"Prancing proconsuls" often stir up strife,
Which to abate diplomacy must strain.
Your Pinto seems to mean war to the knife—
He's too much given to the 'Ercles vein.
I'm sure I do not want to hurt your feelings,
I simply say I can't stand Serpa's dealings.
Plain English this, my little Portuguee,
And Barros Gomes will tell you I mean it.
Fight? Pigmy versus Titan? Fiddlededee!
My meaning—without menaces, you'll glean it—
Is this—I would not hector, no, nor "nag,"
Only, my lad—you'll just come off that Flag!
LONDON FOR THE LONDONERS;
Or, How to Please Everybody.
Scene—Railway Compartment. Brown and Jones discovered reading Newspapers.
Brown (putting down his journal). Not much news, Sir.
Jones (following the example). Quite so, Sir—not much.
Brown. Perhaps, Sir, the most interesting item is this talk about London Improvement.
Jones. So I think, Sir. But what do we want with this plan for widening the Strand, and making a road to Holborn? It seems to me, Sir, that the suburbs are being neglected.