THE AUTHOR.
It lay on the book-stall for sale,
But no one to purchase seemed willing,
The ticket was "Humorous Tale,
Two-and-sixpence—reduced to a shilling."
But the humour was lost upon me.
And the jest fell uncommonly flat.
Could the jokes I had written then be
So fallen in value as that?
The First Duty of an Opposition (As it now seems to be understood).—"To lie in cool Obstruction, and talk rot."—(Shakspeare—slightly adapted.)
Modern Translation by our Youngest Sporting Etonian.—"In formâ pauperis"—i.e., "in rather poor form."