lily white,
Put all the male attire to flight--
The culotte, waistcoat, and cravat,
The bushy wig, and gold-trimm'd hat.
Ye gods! behold! what high burlesque,
Jane Shore and Juliet thus grotesque!

* * * * *

King Charles one night, jocund and gay,
To Drury went, to see a play--
Kynaston was to act a queen--
But to his tonsor he'd not been:
He was a mirth-inspiring soul
Who lov'd to quaff the flowing bowl--
And on his way the wight had met
A roaring bacchanalian set;
With whom he to "_the Garter_" hies,
Regardless how time slyly flies.
And while he circulates the glass,
Too rapidly the moments pass;
At length in haste the prompter sends.
And tears Kynaston from his friends;
Tho' he'd much rather there remain,
He hurries on to Drury Lane.
When in the green-room he appear'd,
He scar'd them with his bushy beard,
The barber quick his razor strops,
And lather'd well _her royal chops_:
While he the stubble mow'd away,
The audience curs'd such long delay:
They scream'd--they roar'd--they loudly bawl'd.
And with their cat-calls _sweetly_ squall'd:
Th' impatient monarch storm'd and rav'd--
"_The queen, dread sire, is not quite shav'd_!"
Was bellow'd by the prompter loud--
This cogent reason was allow'd
As well by king as noisy crowd.

* * * * *

VOLTAIRE'S IDEA OF ORIGINALITY IN WRITING.

A young poet having consulted him on a tragedy full of extraordinary
incidents, Voltaire pointed out to him the defects of his piece. The
writer replied, that he had purposely forsaken the beaten track of
Corneille and Racine. "So much the worse," replied Voltaire,
"originality is nothing but judicious imitation."

* * * * *

One day when his Irene was performing at the house of the marquis de
Villette, a celebrated actress reciting her part rather negligently,
Voltaire said to her, "Really, mademoiselle, it is unnecessary for me to
write verses of six feet, if you gulp down three of them."

* * * * *

On the performance of one of his tragedies, the success of which was
equivocal, the abbe Pellegrin complained loudly that Voltaire had stolen
some verses from him. "How can you, who are so rich," said the abbe,
"thus seize upon the property of another?" "What! have I stolen from
you?" replied Voltaire; "then I no longer wonder tha