"O Prince! ruler of thy people, have mercy upon us thy miserable subjects."

Some of Gillray's caricatures would not now be tolerated, such as that representing Hoche ascending to Heaven surrounded by Seraphim and Cherubim-grotesque figures with red nightcaps and tri-coloured cockades having books before them containing the Marseillaise hymn. In another Pitt was going to heaven in the form of Elijah, and letting his mantle drop on the King's Ministers.

It must be admitted that there is often a great difficulty in deciding whether the intention was to ridicule the original writing or the subject treated in the Parody. A variety of circumstances may tend to determine the question on one side or the other, but regard should especially be had as to whether any imperfection. in the original is pointed out. The fault may be only in form, but in the best travesties the sense and subject are also ridiculed, and with justice.

Such was the aim in the celebrated "Rejected Addresses," and it was well carried out. This work now exhibits the ephemeral character of humour, for, the originals having fallen into obscurity, the imitations afford no amusement. But we can still appreciate a few, especially the two respectively commencing :"My brother Jack was nine in May,

And I was eight on New Year's day;

Rejected Addresses.

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So in Kate Wilson's shop,

Papa, (he's my papa and Jack's,)

Bought me, last week, a doll of wax,
And brother Jack a top."

And

"O why should our dull retrospective addresses,
Fall damp as wet blankets on Drury Lane fire?
Away with blue devils, away with distresses,
And give the gay spirit to sparkling desire.
"Let artists decide on the beauties of Drury,
The richest to me is when woman is there;
The question of houses I leave to the jury;

The fairest to me is the house of the fair."

The point in these will be recognised at once, as Wordsworth and Moore are still well known.

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CHAPTER XIV.

Theodore Hook-Improvisatore Talent-Poetry-Sydney Smith-The " Dun Cow"-Thomas Hood-Gin-Tylney Hall-John Trot-Barham's Legends.

Τ'

HEODORE HOOK was at Harrow

with Lord Byron, and characteristically commenced his career there by breaking one of Mrs. Drury's windows at the suggestion of that nobleman. His father was a popular composer of music, and young Theodore's first employment was that of writing songs for him. This, no doubt, gave the boy a facility, and led to the great celebrity he acquired for his improvisatore talent. He was soon much sought for in society, and a friend has told me that he has heard him, on sitting down to the piano, extemporize two or three hundred lines, containing humorous remarks upon all the company. On one occasion, Sir Roderick Murchison was present, and some would have been a little puzzled how to bring such a name into rhyme, but he did not hesitate a moment running

Theodore Hook.

"And now I'll get the purchase on,

To sing of Roderick Murchison."

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Cowden Clark relates that when at a party and playing his symphony, Theodore asked his neighbour what was the name of the next guest, and then sang :

"Next comes Mr. Winter, collector of taxes, And you must all pay him whatever he axes; And down on the nail, without any flummery;

For though he's called Winter, his acts are all summary." Horace Twiss tried to imitate him in this Hook's humour was not of

way, but failed.

very high class. He was fond of practical jokes, such as that of writing a hundred letters to tradesmen desiring them all to send goods to a house on a given day. Sometimes he would surprise strangers by addressing some strange question to them in the street. He started the "John Bull" newspaper, in which he wrote. many humorous papers, and amused people by expressing his great surprise, on crossing the Channel, to find that every little boy and girl could speak French.

He wrote cautionary verses against punning:

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'My little dears, who learn to read, pray early learn to shun That very silly thing, indeed, which people call a pun; Read Entick's rules, and 'twill be found how simple an offence

It is to make the self-same sound afford a double sense. For instance, ale may make you ail, your aunt an ant may kill,

You in a vale may buy a veil, and Bill may pay the bill; Or if to France your bark you steer, at Dover it may be, A peer appears upon the pier, who blind still goes to sea"

But he was much given to the practice he condemns-here is an epigram

"It seems as if Nature had cunningly planned
That men's names with their trades should agree,
There's Twining the tea-man, who lives in the Strand,
Would be whining if robbed of his T."

Mistakes of words by the uneducated are a very ordinary resource of humorists, but, of course, there is a great difference in the quality of such jests. Mrs. Ramsbottom in Paris, eats a voulez-vous of fowl, and some pieces of crape, and goes to the symetery of the Chaise and pair. Afterwards she goes to the Hotel de Veal, and buys some sieve jars to keep popery in.

Hook was a strong Tory, and some of his best humour was political. One of his squibs has been sometimes attributed to Lord Palmerston.

"Fair Reform, Celestial maid!

Hope of Britons! Hope of Britons!
Calls her followers to aid;

She has fit ones, she has fit ones!

They would brave in danger's day,

Death to win her! Death to win her;

If they met not by the way,

Michael's dinner! Michael's dinner!"

Alluding to a dinner-party which kept several Members from the House on the occasion of an important division.

Among his political songs may be reckoned "The Invitation" (from one of the Whig patronesses of the Lady's Fancy Dress Ball,)