ROUNDEL._

I called you MAUDE. I only meant to tease,
But somehow, ere I ended, came to laud
Your charms in my poor verses. So in these
I called you MAUDE.

"My name is _MAUD_."
And I am overawed,
Forgive the indiscretion if you please.
The spirit Truth, they tell me, is abroad,
And since she sojourns still across the seas,
I swear I knew the final _e_ a fraud--
So that you suffered from no lack of _e_'s
I called you MAUDE!

* * * * *

KNILL NISI BOIMUM.

[Illustration: Lord Mayor Elect Knill and the Livery Goose.]

The good common sense of the Common Councilman and Liverymen of the
City,--Liverymen not to be led astray by any false lights,--coupled
with their truly English love of fairplay, prevailed, and the City
Fathers on Goose Day were prevented from following in the goose-steps
of that Uncommon Councilman who, bearing the honoured names of BEAUFOY
(a fine old Norman-Baron title!) and of MOORE (shade of Sir THOMAS!),
made so extraordinary a display of bigotry and ignorance as, it is to
be hoped, is rare, and becoming rarer every day, among our worthy JOHN
GILPINS of credit and renown East of the Griffin.

But in spite of this nonsensical hot-gospelling rant, Alderman and
Sheriff STUART KNILL was elected Lord Mayor, while BEAUFOY MOORE
was, so to speak, no MOORE, and, in fact, very much against his will
and wish, was reduced to NIL. WILLY-KNILLY he had to cave in. _Mr.
Punch_ congratulates the Lord Mayor Elect, but still more does he
congratulate the City Fathers on rising above paltry sectarianism, so
utterly unworthy of time, place, and persons, and for standing up,
in true English fashion, for freedom of worship coupled with absolute
Liberty of Conscience.

* * * * *

THE PRIDE OF THE EMPIRE.

[Illustration: "A Warde with you."]

[Illustration: Stock Exchange Swell (Empire Period).]

At this moment there is really a very excellent extertainment at
the Empire Theatre of Varieties, something, or rather many things
of which the Management may, and should be proud. A capital troupe
of Bicyclists, a Spanish Dancer and singer--whose gestures to the
multitude are more intelligible than her language--a graceful,
serpentine dancer, and "a very peculiar American Comedian"--all these
are a part of the programme. But the best item in this liberal bill of
fare is _Round the Town_, a characteris