SPECTATOR COMPETITION No. 128 Repo t by N. Hodgson " A
prize of £5 was -offered for 'Soubriquets (on the analogy of "The Swan of Avon," " The Rupert of Debate," &c.) for Mr. Winston Churchill, Mr. Aneurin Bevan, General de Gaulle and Dr. Hewlett Johnson.
It may be of interest to readers to know how far-flung is the appeal of this page ; entries for this week, for example, having been penned in such diverse places as Singapore, the Philippines and Rossett Ghyll. Many of the competitors, however, failed to take note of the limiting condition ,imposed by the analogies. I must, therefore, in fairness to the more observant, reject such pleasant suggestions as, for Churchill," The Minister of all the Talents "(D. L. L. Clarke) ; for de Gaulle, " Big Stick in Waiting " (Leslie Parris), " L'Aspirant de Marianne" (E. V. Martino), " Magni Nominis Umbra" (T. E. Casson) and "Le Cyrano de nos Jours " (R. S. Stanier) ; for Dr. Johnson, "The Innocent Abroad" (A. Macdonald). Others, technically correct, I put aside on other grounds, such as H. A. C. Evans's de Gaulle, "The Sulla of the Seine," because it looks forward to a problematical future, R. S. Stanier's Churchill, " The Tamberlaine of Sidney Street," because it looks backward into a too distant past, and J. Danvers' "Nave of Canterbury," because there is, after all, a limit.
The zoology of the entries makes an interesting study, Churchill figuring as lion, bulldog, duckling (ugly) and chicicen (some) ; Bevan as cockatrice, gadfly, goose, grey squirrel, raven and turkey- cock; de Gaulle as ,eagle, mule, phoenix and elephant (rogue), while the Dean is a zoo in himself—bacillus, bat (in belfry), bellwether, blindworm, bull, dove (of St. Marx), gull, ladybird (0, ostrich, petrel, sheep (lost) and wolf (lone).
Classical allusions are inevitable, Churchill appearing, obviously enough, as Pericles and Demosthenes and, less understandably perhaps, as Cato and Odysseus ; Bevan (not quite fairly ?) as Thersitas, Cleon and Catiline ; • de Gaulle as Achilles, Horatius, Pompey and Sulla.
No entry in my view hits the bull's-eye four times. Churchill, paradoxically, is at once the easiest and the most difficult. He is the Wizard, Warrior, Watch-dog and Watch-man of Westminster, and much else besides. After prolonged and profound meditation I have made a list of some of the more effective soubriquets, and award Ll each to the entries with two stars and 10s. each to the one stars.
Mr. CHURCHILL: The Pooh of Westminster (E. P. STANHAM).
The Colossus of the Commons (Atod.). Mr. ANEURIN BEVAN : • The Tip of the Left Wing (WALTER PERCIVAL).
• The Napoleon of Finesse (J. R. SissoN).
*The Pang of Labour (C. F. E.).
The Clean of the Coalfields (H. A. C. EvANs). The Tito of Transport House (G. S. BLACK).
GENERAL De GAULLE : *L'Orphelin de la Gloire (N. !Comm).
The Sphinx of the Seine (Admiral Sir W. M. J The Cross of Lorraine (Mrs. M. GARDNER).
Dr. HEWLETT JOHNSON: **The Mug of China (JoycE JOHNSON).
*The Cross of Canterbury (H. A. C. EVANS and Miss M. G. SHAW).
The Lost Shepherd of Canterbury (ERIC SWAINSON). The Ostrich of Canterbury (A. KERR).
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