All-Dribble, dribble, nonsense dribble, 3rd B.--Now the charm begins to brew; Scraps of Lethbridge's old speeches There the Hell-broth we've enchanted- All-Dribble, dribble, nonsense dribble, * * So great was the success of "The Rejected Addresses," that many inferior imitations were issued, amongst them being a small Volume, entitled "Accepted Addresses" published by Thomas Tegg. In it are poems jocularly ascribed to Lord Byron, and Walter Scott, there is also a burlesque, entitled "Macbeth Travestie, in three acts. With Burlesque annotations, after the manner of Dr. Johnson, G. Stevens, Esq., and the various Commentators." The author acknowledges that the favorable reception which attended the Travestie on Hamlet, by John Poole, gave him the suggestion for the undertaking, to which it must be said, it is much inferior. It contains no parodies of sufficient interest or merit to be quoted. THE DERBY VOTER'S SOLILOQUY. (Spoken in a darkened doorway with his face to the wall.) Is this a sovereign which I'feel behind me, Slipp'd gently into my hand? Come, let me sack thee: Art thou not precious metal, sensible To vision as to touch? or art thou but A sovereign of the mind, a false sensation, Proceeding from the beer-oppressed brain? I feel thee yet, a coin as palpable As this I now produce. Thou hint'st to me the side whereon I'm going; And such a candidate I am to choose. My conscience is the weakest of my senses, Which should rule all the rest. I feel thee stillA blade that has no gudgeon in his blood, I ne'er was sold before. Pooh! no such thing; It is the freeman's privilege which informs Punch, August, 1852. There was another "Macbeth Travestie" in two acts, written by Francis Talfourd, and performed at Henley-on-Thames, on the day of the regatta, June 17, 1847. This was published by E. T. Spiers, of High Street, Oxford, it was afterwards produced, with slight alterations, at the Strand Theatre, on January 10, 1848; and again at the Olympic Theatre, on April 25, 1853, when the part of Macbeth was performed by F. Robson. The London Edition (published by Lacy) has a humourous preface by William Farren. The Incantation Scene (scene IV., act II.) commences thus: WITCHES (singing) We'll raise a jolly good spell-oh! It's a way they had on the stage-oh! THE INCANTATION. 1st WITCH.-Apron strings of old maids-tabbies; Tongues of spifflicated babbies; Joinville of a greasy gent, Reeking with unhallowed scent. 2nd WITCH.-Beards of maggots, maws of mummies, Holloway's grease, and Frampton's pills, Mild emetics-one a dose is; Seventy-seven street-sweepers' noses! 2nd Witch.-Plums and currants now we take, And the sugar in we shake; Candied peel and citron, too Get it fresh whate'er you do! Let us everything re-mix, All-Never mind a little trouble, Extra praise will pay us double. 3rd Witch.-Now the eggs well beaten up THE MODERN MACBETH. CHARACTERS. Mac Gladstone, Mrs. Mac Gladstone, Joe Mac Caucus. MAC GLAD.-Here now methinks our ministry were safe, JOE MAC C. His absence, sir, Is hard upon the Government. Please you, sir, To grace us with your everlasting speech. MAC GLAD. There is no seat.. MRS. MAC GLAD. Here is a place for you. What, Grand Old Man? MAC GLAD.-Who has played me this trick? JOE MAC C. OTHELLO. —:0: Othello.-MOST potent, grave, and reverend signiors, Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used And little of this great world can I speak, More than pertains to feats of broil and battle, And therefore little shall I grace my cause In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience, I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms, For such proceeding I am charged withal, OTHELLO., Act I. Scene III. Gordon's health. [Ghost appears again. MAC GLAD.—Avaunt, and quit my sight! the desert hide thee! I hoped the vultures would have ta'en thy Thou hast appeals unanswered in thy hands, MRS. MAC GLAD.-Think of this, good friends, As but a thing of custom, though 'tis hard To hear a nation's curses on his head MAC GLAD What man dare, I dare; Approach thou like the hated Beaconsfield, Take any shape than that, and my glib tongue The Grand Old Murderer! Hence, deathless Accusing victim hence! (Ghost disappears, and MAC GLADSTONE goes off to read the Lessons in Hawarden Church.) H. SAVILE CLARKE, 1885, Shakespeare's Recipe for Cooking a Beefsteak. If when 'twere done 'twere well done, then 'twere well It were done quickly. THE STROLLING PLAYER'S APOLOGY. MOST potent, gay, irreverend signiors, In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver, KENEALY'S SPEECH TO THE SENATE. More than pertains to bearding judge and jury, And therefore shall I little grace my cause In speaking of myself. Yet, by your gracious patience, I will the round unvarnished tale deliver Of my whole course of pleading-"proofs of hair," Of "love maternal"-"manners most refined ” (With such were the proceedings charged withal). I told as records of the Claimant's life; From year to year, with wrecks and butchering, These things to hear They said in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange, 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful; They wished they had not said it; yea they wished Go tell him the everlasting story, And then my client doomed to durance vile. And cried throughout the land with one accord, On that hint I spake They loved me for my notoriety, And I loved them since it did profit me- That my lost client should at once be free! Funny Folks, May 8, 1875. ·:0: Iago's high-sounding words about his reputation : "Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls; Who steals my purse steals trash-'tis something, 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands : were once quoted (so Tom Ingoldsby tells us) by a country baronet at a general election. Perhaps his memory failed him, or perhaps he thought to "gild refined gold!" His version was : "Who steals my purse steals stuff! 'Twas mine-'tisn't his- nor nobody else's! But he who runs away with my GOOD NAME, Robs me of what does not do him any good, And makes me deuced poor !" And, O you mortal engines, whose rude throats The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit, Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone! Act III. Scene III. This favorite passage is cleverly imitated in George Colman's Epilogue to Sheridan's "School for Scandal." Lady Teazle, who has decided to renounce Scandal, to live in peace with her husband, delivers the epilogue from which the following is an extract : "Farewell, the tranquil mind! farewell, content! Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious town! And Lady Teazle's occupation's o'er!" Middle-aged Man about Town loq.:FAREWELL the quiet chop ! the kidneys poached! Farewell the grizzled bones and the mixed drinks, That made abstention virtue-O, farewell! Farewell the ready waiter, the vague bill, The nose-enlivening pinch, eye-winking smoke, The kindly hand-shake, and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of PADDY GREEN! And O you ancient Basses, whose rude throats The immortal Jove's dread clamour counterfeit, Farewell!-A fellow's occupation's gone! Punch, November 1, 1879. Othello improved. SHAKESPEARE PACKING UP HIS GOODS. "I HAD been happy, if the General Thumb, Barnum and all, had bought up the old house In which I ne'er was born. But now for ever Farewell the pencil'd wall! farewell the prints, Farewell the well-thumb'd book, and all the names * Drum.-A drum, then, is an assembly of well-dressed persons of both sexes, most of whom play at cards, and the rest do nothing at all; while the mistress of the house performs the part of the landlady at an inn, and, like the landlady of an inn, prides herself in the number of her guests, though she doth not always, like her, get anything by it."-Fielding, History of a Foundling, p. xvii;, ch. 6, That made its pages precious! Oh, farewell! And oh you silver shillings, whose bright face Our blessed Queen's fair portrait counterfeits. Farewell! Poor Shakespeare's sole support is gone!" From The Man in the Moon, Vol. 2. SOLILOQUY OF THE MOOR OF COVENT GARDEN. An address supposed to be delivered by Mr. John Philip Kemble, in the character of Othello, during the famous O. P. (old price) riots in Covent Garden Theatre, which commenced on September 18th, 1809. The public objected to the increased prices charged in the new theatre, and also to the additional number of small private boxes, which were intended to be let for the year. The riots continued until December 16th, when the old prices were restored. I had been happy if th' united House, Farewell ye wanton toys of feather'd cupid From dreams delusive of eternal triumph! Thrown open Farewell, OTHELLO'S Occupation's gone! The Covent Garden Journal, 1810. :0: The Royal Dramatic College Annual, for July, 1868, contains an imaginary dialogue between Othello (Lord Dundreary) and Iago (Mr. Buckstone), written by Mr. T. F. Dillon-Croker. It is very amusing, but it is not strictly a parody. WILLIAM IV. AND REFORM. WHEN the great Reform Bill was thrown out by the Lords on May 7, 1832, the Ministry resigned, and the country was on the verge of Revolution. King William IV. who had hitherto been bitterly opposed to any Reforms, now induced the Ministers to resume office by reluctantly granting to Earl Grey full power to secure majorities, by the creation of new Peers. Henry, Lord Brougham, was then Lord Chancellor. The following parody appeared in Figaro in London, illustrated with portraits of the Puppet King ("Silly-Billy" he was styled), Earl Grey, and Lord Brougham. THE ROYAL PUPPET. "HERE is a representation of a puppet, the movements of which are occasioned by certain strings, which are held in the hands of persons who amuse themselves by pulling first one and then the other according as it may serve their temporary purposes. The funny little figure wriggles about first to one side and then the other just as it strikes the whim of those in whose hands he happens to be, and he is forced when acted on by them to play whatever antics they may deem desirable. One jerk may make the little fellow extend his hand in an attitude of friendship, while the next moment he may be made grotesquely to throw up his foot, as if he would kick down the very thing to which he had the moment before offered his hand, and thus he wriggles about in every sense of the word, the mere puppet of those who possess the power to play upon him. Occasionally the funny little figure is made to take part in a scenic representation, and here we give to our readers a specimen of certain interesting STATE THEATRICALS. The subject is chosen from Shakespeare's Othello, ani the following is the cast of the principal characters." OTHELLO, by The Puppet. IAGO, by Lord Brougham. DESDEMONA, by Hibernia, the Sister Country. It would be needless and somewhat tedious to print the whole of the well-known tragedy, -showing how Desdemona was wronged, and Othello degraded, by the cunning of Iago. For Iago and Othello we shall for the sake of verisimilitude insert the names of their representatives, Brougham and the Puppet. Brougham.-Look where he comes, not Nor e'en a Grant of Universal Suffrage, ENTER THE PUPPET. Puppet.--Ha ha! pelt at me? at me? Ballot nor Brougham.-Why, how now, Governor? no more of that. Puppet.-Avaunt! begone! thou'st set me on the rack, I swear, 'tis better to be much abused Than but to know't a little. Brougham.-How now, my lord. |