SPORTING AT WINDSOR.
"His Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the King of the Belgians went out shooting yesterday, attended [at a respectful distance] by Colonel Flint."—Court Circular.
King. To continue, mon cher, our talk of yesterday. Why not let Russia have Moldavia and—
Prince. Mark! [Fires, and pheasant falls.]
King. And Wallachia? You will perceive that Austria, who by the way, has been shamefully libelled by your press; you will perceive, Albert, that—
Prince. Mark again! [Both fire, and both miss.]
King. Austria requires peace. In fact, the interests of humanity demand peace. France wants peace, Belgium wants peace, Saxe-Coburg wants peace; and Saxe-Gotha wants peace!
Prince. How wild the dogs are this morning! To be sure, Saxe-Gotha.
King. And England.—for I am more than half an Englishman, my dear Albert—England wants peace. Think of your debt. Eight hundred millions! A sum enough to strike the house of Rothschild flat into gold-leaf. Eight hundred millions, mon cher, and Europe in a blaze. How do you know your eight hundred wouldn't be doubled?
Prince. Twice eight's sixteen.
King. Exactly. I saw a passage in the papers about some wild Indians who fire golden balls. Why, doesn't England always fire golden balls? Load with lead and iron; and don't taxes turn 'em to gold?
Prince. Aberdeen the respectable says the same.
King. Aberdeen's a great statesman. That is, he's great in his respectability. And the English—I know the noble islanders—the English are so devoted to a respectable Minister, that they'd rather be half-ruined by respectability, than saved and served by anything that's brilliant. They fear brilliancy, as it is said James the First winced at a drawn sword.
Prince. To be sure, Palmerston—
King. A firebrand, mon cher: but now excellently disposed of. However, for the peace of Europe—
Prince. Mark! [Fires; bird falls.]
King (to dogs). Down charge! But for the peace of Europe Pam is capitally placed. It is all right to have a firebrand in the Home Office, so long as you keep a Wet Blanket in the first place of the Treasury.
Prince. Peace is certainly to be desired. You have not seen my picture—an allegory of Peace?
King. I have. —— showed it me yesterday. My dear Albert, do let me have a copy—nay two copies, by your own hand; one for Austria, one for Russia; they will be delighted. Such "material guarantees" for the peace of Europe; and peace at any price will be cheaper than ever.
Prince. Aberdeen deplores war. He said at the Council on Tuesday, when Molesworth talked about national honour, and shedding blood, and all that—he said: It is better to have your nose pulled, than your nose cut off. Now England has certainly had its nose pulled—
King. But has not lost an inch of it. The nose is quite as good as ever, and then—
Prince. Down, Pompey! How wild the dogs are!
King. And then, with war, what throne is safe? Hungary—Italy—Rome—Naples—
Prince. The dogs are very wild!
King. And as I've said, mon cher, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha. Therefore, why not let Russia keep the Provinces, and—
Prince. Here come Brabant and Flanders.
King. Mark! (His Majesty fires; bird falls. The Duke of Brabant and Count of Flanders join).
The above is faithfully translated from the German, a language in which the distinguished sportsmen always shoot. Colonel Flint does not know a word of German.