POLITE LEARNING.
[Professor LOMBROSO writes in the Revue des Revues that all women are liars. Mr. VICTOR HORSLEY writes in the Times that one of Miss COBBE's statements is a lie.]
Shameful, shocking, rude Professor!
CRICHTON BROWNE—your predecessor
In attacks, would-be suppressor
Of the higher
Education—once compared them
To the Pantaloon, and scared them,
But he was polite, and spared them
Words like "liar."
Lie, indeed! There is a middle
Course—say "fib" or "tarradiddle,"
"Not quite true," "A sort of riddle
Facts to smother."
We, who love the fair romancer—
Be she talker, singer, dancer,
What you will, she's sweet—we answer,
"You're another!"
As for you, rough Mr. HORSLEY,
Arguing so very coarsely,
May I say yours is a worse lie,—
Rhyming badly?
You, so skilled in vivisection,
Could cut up Miss COBBE's objection,
With your tongue in some subjection,
Not thus madly.
Why, LOMBROSO would despise you,
Though he is so rude. These "lies" you
Freely write make folks surmise you
An impostor,
Not the lady. You've not "licked" her.
(Slang to suit you) though you're VICTOR.
Since you stoop to contradict her
Like a coster.
