John Bull, I grieve to say, is growing
So troublesomely sharp and knowing,
So wise--in short, so Jacobin--
'Tis monstrous hard to _take him in_.
_September 6_.
Heard of the fate of our Ambassador
In China, and was sorely nettled;
But think, my Lord, we should not pass it o'er
Till all this matter's fairly settled;
And here's the mode occurs to _me_:--
As none of our Nobility,
Tho' for their _own_ most gracious King
(They would kiss hands, or--anything),
Can be persuaded to go thro'
This farce-like trick of the _Ko-tou_;
And as these Mandarins _won't_ bend,
Without some mumming exhibition,
Suppose, my Lord, you were to send
GRIMALDI to them on a mission:
As _Legate_, JOE could play his part,
And if, in diplomatic art,
The "_volto sciolto_"'s meritorius,[10]
Let JOE but grin, he has it, glorious!
A _title_ for him's easily made;
And, by the by, one Christmas time,
If I remember right, he played
Lord MORLEY in some pantomime:--[1]
As Earl of Morley then gazette him,
If _t'other_ Earl of MORLEY'll let him,
(And why should not the world be blest
"With _two_ such stars, for East and West?)
Then, when before the Yellow Screen
He's brought--and, sure, the very essence
Of etiquette would be that scene
Of JOE in the Celestial Presence!--
He thus should say:--"Duke Ho and Soo,
"I'll play what tricks you please for you,
"If you'll, in turn, but do for me
"A few small tricks you now shall see.
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