAlus.

LINES

EE, bursting forth from Valpy's classic press,
In all the pomp of typographic dress,

On skull-thick a libel most pernicious,

As

dull, as

malicious!

This "Wondrous Week," in hot-press'd robe attir'd,
Just prov'd a nine days' wonder, and expir'd.

PARIS IN AN UPROAR !

[From the General Evening Post, April 2.J

PARIS convuls'd!!!-Rebellion? No, you fool;
The little King has had a greenish st—l.

Z.

FUN-DUNGUS.

EPIGRAM

ON THE Reported DEATH OF THE CHILD OF BONAPARTE.

[From the General Evening Post, April 4.]

SOON as the Royal Infant came to light,
He saw his Father-and he died of fright.

REGIMENTAL SONG,

BUGGYRO.

FOR THE 87TH REGIMENT, CALLED THE PRINCE OF WALES'S IRISH VOLUNTEERS.

BY CAPTAIN MORRICE.

[From the Morning Post, April 4.]

[The following account is given of the origin of this song:-His Royal Highness the Prince, Patron of the

* See Critical Review, March 1841.

regiment,