The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-07-24

"Story, God bless you! | have none to
tell, SIR" These words are 30 often quoted,
or at least alluded to, that they may be said
to have become Proverbial; yet thousands,
probably, even of those who Use them, do
not know where they belong, or in what
cOnnexiOn they were originally written.
The line is quotation from burlesque,
written by George Canning, when the hatred
of Revolutionary France was most virulent
in England, among the mass Of the people,
though ultra-liberal, not to say revolu-
tionary, principles were already proiessed
and disseminated by many active proselytes.
The burlesque, published in a high tory
periodical called the Anti acobin, was
aimed at poem then recently written by
Southey-before he was made Poet-la
reate-in which vehement stress was laid
upon the defective organization OF society
as the main cause of individual sorIows and
sufierings. We quote one Of the stanzas.
merely so show the kind Of metre in which
it was written, the burlesque being faith
full copy in this Particular
Wide were the downs and .hsl'eriess and naked.
When poor wanderer Struggled on her journey.
Weary and way sure. ~
The burlesque was entitled "The Friend
Of Humanity and the Knife-grinder," and
ran thus
FRIEND ~ HunANITV.
| NEEDY Knife grnderi-whiihe are you eoingl
Rough is your road. your wheel Is out Of order;
Bleak blows the blast-your hat has got hole int,
So have your breeehesi
"weay knit. grinder little think the proud ones.
Who in their coaches roll along the turnpike
Road what hard work Ills crying all day knives and
Scissors TO grind Or
Tell me- Knife grinder, how came you grind knives
Did some rich man iyrannieay use you1
Was il the squire. or person Of the parish,
Or the Attorney
WAS il tho squire, for killing of his gamei or
| Covetoos parson, for his tythes dissrsininSf
Or roguish lawyer. made you lose your little
| All In q lawsuit
(H.ve you read the Right. Of Man. by Tom P.ne'
Drops Of compassion tremble on my yields.
| Ready to fall you have told your
riIiful story"
1 kHifE oRikpkR.
"Story! God bless you have none 10 tell. sir:
Only last night, drinking Al the CbeQuers,
| This poor old hat and breeches. q You see. were
| Torn in scufne.
Constabies up for to take into
Custody they took me before the justice
Justice OidmIon put me into the parish
| Stocks for . vasrant.
III should he glad 10 drink your honor's health In
| 4 pot Of beer. IL you will give me sill pence;
| but for my part. never liked 10 NEEDLE
With politics. sir.
| FRIKNp o. HrnAMTy.
If give thee sxpenee, will see the id first lgesnce
| Wretch. whom no sense Of wrongs can rouse 10 ven
| sordd. unfeeline, reprobaie. degraded
spiriiless outesstf"
Kicks the Knife-grinder, orerfurns his rhe,
and crit in a transport Of republican enthasi.
asm and unirersol philanthropy
That tiJacobin, BY the way, caused
no little laughter, in its day, and was by no
means an inefficient agency Of the tories in
the fierce political dissensions Of the time
There are not many things we regret more
than the opportunity We neglected, once, Of
buying complete copy, at book-stall in
London, for very trifing something
less than a dollar, if We remember right
Com. Adr.