EPIGRAMS.
Reading edition
ON PERKINS—AN ACTOR.
Perkins’ Duchesses have marked a great Improvement in his coster scene of late. He gives the oath, the drunken lurch, the roar, As even Perkins never did before. And yet, the model is not far to seek— Perkins was visiting at home last week.
ON SLOP—A POET.
Where Mr. Slop particularly shines Is in his six sonorous single lines. Perhaps where he is less successful is In all the other verses. These are his.
ON TORTURE—A SINGER.
Torture has such an ear, I understand He pays large sums to stop a German Band. The public taste is quite a different thing, Torture is positively paid to sing.
ON SUBTLE—A REVIEWER.
Subtle—your keen analysis and nice, Like everything about you, has its price. When you express your owner’s private spite A Pound rewards the virulence you write. A Pound should therefore buy your praise; well, then, Why should the Author have to pay you ten?
ON PAUNCH—A PARASITE.
Paunch talks about his Lady to excess, And then about his curious Patroness, And then he talks about himself, and then We turn the conversation on to men.
ON PUGLEY—A DON.
Pugley denies the soul? Why, so do I The soul, of Pugley, heartily deny.