Captain EYRE MASSEY SHAW is a "Sovereign" indeed, Abdicating? Alas! that too true is; For he's a Fire King of a different breed From the Monarch described by MONK LEWIS.
No mere King of Flames, fiery-faced _à la_ SKELT, Inhabiting regions most torrid, With a breath that is warranted copper to melt, And eyes indescribably horrid.
He hath not a blazing Bardolphian nose, He is not _flamboyant_ or furious; His Crown's a brass helmet, his Sceptre a hose; True Fire King,--all others are spurious.
For he rules the flames; he has done so for long; And now that he talks of retiring, Men mourn for the fire-queller cautious and strong, Whose reign they've so long been admiring.
Clear-headed, cool Captain, great chief M.F.B., All London is sorry to lose you; As kindly as kingly, from prejudice free; No danger could daunt or confuse you.
As doffing your helmet, and dropping your hose, You bid us farewell, we all own you As one of Fiend Fire's most redoubtable foes; As that thirty years we have known you.
Our Big Boards might job, and our Big Wigs might jaw, But, spite of their tricks and their cackle, One Chief we could trust; we were sure that our SHAW His duty would manfully tackle.
So farewell, great Fire King! Your crown you lay by; E'en you cannot lay by your credit. Ignipotent Knight? Well, you ought to stand high In the next Honour-List! _Punch_ has said it!
_À propos_ of this heading, what a treasure a _Magnum Opal_ would be. This remark is only "by the way." My motto is Business First, Play (on words) afterwards. So to work.
I really think I shall take to Guide-book writing. _Grandolph's Guides_ would be immensely popular. I'm sure I can do it--for upon my word I can do a'most anything if I only buckle to. By the way, '_Buckle_' suggests history. Can go in for "making history" when I've done this work. WILLIAMS--not MONTAGU the Magistrate--(good title this for something)--but my friend the Companionable Captain ---- is at work; when he has done, he reads out a few descriptive paragraphs for my approbation, or the contrary. When I nod it means that I like it; when I don't nod, he has to wait till I do. I generally begin nodding about the middle of the first paragraph.
"Well," says he, the other day, quite suddenly, "I'm glad you like it all so much."