GOLD AND STEEL: OR, SOMETHING LIKE A "SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER."

The Nizam of Hyderabad (to Britannia). "Here, Madam, is an earnest of my good-will—and my Sword is ready when wanted."

Mr. Punch, as Britannia's Chief Spokesman and First Plenipotentiary, replies to the Nizam of Hyderabad, First of India's Mahommedan Princes:—

Thanks, great descendant of Ghazee-ood-Deen!

A gracious gift! It well may move the spleen

Of England's enemies—and yours. The Bear

Will stir, and growl in his chill Northern lair

To see the Indian Tiger arm-in-arm

With England's Lion, linked by the strong charm

Of mutual confidence and common aim.

A generous friendship, Prince, is our best game.

Not loyalty alone approves your gift,

But wise self-interest, and sagacious thrift.

Sage Salar Jung would cordially approve

The liberal impulse, the far-sighted move.

Punchius, my Prince, is far too great to gush,

And fulsome flattery wakens manhood's blush.

England's true honour England's hand must hold;

Steel for defence, and for equipment gold

'Tis hers to furnish; when that hand shall fail,

Auxiliar sword or purse will nought avail

To prop her sway, or 'stablish shaken power,

Not though she had the more than Danaë dower

Of all "the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind."

Fear must not shake and softness must not blind

The man, the people, who would lead and light

Progress's Army in the World's great fight.

Each nation finds, when Fate its courage tests,

Its last, best frontier is its soldiers' breasts.

War's sinews, though, wise captains won't contemn,

Loyalty, liberal aid,—who laughs at them

Is churl and goose at once. All England's ranks

Will hail your generous gift with cordial thanks,

Nizam-ool-Moolk! Our Dufferin has Wit,

Trust him to make the wisest use of it;

Or failing that—which doubtless will not fail—

Trust Punch to throw his bâton in the scale,

Whose wood, in hands like his, as skilled as bold,

Ofttimes outweighs the worth of steel and gold.

Nizam, that North-West Frontier, Punch's eye

Shall watch henceforth with sharpest scrutiny.

The lakhs not lacking, should swift wisdom lack,

That bâton will descend with thundering thwack

On dolts who dull delay shall cause or suffer;—

But there, our Dufferin is not a duffer.

Red-tape itself would hardly be so mad

As to misread the moral Hyderabad

Reads to Calcutta in this princely proffer.

Punch—for his Queen—acknowledges the offer

Of him who brings, a tribute free as leal,

Gold for her peace, and for her war-time steel.