Perhaps and this was very likely too—
The guests, as guests are often prone to do,
Paid more attention when their noble host

Proposed a toast

Than when the honoured and the grateful wit
Replied to it.

At all events the truth remains to say

That Garrick felt the slight, and slipped away

He was not missed until a cry was heard-
A scream, a screech, a yell,

That rose and fell.

My lords and gentlemen, without a word,
Sat round the table in astonished fear
The noise to hear.

And so they listened silently; but after

A little while they knew the sound was laughter.
It seemed to issue from a court below;

And, curious to know

What was the cause of such hilarious pother,
The feasters all went elbowing one another
In pell-mell race

Down to the open place.

And there they saw a little Afric boy,

Black as an ebon toy,

A turbaned slave with earrings large and round,
Who rolled upon the ground,
Shrieking at Mr. David Garrick, fit

To split.

With sidling gait, between a strut and hobble,
And indistinctly guttural' gobble, gobble,'
And angry eyes, and waggling head and gill,
With fussy rage the court did Garrick fill;
His antics being well designed to mock

A turkey-cock.

He stopped, perceiving all his friends draw near,
Desirous though they were to see and hear.
'Your servant, gentlemen,' he gravely said,
Baring his head,

And bowing with an air that made him tall
(His figure was, for Tragedy, too small)—

My dusky little friend, you see, has paid
With laughter certain efforts I have made
To entertain him; and, the truth to tell,
I like almost as well

Such unenforced applause as fame and salary.
You scarce were in the vein of mirth upstairs,
And so I left your table unawares.

'Twas growing plaguey dull, 'twixt you and me;

Nor tired, though no stickleback e'en have they caught. But Tom-that unromantic boy

Vows he his tea would much enjoy ;

And Nellie's reluctantly forced to decline

On gooseberries purely ideal to dine.

So to gudgeon and gooseberries, well-a-day!
The fishes so real,

The fruit so ideal,

They must e'en bid farewell awhile-Charlie and May.

But out in the punt on the indolent stream

The happy young couple have dreamt their dream;
Charlie and May

Are now fiancés ;

For hearts, not for gudgeon, they angled, I deem.
And Tom-that unromantic lad-

To Charlie call a brother 's glad;

While Nellie just wonders to whom will occur
Metaphorical gooseberry-picking for her.

Oh, gudgeon and gooseberries, pray you, purvey,
The fishes, please, real,

The fruit not ideal,

At the glad wedding-breakfast of Charlie and May!

Drawn hy F. F Brewtnall1

Paterfamilias is prepared!!!