ON THE FLY-LEAF OF AN OLD BOOK.
It's long been loose; at last it's quite
Come out—the very thing to write
My laundry list on. Think what might
Have been upon it!
Some lines by GOLDSMITH, neatly planned,
A verse by BYRON, mighty grand,
Or even, penned by SHAKSPEARE's hand,
A song or sonnet;
DA VINCI might have made a sketch,
Or REMBRANDT drawn a head to etch,
Or TURNER dashed some tints—'twould fetch
A thousand guineas.
Here might have been some notes, compiled
By IBSEN, MAETERLINCK, or WILDE,
On how some writers have beguiled
Some simple ninnies;
Some words on Cooks, by RANDOLPH C.,
Or Greek Home Rule, by Grand Old G.,
Some Irish notes by A.J.B.,
A cheque from DILLON.
How useless now to think what might
Have been, for I have blacked the white!
It is not even fit to write
A washing-bill on!
CHURCH AND BOOTH.—The Archbishop of CANTERBURY was recently a guest at the Munching House on the occasion of an Undenominational Banquet. His Grace, in a post-prandial speech, observed that the Salvation Army came "fluting" among us, but he thought that the Army's success would be as "fleeting" as it was "fluting." Neat this for his Grace-after-dinner. This was a nice after-dinner way of giving "caviare to the General." No "laughter" appears to have followed, so the caviare was not generally taken.
LITERARY NOTE AND QUERY.—First volume of Tacitus translated into English by A.W. QUILL. Judging from a review in the Times of this instalment, it is the work of neither a soft nor hard Quill, but a medium Quill. With such a suggestive name, this author will show himself a Goose Quill if he does not at once turn his attention to the History of PENN.