Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-03-01

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The Latest Arthurian Idyl.
Blackwood's Magazine in its last issue has a
travesty eutited ''Slr Tray: Au Arthurlan
Iayl," which will afford Intense humorlstlc
qualification to all its readers, except, perhaps,
llr. Tcnnyson. The daiuty attrctatlous OF
phrase aud articles Of style that are substitut-
ed iu place of thought and poetic imagery III
the later idyls of MIR. TenDyson are hit oft very
happily and justly. The hero selected for this
idyllic apotheosis is no other than the wonder
tul dog that figures in the legend Of "Old
Mother Hubbard" The subject would seem
to present insuperable difficulties to the eD-
dcavor to raise it to the dignity of an idyl, but
the success Of the attempt is remarkable, aud
the ipcongruity between the style and the sub
icct is richly humorous. That portion of the
nursery rhyme which relates the going OF Old
Mother Hubbard to the cupboard, and her IN
ability TO fud u bone for her deg, Is thus rel
drrtd
The widowed Dame of Hubbard's ancient line
Turned to her cupboard, cornered anglewlse
Betwixt this wall and that, IN quest OF aught
TO satisfy the craving OF Sir Tray,
Prick cared companion OF her solitude,
Red-spotted, dirty-white, and bare OF rib,
Who followed at her high and patterng hecs,
PRAYER in his eye, prayer in his sinking gait,
PRAYER in his pendulous, puisatlng tail.
Wide on It's creakiug jaws revolved the do)r,
Thecupboard yawued, deep-throated thiuly set,
F,r teeth. with bottles, ancient caulSters,
And plates Of various pattern, blue or white;
Decp in the void she thrust her hooked nose
pceriug rcar-sigh,ed for the wished for ne
While her short robe of samite, tilted high,
The thrifty darnings of her hose revealed;-
The polutcd feature travelled Ger the def
Grcasiug its tip, but bone OF bread found none.
Wherefore Sir Tray abode still dnuerlesS,
Licking his paws beneath the spinning wheel,
And meditatiug much on savoury meats.
How the dame went to the baker to get him
some bread, and when she came back she found
the dog dead, is narrated in similar style. Her
sisit to the undertaken to get coffin made for
him is fine piece of witty burleSque. The un-
der,aker, who is Dubbed Sir Wadgrave, is
singing dtty, inserted after the approved
llyiic style:
This dtty sang he to dolelul tune.
To outer ears that sounded like dirge,
Ut Wllu lllaL Walls dCIUSS lDC ILLUS VI uCdIu.
Ware Of a visitor, he ceased his strain,
But still did ply his saw industrious.
With withered haud on ear, Dame Hubbard
Stood
'|ex not mine ears, she grated, with thine
And creakins saw Il deemed he said
and sighed,
"Od saws might please thee, as they should
the wise ~
know, y said the Dame, "Sir Tray that with
lies on my lonely hearthstone stark and stiff !;
NagIess the tail that waved to welcome me. !"
Here Waldgrave interposed scpu!chral tones,
,'Ott have l noted, when the jest went round,
Sad twas to see the wag forget his tale
Sadder to see the tail forget its wag.
Wherefore, resumed she, take Of fitting
stuff,
Aud make Herewith a narrow house for him. y
Quoth he, From yonder deal I'll plane the
bark,
So twill of Tray be embematcal;
For thou, It's plain, must lose deal of bark,
Since he nor bark nor bite shall practice
more.
Aud take thou, too,' she said, "a cofiu-
plate,
And be his birth and years Inscribed thereon
With letters twain s. L. to mark Sir Tray,
So shall the tomb be known in atter-time. "
This too, quoth Waldgravc, shall be dcftly
done;
Oft hath the plate been freightcd with his
bones,
But now his bones must lie beneath the plate. . ;
jest st thou?' Dame. Hubbard said, and
clutched her crutch,
For i'll she brooked light parlance Of the dead;
l}ut l., W,ll hon
Was all drawn downward, till the curving
mouth
Seemed a horseshoe
This last comparison for an old man whim-
per Is as good as the famous description of the
ius,noSc IN Tennysous latest p-ti!ted like
Tic petal OF u flower"
,-while over the furrowed cheek
l. T1ohaerng tear stole on, like rivulet
~ ~ uFy ravlne down mother Ida S side,
>"e ,h yhliahsed her purpose, smote not, lowered
60 parted, taring homeward with her grief.
,-.n MS excellent jeu d esprit is wonderfully
".n sustained throug hout, and We hope that
" w. why rdlcule will have wholesome effect
Ip1o me brood OF practitioners in idyllic verse.
indeed, if it should act as an exorcism we
,b"'n ,h"0Ia lee grateful for what, after all, are
r'us' ."use nasal quaveriugs and cantcles worth
t1u,pafed trp with one full, generous burst of song
.on nr''; true poet? Not but that Mr.. Tenny;
COWS Uu : poet, and great one, too; but he has
: I"us noS grlevouSIy astray in these latest pro-
n,!'olS Of his, in which verbosity is substitut-
~ tVf thought, and where his dction is refined
'"'' 'eeoleneSS.- Baltimore american.
BENG DEs1RoUs OF REDUCING MY