EPISTLE FROM TOM CRIB TO BIG BEN

CONCERNING SOME FOUL PLAY IN A LATE TRANSACTION.†

"Ahi, mio BEN!"-METASTASIO.‡

WHAT! BEN, my old hero, is this your renown?
Is this the new go? kick a man when he's down!

When the foe has knock'd under, to tread on him

By the fist of my father, I blush for thee, BEN! "Foul! foul!" all the lads of the Fancy exclaim CHARLEY SHOCK is electrified BELCHER spits

And MOLYNEUX-ay, even BLACKY§ cries "shame!”

Time was, when JOHN BULL little difference spied "Twixt the foe at his feet, and the friend at his side: When he found (such his humour in fighting and eating)

notions,

His foe, like his beef-steak, the sweeter for beating. But this comes, Master BEN, of your curst foreign [lotions; Your trinkets, wigs, thingumbobs, gold lace and Your Noyaus, Curaçoas, and the Devil knows what(One swig of Blue Ruin || is worth the whole lot!)

* A nickname given, at this time, to the Prince Regent. † Written soon after Bonaparte's transportation to St. Helena. Tom, I suppose, was "assisted" to this Motto by Mr. Jackson, who, it is well known, keeps the most learned company going.

§ Names and nicknames of celebrated pugilists at that time. Gin.

Your great and small crosses (my eyes, what a

brood!

A cross-buttock from me would do some of them

good!)

Which have spoilt you, till hardly a drop, my old porpoise,

Of pure English claret is left in your corpus ;

And (as JIM says) the only one trick, good or bad,
Of the Fancy you're up to, is fibbing, my lad.
Hence it comes,-BOXIANA, disgrace to thy page!-
Having floor'd, by good luck, the first swell of the age,
Having conquer'd the prime one, that mill'd us all
round,

You kick'd him, old BEN, as he gasp'd'on the ground!
Ay-just at the time to show spunk, if you'd got

Kick'd him, and jaw'd him, and lag'd* him to Botany!

Oh, shade of the Cheesemonger! † you, who, alas, Doubled up, by the dozen, those Mounseers in brass, On that great day of milling, when blood lay in lakes, When Kings held the bottle, and Europe the stakes, Look down upon BEN see him, dunghill all o'er, Insult the fall'n foe, that can harm him no more!

Out, cowardly spooney! — again and again,

By the fist of my father, I blush for thee, BEN.
To show the white feather is many men's doom,
But, what of one feather?-BEN shows a whole Plume.

* Transported.

A Life Guardsman, one of the Fancy, who distinguished himself, and was killed in the memorable set-to at Waterloo.

THE FUDGE FAMILY IN PARIS.

Le Leggi della Maschera richiedono che una persona mascherata non sia salutata per nome da uno che la conosce malgrado il suo travestimento. CASTIGLIONE.