Volume 104 — ON AN OLD QUARTETTE.
Reading edition
[Pantaloon, Clown, Harlequin, and Columbine are the characters of an old sixteenth-century drama, acted in dumb-show. "Pantaleone" is a Venetian type; Columbine means a "little dove."]
While Fairyland and Fairy tales 'Neath flaunting pageants fall, And over Pantomime prevails The Muse of Music Hall. Still echoes, wafted through the din, A lilt of one old tune— Of Columbine and Harlequin, Of Clown and Pantaloon. Their faded frolics, tarnished show Are shadows faint and rude Of mimes who centuries ago Joked, caramboled and wooed, Of masques Venetian, Florentine, Of moyen-age renown— Of Harlequin and Columbine, Of Pantaloon and Clown. Not horseplay rough, the Saraband They danced in vanished years, But Love and Satire hand-in-hand, And laughter linked with tears, And Youth equipped his dove to win, And Age, who grudged the boon;— Sweet Columbine, bold Harlequin, Cross Clown and Pantaloon. Our Children-Critics now who deign To greet this honoured jest, Acclaiming, "Here we are again!" With patronising zest, They mark no soft Italian moon Which once was wont to shine On Harlequin and Pantaloon, And Clown and Columbine! But, spangled pair of lovers true, And, whitened schemers twain, The scholar hears in each of you A note of that quatrain; The dim Renaissance seems to spin Around your satin shoon, Fair Columbine, feat Harlequin, Sly Clown and Pantaloon!
Everyone sincerely hopes that Sir West Ridgway will make a good bag during his visit to the Moors. "Ridgway's Food" is something that can be swallowed easily, and is so palatable as to be quite a More-ish sort of dish. Good luck to the experienced and widely-travelled Sir East-and-West Ridgway. Our English Rosebery couldn't have made a better choice.
To a Brewer (by Our Christmas Clown).—"Wish you a Hoppy New Year!"