"GIVE IT TO THE BARD!"
Mr. ROBERT INGERSOLL speaking of, and at, Poet WALT WHITMAN on the occasion of presenting the aged and eccentric poet with the "long contemplated testimonial," to quote The Times, said, that "W.W. is intellectually hospitable"—this sounds like 'ready to take in anybody'—"but he refuses to accept a creed merely because it is wrinkled, old, and white-bearded. Hypocrisy wears a venerable look; and relies on its mask to hide its stupidity and fear." Now this was rather rough on the Bard, who is described as "an interesting figure, with his long white hair falling over his shoulders." It seemed as if ROBERT INGERSOLL wished to imply, Don't be taken in and accept W.W. at his own poetic valuation as a poet, simply because he is wrinkled, old, white-haired, and wears a venerable look, which, after all, may be only a hypocritical mask? Mr. INGERSOLL couldn't have been more infelicitous if he had "come to bury 'WHITMAN,' not to praise him." Then he went on, "Neither does WHITMAN accept everything new." This clearly excepted the testimonial, which, we may suppose, was brand new, or at all events, had been so at some time or other, though having been "long contemplated" it might have got a trifle dusty or mouldy. Then finished the orator, magnificently, epigrammatically, and emphatically, thus "He" (i.e., WALT WHITMAN) "wants truth." And with all our heart and soul we reply, "We wish he may get it."
MR. PUNCH'S PRIZE NOVELS.—No. V., "Mignon's Mess-Room," will appear in our next Number.
EMPLOYMENT OF CAPITAL.
Sir,—In the St. James's Gazette of Thursday week there was a quotation from Mr. BUCHANAN's Modern Review, where, in support of his opinions, he quotes "Pope passim." Whatever may be the outward and visible form of Mr. BUCHANAN's religion, it is discourteous, at least, even for an ultra-Presbyterian Scotchman, to spell the name of a Pope without making the initial letter a capital, and it is unlike a Scotchman not to make capital out of anything. Here, I may say, that Mr. BUCHANAN's contributions to recent journalistic literature have been mostly capital letters. But to return. Why POPE passim, and not POPE Passim, or POPE PASSIM? Is it not mis-spelt? In vain have I searched history for the name of this Pope. Searchimus iterum. But I must protest, in the mean time, of this particularly mean way of Bu-chananising a Roman Pontiff. Please accept this as a MEMO FROM NEMO.
SOMETHING IN A NAME.—"MOIR TOD STORMOUTH DARLING" (any other names?) "Esq., Advocate, Q.C., H.M.'s Solicitor-General for Scotland"—phew!—a good mouthful all this, almost as great as "JOHN RICHARD THOMAS ALEXANDER DWYER," of Rejected Addresses—has been elevated to the Scottish Judicial Bench. Good. The MOIR the Merrier! TOD is the first half of Tod-dy which is the foundation of whiskey. Your health, More Toddy! STOR-MOUTH is as good a mouth as any other, whatever mouth may be chosen to store away more Toddy. And finally, "DARLING" is a term sometimes lawful, rarely legal, of endearment, and henceforth in Scotland STORMOUTH not "CHARLIE" is "our DARLING, our gay Cavalier!"