Reliance on trade-marks, sir)—so perhaps you’ll
Excuse the digression—this cup which I hold
Light-poised—bah! its spilt in the bed—well, let’s on go—
Held Bohea and sugar, sir; if you were told
The sugar was salt would the Bohea be Congo?
* * * * *
——:o:——
Of Mr. Browning’s later poetry, or, what may be termed his involved and complicated style, some excellent parodies exist. They are rather long, and would be somewhat tedious reading to those who are unfamiliar with the originals; as the books in which most of these parodies occur are easily obtainable a few extracts will suffice.
First, may be mentioned Diversions of the Echo Club, an American work written by the late Mr. Bayard Taylor, published, in London, by Chatto and Windus.
This contains no less than four imitations of Robert Browning’s poetry, they are all good, but perhaps the following is the most characteristic in style:—