SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT AND MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.")
Sin,—You have lately alluded to the works of Elizabeth Turner. Do you remember the following poem P It seems prophetic of the anger caused in the mind of Sir William Harcourt (the name Headstrong is even prophetic) by Mr. Chamberlain's speech on the Middleton election, which clearly was not meant specially to hit Sir William.
Elizabeth Turner, however, obviously failed as a prophet when she described Mr. Chamberlain as the boy who never fought before :— " One afternoon as Joseph West, The boy who learnt his lesson best, Was trying how his whip would crack, By chance hit Headstrong on the back.
Enraged, he flew, and gave poor Joe With all his might a sudden blow ; Nor would he listen to one word When Joe endeavoured to be heard.
Joe, finding him resolved to fight For what was accidental, quite, Although he'd never fought before, Beat Headstrong till he'd have no more."
[i** In answer to questions addressed to us by correspondents as to where Mr. Brown's poems are to be obtained, we desire to state that Fo'c's'le Yarns and The Manx Witch are published by Messrs. Macmillan, The Doetor by Messrs. Sonnenschein, and Old John, 4.c., by Mr. D. Nutt.]
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