MASSON DE MORVILLIERS

MARRIAGE À LA MODE

[First published in The Tatler, September 30, 1830; reprinted 1860.]

Toм, you should take a wife-Now love forbid !
I found you one last night.-The devil you did!
Softly; perhaps she'll please you.-Oh, of course!
Fifteen.-Alarming!-Witty.-Nay, that's worse!
Discreet. All show!-Handsome.-To lure the fellows!
High-born.-Ay, haughty!—Tender-hearted.—Jealous !
Talents o'erflowing.-Ay, enough to sluice me!
And then, Tom, such a fortune !-Introduce me.

MADAME D'HOUDETOT

LOVE AND AGE

[First published in The Liberal, No. III, 1823; reprinted 1844-60. Text 1844-60.] WHEN young, I loved. At that enchanting age,

So sweet, so short, love was my sole delight;
And when I reached the time for being sage,
Still I loved on, for reason gave me right.

Snows come at length, and livelier joys depart,
Yet gentle ones still kiss these eyelids dim;
For still I love, and love consoles my heart;
What could console me for the loss of Him?

I enchanting] delicious 1823.

3 time for being] season to be 1823

5 Snows come] Age comes 1823.

DESTOUCHES

EPITAPH ON AN ENGLISHMAN,

[First published in The Tatler, October 9, 1830; reprinted 1832, 1844. 1857. No variants.]

HERE lies Sir John Plumpudding, of the Grange,

Who hung himself one morning, for a change.

THE CHEVALIER DE BOUFFLERS

LOVE AND WAR

[First published in The Examiner, August 29, 1824; reprinted 1832-57. Text 1832-57.]

LET us make love, let us make war,

This is your motto, boys, these are your courses;
War may appear to cost people too dear,

But love re-imburses, but love re-imburses.

The foe and the fair, let 'em see what we are,

For the good of the nation, the good of the nation;
What possible debtor can pay his debts better,
Than De-population with Re-population?

2 your] our 1824

LOVE AND REASON

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A PHILOSOPHER AND HIS MISTRESS

[First published in The Examiner, August 29, 1824; reprinted 1832-57.]

AN A B C FOR GROWN GENTLEMEN

WRITTEN UPON THREE LADIES, WHOSE NAMES BEGAN WITH THOSE LETTERS [First published in Monthly Repository, November 1837. Not reprinted.]

ADIEU, my books! Adieu, bay-tree!

Adieu, old dame Philosophy !

I study naught but letters three

Henceforth; to wit, my A B C.

Sweet task! yet not, I fear, quite free

From some impossibility,

Agatha, Bertha, Cecily,

Being, in fact, my A B C.

But then what theme for bel esprit !
What studies, void of all ennui!
Ardent, Benign, and Clever, ye
Teach all that's good, dear A B C.

Ah, gentlemen of the Academy!
How proud and happy would you be,
For all your Greek and your glory,
To be sent back to A B C.

TABOUROT

ABEL AND MABEL; OR, WISE AND WISER

[First published in Monthly Repository, October 1837; reprinted 1844, 1857.] ABEL fain would marry Mabel;

Well, it's very wise of Abel.

But Mabel won't at all have Abel;
Well, it's wiser still of Mabel.

BOUTROUX

THE INFALLIBLE REMEDY

ΤΟ

[First published in The Tatler, November 15, 1830. Not reprinted.] [Calypso was inconsolable for the loss of Ulysses. She grieved that she was immortal.'-TELEMACHUS.

CALYPSO thought living a curse,

Her fine immortality shocked her;
But surely she had a resource ;—
Why didn't she send for the doctor?

LE BRUN

[First published in The Tatler, February 10, 1831. Not reprinted.]

IN prose and in metre will Tom still compose;

But in writing he seems to lie under a curse;
For he constantly puts too much verse in his prose,
And as constantly puts too much prose in his verse.

ANONYMOUS POEMS AND EPIGRAMS FROM
THE FRENCH

[First published in The Tatler, 1830-31.]

TO A BELL-RINGER

[October 9, 1830. Unsigned.]

You cursedest of all bell-ringers,

Why haven't you round your neck what you've got in your fingers?

A WISE DEATH

[November 2, 1830, unsigned; reprinted 1860. No variants.] 'Tis done; I yield; adieu, thou cruel fair;

Adieu, th' averted face, th' ungracious check;

I go to die, to finish all my care,

To hang. To hang ?-Yes,-round another's neck.

THE ESSENCE OF OPERA; OR, ALMANZOR AND IMOGEN

AN OPERA IN THREE ACTS

(November 8, 1830; reprinted 1832. Text 1832.]

SUBJECT OF THE OPERA

A brave young Prince a young Princess adores;
A combat kills him, but a God restores.

PROLOGUE

A MUSICIAN. People, appear, approach, advance.

IMOGEN. O love!

[A noise of war.

ACT II

The Prince appears, pursued by his enemies. Combat. The Princess faints. The Prince is mortally wounded.]

People, sing, dance, and show your misery. CHORUS. Let's sing, and dance, and show our misery.

ACT III

Pallas descends in a cloud to Almanzor, and speaks.

PALLAS. Almanzor, live!
IMOGEN.

ALMANZOR.

Oh bliss!

What do I see?

TRIO. People, sing, dance, and hail this prodigy.
CHORUS. Let's sing, and dance, and hail this prodigy.

4 The chorus you, ye singers, bear. 1830.
5 Extend your knee-pans, you, and dance: 1830.

PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF

[November 24, 1830. Unsigned.]

YOUNG Doctor Scribe is dead.-Young Scribe ?—Yes, he
That wrote so well upon Longevity.

[February 10, 1831. Unsigned.]

I YAWN When you read !-Am I wrong then ?-Oh, no!
That I listen what proof more complete can I show?

A N-ICE VOICE

[May 30, 1831, signed 'E'.]

THREE strapping clowns were seen one day (strange case !)
Holding poor Hodge up to his knees in ice;

'Twas terrible to see the fellow's face;
Yet there he sat, stuck fast as in a vice.

With wond'ring ire a passenger was seized:

·

'Good God!' cried he, what, have ye no remorse ?
Hands off! give over! '—' Sir, be not displeased,'

A beadle said, 'we're making the man hoarse.'

Hoarse!'' Yes, Sir, manly in his tones like, gruff:
To-morrow's the saint's day in this here place;
And this here lad, who winces sure enough,
We're putting in a state to sing the bass.'

The prelate bends his lordly eyes, And How now, sir!' in wrath he cries;

'What! choose the very King's highway,

And ride with girls in open day! Good heav'ns!. what next will curates do?

20

My fancy shudders at the view.-
Girl, cover up your horrid stocking:
Was ever seen a group so shocking!'

'My Lord,' replies the blushing
man,

'Pardon me, pray, and pardon Anne;
Oh deem it, good my lord, no sin :
I had no coach to put her in.'