Literary Byways Part 5

"I know that Albert wrote in a hurry, To criticize I scarce presume; But methinks that Lindley Murray, Instead of _who_ had written _whom_."

W. M. THACKERAY.

Samuel Warren on one occasion made a slip in writing in an alb.u.m, misquoting Moore, writing "glory's throb" instead of "glory's thrill." The mistake formed the subject of the following impromptu lines by Mr. Digby Seymour:--

"Warren, thy memory was poor The Irish bard to rob, Had you remembered Tommy Moore, Glory would 'thrill,' not 'throb.'"

The vanity of Mr. Warren was unusually largely developed, and gave rise to a number of amusing anecdotes. Sir George Rose thus refers to his weakness:--

"Samuel Warren, though able, yet vainest of men, Could he guide with discretion his tongue and his pen, His course would be clear for--'Ten Thousand a Year;'

But limited else be a brief--'Now and Then.'"

For a long period Mr. Warren was the Recorder for Hull. Mr. Thompson, the Town Clerk, was a gentleman of cultivated literary tastes, and able to compose a neat epigram. He wrote the following:--

"Our Recorder, Sam Warren, from all that I hear, Is one of the kindest of men, For a friend he presents with 'Ten Thousand a Year,'

And adds to the gift 'Now and Then.'"

Mr. William Harrison Ainsworth, the romance writer, was very unpopular with the contributors of _Punch_, and many were the satires on him in its pages. Colburn published a magazine, in which many of Ainsworth's novels appeared, and this gave rise to the following epigram:--

"Says Ainsworth to Colburn: 'A plan in my pate is To give my romance as A supplement gratis.'

"Says Colburn to Ainsworth: ''Twill do very nicely, For that will be charging Its value precisely.'"

In early manhood, Edwin Paxton Hood called upon Bulwer Lytton without any introduction. The servant told him that his master could not be seen. On receiving the intimation, Hood took out of his pocket pencil and paper, and wrote as follows:--

"A son of song, to fame unknown, Stands waiting in your hall below; Your footman tells him to begone; Say, mighty Bulwer, shall he go?"

It is not surprising to learn that the impromptu lines proved an effective introduction. The interview was the first of many pleasant meetings between the author of _The Caxtons_ and Mr. Paxton Hood.

Poetical Graces.

Literary by-paths furnish some singular specimens of poetical graces. We produce a few for the entertainment of our readers.

Robert Fergusson, the Edinburgh poet, was born in 1751, and was a student at St. Andrews' University from his thirteenth to his seventeenth year. It was the duty of each student, in turn, to ask a blessing at the dinner table. One day, to the consternation of all, the youthful bard repeated the following lines:

"For rabbits young, and for rabbits old, For rabbits hot, and for rabbits cold, For rabbits tender, and for rabbits tough, Our thanks we render, for we've had enough."

The masters of the college deliberated how they should punish the graceless poet. It was finally resolved not to censure him, but to have in the future a more spare supply of rabbits. Poor Fergusson's sad career closed in a lunatic asylum at an early age, not, however, before he had enriched Scottish poetical literature with some important contributions.

Burns appears to have had a great admiration for this wayward son of song.

He placed over his remains in the Canongate Churchyard, Edinburgh, a tombstone bearing the following inscription:--

"Here lies Robert Fergusson, Poet, born September 5th, 1751, Died October 16th, 1774.

No sculptured marble here, nor pompous lay No storied urn, nor animated bust; This simple stone directs pale Scotia's way To pour her sorrows o'er her Poet's dust."

On the back of the stone it is stated:--

"By special grant of the Managers to Robert Burns, who erected this stone, this burial place is ever to remain sacred to the memory of Robert Fergusson."

More than one poetical grace is attributed to the facile pen of Burns. His grace before dinner is well known, and is as follows:--

"Oh Thou who kindly dost provide For every creature's want!

We bless Thee, G.o.d of nature wide, For all Thy goodness lent: And if it please Thee, Heavenly guide, May never worse be sent, But whether granted or denied, Lord, bless us with content."

It is said that at one of Burns's convivial dinners he was desired to say grace, and he gave the following, impromptu:

"O Lord we do Thee humbly thank For what we little merit;-- Now Jean may tak' the flesh away, And Will bring on the spirit."

On one occasion a rhymster, who had placed before him a supper small in quant.i.ty and poor in quality, invoked a blessing with the following lines:--

"O Thou who bless'd the loaves and fishes Look down upon these two poor dishes; And though the 'tatoes be but small, Lord make them large enough for all; For if they do our bellies fill, 'Twill be a wondrous miracle."

This reminds us of an epigram ent.i.tled "Dress v. Dinner:"--

What is the reason, can you guess, Why men are poor, and women thinner?

So much do they for dinner dress, There's nothing left to dress for dinner.

On a graceless peer an epigrammatist wrote:--

"'By proxy I pray, and by proxy I vote,'

A graceless peer said to a churchman of note; Who answered,'My lord, then I venture to say, You'll to heaven ascend in a similar way.'"

Here is a grateful grace:--

"Some hae meat that canna eat, An' some cou'd eat that want it; But we hae meat, an' we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit."

The Rev. Samuel Wesley, formerly vicar of Epworth, and another friend were entertained to dinner at Temple Belwood, by a host noted as a strange compound of avarice and oddity. Mr. Wesley returned thanks with the following impromptu lines:--

"Thanks for the feast, for 'tis no less Than eating manna in the wilderness, Here meagre famine bears controlless sway, And ever drives each fainting wretch away.

Yet here, O how beyond a saint's belief, We've seen the glories of a chine of beef; Here chimneys smoke, which never smoked before, And we have dined, where we shall dine no more."

In conclusion we give a vegetarian grace. The first four lines are to be said before the meal:--

"These fruits do Thou, O Father, bless, Which Mother Earth to us doth give; No blood doth stain our feast to day, In Thee we trust, and peaceful live."

The next is a form of thanksgiving after a vegetarian meal:--

"We thank Thee, Lord, for these Thy fruits, Which Mother Earth to us doth give; No blood hath stained our feast to-day, In Thee we trust, and peaceful live!"

Poetry on Panes.