There is not a little in the present state of
affairs that will recall to many persons a once celebrated parody of a letter from the Prince Regent, in 1811 :— " I repeat it, 'new Friends,'—for I cannot tloscrib0 The delight I am in with this Perceval tribe. Such capering! such vapouring ! such rigour ! such 'rigour! North, south, east, and west, they have cut such a figure, That soon they will bring the whole world round our ears, And leave us no friends but Old Nick and Algiers.
When I think of the glory they've beamed on my chains, 'Tis enough quite to turn my illustrious brains. It is true we are bankrupt in commerce and riches, But think how we furnish our allies with breeches !
We've lost the warm hearts of the Irish, 'tis granted, But then we've got Java, an island much wanted To put the last lingering few who remain Of the Walcheren warriors out of their pain.
Oh, deeds of renown !—shall I boggle or flinch, With such prospects before me ? By Jove, not an inch.
No! let England's affairs go to rack, if they will,
We'll look after th' affairs of the Continent still, And with nothing at home but starvation and riot, Find Lisbon in bread, and keep Sicily quiet." 3Ioore's "Poetical Works," EEL, p. 154.
With the alteration of a word in the sezond line, and another in
the twelfth, changing the name of the Minister in the first case, and the island in the last, changes spoiling the rhythm in neither, the quotation is curiously applicable.
