The Sun.
London, England, 1832-05-01 00:00:00

7'HE METROPOLITAN.

" Royal Wits and Court Poets" is a light
readable essay, comprising one or two little novel
biographical sketches. As for Royal wits, their
number is easily summed up. A man might
count them on his fingers, without being obliged
to call in the assistance of his thumbs. " The
Lords and the Reform Bill " is remarkably
energetic and well-argued. The cursory
allusions to Russia are in the best spirit of
truth and earnestness. The Cherubs is a sprightly,
pungent poem by Thomas Campbell. We
quote it entire, for to mutilate it would be as
crying an enormity as to mutilate the Reform
Bill.

THE CHERUBS.
BY THOMAS CAMPBELL, ESQ.
SUIIGESTBD BY ♦N APOLOOUE IN THIS WORKSI OF PRANZLIN.
Two spirits reach'd this world of ours :
The lightning's locomotive powers
Were slow to their agility :
In broad day.light they moved incog.
Enjoying, without mist or log,
Entire invisibility.

The one, a simple cherub lad,
Much interest in our planet had,

Its face was so romantic;
He couldn't persuade himself that man
Was such, as heavenly rumours ran,
A being base and frantic.
'The elder spirit, wise and cool,
Brought down the youth as to a school ;
But strictly on condition,
Whatever they should see of hear,
With mortals not to interfere;

'Teas not in their commission.
They reach'd a sovereign city proud,
Whose emperor pray'd to God aloud,
With all his people kneeling,
And priests performed religious rites :
Come, said the younger of the sprite.,
This shows a pious feeling.

Young Spirit. " Arn't these a decent godly lace ?"
Old Spirit. " The dirtiest thieves on Nature's face."
Young Spirit. " But hark, what cheers they're giving
Their emperor!—And is he a thief!"
Old Spirit. " Ay, and a cut-throat too:—in brief,
THE GREATEST SCOUNDREL LIYINCL"
Young Spird. " But say, what were they praying for,
'rhis people and their emperor ?"
Old Spirit. " Why, but for God's assistance
To help their army, late sent out :
And what that army is about,
You'll see at no great distance."

On wings outspreading mail or po&t,
Our sprites o'ertook the Imperial host

In massacres it wallow'd
A noble nation met its hordes,
But broken fell their cause and swords,
Unfortunate, though hallow'd.
They saw a late bombarded town,
Its streets still warm with blood run down ;
Still smoked each burning rafter ;
And hideously, midst rape and sack,
The murderer's laughter answer'd back

His prey's convulsive laughter.
They saw the captive eye the dead,
With envy of his gory bed,—
Death's quick reward of bravery :
They heard the clank of chains, and then,
Saw thirty thousand bleeding men
Dragg'd manacled to slavery.
" Fie! fie !" the younger heavenly spark
Exclaim'd :—" we must have miss'd our mark,
And enter'd hell's own portals :
Farth can't be stain'd with crimes so black ;
Nay, sure, we've got among a pack
Of fiends, and not of mortals."
" No," said the elder ; " no such thing
Fiends are not fools enough to wring
The necks of one another ;
They know their interests too well :
Men fight; but every devil in hell
Lives friendly with his brother.

" And I could point you out some fellow:,
On this ill-fated planet Tellus,
In royal power that revel;
Who, at the opening of the book
Of judgment, may have cause to look
With envy at the devil."
Name but the devil, and he'll appear.
Old Satan in a trice was near,
With smutty face and figure;
But spotless spirits of the skies,
Unseen to e'en his saucer eyes,
Could watch the fiendish nigger.
" Halloo!" he cried, " I smell a trick :
A mortal supersedes Old Nick,
The scourge of earth appointed :
He robs ma of my trade, outrants
The blasphemy of hell, and vaunt.
Himself the Lord's anointed.

" Folks snake a fuss about my mischief,
D--d asses tamely suffer this chief
To play his pranks unbounded."
The cherubs flew; but saw from high,
At human inhumanity,
The devil himself astounded.

The " Waggoner" is a very graphically told
story, whose great defect is that it is lengthy, and
threatens a continuation in another number.
" Clavering's Autobiography" is varied and anec-
dotical as usual. The " Pacha of Many Tales"
is worthy of its oriental title.