[p
2
]
H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-street, Blackfriars.
[p
3
]
THE
LION’s MASQUERADE.
As
Aurora stept forth from the gates of the East,
With her garland of roses, and dew-spangled vest,
A clamour unusual assaulted her ear,
Instead of the Lark, and her friend Chanticleer,
At least though their voices she sometimes could trace,
They seem’d overpower’d by the whole feather’d race:
And such was the chirping, and fluttering then,
It rouz’d
an old Lion
asleep in his den;
He, roaring, sent out to ask what was the reason,
And the
Jackal
soon learnt from some stragglers about,
’Twas the company come from
Sir Argus’s
rout.
The gay
feather’d people
pursuing their flight,
Were soon out of hearing, and soon out of sight.
But the
King of the Quadrupeds
vainly sought rest,
For something like envy had poison’d his breast.
What then were his feelings the following day,
When every creature he met on his way,
Could talk about nothing, both early and late,
But the Peacock’s most sumptuous, and elegant fête.
His name, through the woods as he wander’d along,
Was still made the burthen of every song.
And so were the ball, and the supper indeed,
The company too of the very first rank,
And the wit that prevail’d, and the toasts that were drank:
He found to his infinite rage and vexation,
’Twas the favourite subject half over the nation;
And feeling no longer a relish to roam,
He return’d to his Lioness, sullenly, home.
“Fair consort of mine, ’tis our pleasure,” he said,
“To give very shortly,
a grand Masquerade
.
Tho’ the Butterfly’s ball, and the Grasshopper’s feasts,
Were too mean for my notice, as King of the beasts;
Now the Peacock has chosen to give a fine rout,
Which is heard of so much, is so blazon’d about,
As threatens the rank which we hold in creation.
Then with diligence, love, for my banquet prepare,
And mind all the beasts of the forest are there.”
’Twas the task of the
Jackal
the tickets to pen,
“The Lion sees masks, on the twentieth, at ten.”
It would take a whole volume distinctly to name,
The answer on answer that following came.
There were some that were sick from the changeable weather,
And some long engag’d in snug parties together.
But few, very few would refuse such a thing,
As a grand entertainment announc’d by their King.
All devoted the time now to due preparation,
To decide on their character, dress, decoration.
Which their beauty, their talents, and wit should display.
What licking, and cleaning, what endless adorning,
Not a creature stirr’d out the whole course of the morning;
And some of their dresses were barely complete,
At the time they were punctually order’d to meet,
The
Lioness
, willing to sanction the rest,
With a helmet, and spear, as Britannia was drest;
But the Lion, as lord of the banquet, remain’d
In the same noble figure that Nature ordain’d;
And crouching beside her, with dignified mien,
Contributed much to the state of his Queen.
The
Jackal Lord Chamberlain
waited upon her,
And two
little Lap-dogs
as
Pages of Honour:
To usher the company in, and about.
At the hour which his King had thought proper to name,
The
Horse
, as the
Hounyhm
of Gulliver came;
Unaccustomed to “utter the thing that is not,”
*
He reach’d, at the moment he promis’d, the spot.
The
Fox
then appear’d on a different scent,
On foul depredation, and villainy bent;
And the dress of a
country attorney
he chose,
To his purpose best suited, as all the world knows!
With looks as impatient, and teeming with sin,
The
Wolf in Sheep’s-clothing
was next usher’d in.
* Vide Gulliver’s Travels.]
The furious, the gentle, the young and the old.
In dominos some, but in characters most,
And now a brave warrior, and then a fair toast.
The
Baboon
, as a
Counsellor
;
Alderman
,
Glutton
;
A
Lamb
, Miss
in her teens
, with her
aunt
, an
old mutton
.
It was easy to see, as this couple past by,
The
Wolf
, very knowingly, cast a
Sheep’s eye
.
And now at the door was a terrible clatter,
The beasts all about wonder’d what was the matter.
A poor
Cat in pattens
came running so fast,
Her ticket was almost forgot as the past;
For close at her heels came a
great Hog in armour
.
Then follow’d his friend in a very large wig
As a
deep read professor
—the
fam’d learned Pig
—
A
Bear
came as
Caliban
, loaded with wood,
His bones full of
aches
from Prospero’s rod.
The
Greyhound
as
Vanity
holding a glass,
The
Stag
, as
Actæon
; King
Midas
, the
Ass
.
And next them a sullen, and obstinate
Mule
,
As a
Dunce
, who had just been expell’d from his school.
The
Mastiff
a brave
English sailor
appear’d,
No friend he betray’d, and no enemy fear’d:
And paid him all night, most distinguished attention.
Now skipping along on the tip of his toe,
Came a
chattering Monkey
, a Frenchifi’d beau:
And reeling behind, in an
officer’s dress
,
Was his pert younger brother, just come from the mess;
With manners as forward, and strut as complete,
As other
young Ensigns
you see in the street.
The
Bull
came as
Taurus
, all studded with stars;
Capricornus
, the
Goat
; a
Bull-dog
, as Mars.
Now refreshments by order were handed about,
And the dancing commenc’d with a terrible rout;
Some Eastern grandees were conducted along.
Attendants preceded with all due decorum,
And
Spaniels
, as
courtiers
, came fawning before ’em.
No longer in servitude bending the knee,
And destin’d, the first of his kind, to be free,
The
Camel
approach’d, with magnificence drest
As a
Nabob
, who lately arriv’d from the East.
From the Island of
Ceylon
an
Elephant
came,
In costume complete, as the
King of Siam
:
Thence follow’d a
Native
of snowy white race,
Respect and affection, were mark’d in his face,
And tissu’d embroidery that trail’d on the ground;
Round his tusks precious stones, gold, and diamonds were set,
He was one splendid mass from his head to his feet.
The
Tiger
, a
fierce Indian Chief
, in the rear,
Many foreigners too of distinction were there.
This magnificent group so astonish’d the crowd,
That some, in their rapture, applauded aloud.
Supper now was announc’d; with a terrible crush,
To the door did the ravenous visitants rush:
For some time none could pass, but the first that were able,
Found,
Glutton
the
Alderman
, seated at table.
And the
King of Siam
took the right of his host.
Beside him, a vase fill’d with water was plac’d,
Of chrystal, and gold, very skilfully chac’d:
With flow’rs of the orange the handles were bound,
And Otto of Roses was sprinkled around—
Before him were cocoa nuts, figs, wheat, and rice,
The wood of acacia, banana, and spice:
With arrack, and every delicate wine,
That each nation can press from the clustering vine.
To proceed were but tedious; for every
beast
,
As well as the
Elephant
, found a rich feast.
With an air of true majesty said, “I entreat,
As he fears my displeasure, that every
creature
,
Will to-night lay aside all that’s bad in his nature.
You have heard with what harmony
Birds
can retire,
And their conduct in this respect all must admire.
In the
feather’d race
here an example we find,
Far better than that which is set by
Mankind
.
How oft have their
galas a tragical end,
One loses a mistress, another a friend—
The wife of a third has elop’d from a ball,
A fourth the next day in a duel must fall.
Which
reason
was given to
man
to repress.
But now let us tell them, with pride, in their
feasts
,
To copy the
Insects
, the
Birds
, and the
Beasts
.”
The effect of his speech was immediately seen,
They all roar’d
“Rule Britannia”
in praise of his Queen.
And as soon as their
Monarch
had quitted the room,
Without growl, grunt, or grumble, they all scrambled home.
FINIS.
H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-Street, Blackfriars.
It is unnecessary for the Publisher to say any thing
more of the above little productions, than that they have
been purchased with avidity, and read with satisfaction,
by persons in all ranks of life: he has only to hope that
the present Production will be equally acceptable.