The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-24
THE QUEEN LAMP00NED.
Broad HINT TO 1BDICATE ~
F1TOR or HER son.
A Shnkcsprnrrnn Presentation Of the Weak
ness of the Qucen and the Foilics of the
Prince of Mnlcs-Is IL "A Prophecys

ness of the Queen and the Foilics Of the
Prince Of Mnlcs-Is IL IA Prophecys
LONDON, Feb. 9.--The reigning literary
sensation OF the moment is m anonymous satire
or lampoon on Queen Victoria and the royal
family. 1t Il In the form Of drama, modelled
after Shakespeares Henry w." and called
Edward VIZ" that being the title which, it Is
expected, the Prince OF Wales will assume when
| he ascends the throne IL ia published a
| quarto pamphlet, with n number Of coarse wood
cut Illustrations, and Is sold for a shilling The
circulation has already reached, II Is reported,
/ 120OO0 copies and though nothing Is said about
1t in the respectable newspapers, everybody
seems to be reading and talking about It. To
me | must confess 1t seems poor and stupid
enough, without Wit, aud scarcely worth wadng
through. To the English, however, there Is
something so audacious in attacking royalty In
print that all sense Of literary dullness lost in
surprise at the performance. They feel about It
pretty much as an American does about Spanish
bull lighting. The exploit OF killing the animal
he knows involves neither skill nor courage, aud
yet he holds his breath a he looks on, and
thinks how he shall glory in describing the
scene to his lady friends when lie gets home
So John Bull, unused to speaking III OF dgui-
taries, reads the lampoon and shows It 10 his
nciehbors half in astonshment and half In de-
lght at his own naughtness.
Edward ' IL. - ulNlutu INTO n prologue ana
seven acts. The prologue Ia a ballad recountng
the collision OF the Yacht Misilctoe with the
| Queen private steamer, the Alberta. on the 50.
lent last summer. You will remember that the
evidence before the Curoner's jury showed that
the steamer. the Queen being on board at the
time, WAS going at the rate Of seventeen miles
an hour. when she struck the Mstletoe, and
sent her to the bottom, aud the common opin-
Ton is that the accident was due to the brutal
carelessness 81 the steamers commander. sew
cral lives were lost. but the Queen after a brief
del ~. proceeded on her journey to scotland.
evincing awaut Of humanity which was severely
comn cnted on. You NAV 10 ldily imagine the
use made Ct the -curtCuce by tho author or
authors Of the lanuOon.
Act /. u the ulay dcscrbes III snakespercan
fashion the deoth Of william ". the accession
uf Victoria, aud her hetrotna to Prince Albert.
VITA the exception OF one or two alusiun- 20
some supposed love affairs u the Queen with
other men tciore the Princes uTryal, ! cannot
Tor the lie 81 me see any thins Noteworthy III
Act II passes in the Queens dressing room.
Time, 49, She Is represented as very cross aud
uctuaut with her maids OF honor and ladies in
waiting, keeping them up to lato hour when
ihey are dying iorseep. Ilincc leopold comes
in aud the Queen scrlds him. and MS brothers
over his - ouldcrs. hen follows an interview
with the Punce Il Wales, In the course Of which
the Queen falls into slumoer, and the Prince
look over her account books, and discovers tnat
she Is spending all her surplus income IN uuild-
INK mausoleum for Prince Albert. When she
awaNcs he reprOaches her for lavshing money
On her dead husband when her living son IS 50
hard up, and she rctorts hy threatening to
build the biggest mausoleum tho world has
Tue lr-t scene of \ TIL. Describes a morning
IN NJ rlooroush mouse, Nd the tnN Oft the Prince
uf Wales anu ns boon companions. fneN els
course Of borrowing none - tho Jews, of a
new fashion IN hats - be introduced 10y hiS
Royal lgnne-s, aud II the horcs Of official hfc
ne cc,nd scene u IN evening at the same
place. the Princes bosom ii-ud ainu-es him
h declaiming some verses on American Women
Of which the following re a sample. IL mus, ne
promised that the Prince. wear or two ago.
was very partinI 10 a ceIehr1trd American belle
and that the Llugham Hotel l. the f.vori,c re-
sort Of American travellers wnen IN london;
,s re-, you may say aai her mannsrs
YET ali tne sweet scrnis OF her own s,yannahs
Come out Of her ri,9ous. her riuslet ana aoulees.
Say hS n, Hr si' en- nlsn t9se an orsce %
well tsen so and dnc, s, %, ps.e
Dine at the Langlan al eight.
There you will End them all. dear country cousins
ogis ining native erea spen,es and sister.
Their adj Gives plain. Their apDetiics-tslsters.
o ks her dresses. oatrseeog. deliehtigl,
Dine at the IAngham At eight
The Marquis OF Lorne then comes In with a
presentation copy OF his new poem. and aftsr
some ponderouslV sarcastical talk The party ad-
journ to 4 place which / take to be the Cider
Cellars or Evans's, and there third scene shows
the Prince IN company with newspaper critcs,
dramatic authors, ballet girls. aud other more
or les respectable Bohemians. The dialogue
and songs are fun of allusion-, which are doubt
less very significant to a certain set In London,
but WHICH are lost on outsiders.
Act Nv. const Is Of one scere. representing the
! Prince Of Woles visiting tncognttO tavern at
Fuiham, which, the reader Is gwen 10 under
md. Is one ~ his favorite resorts. The land
| lady Discovers who he Is. anu he goes away to
witness a fire at Bermoud-ey.
Act V. describes a meeting ~ the Coql Scoop
Makers Company, Charitable cor Grafton with
an income OF $4,000 and no benrnciarles. The
! officers divide tue money in iries 70 them
selves, ana are In terror lest L .rianent should
investigate their doings and put an end ~ their
| career.
Act VI. opens with declaration Of war against
| Russia. The second scene represents "a council
Of war convened AZ the Duke OF Camoridge's
| quarters In Pail Mall. He gets impatient at the
non-arrlval Of his gener-ls and Is told they are
| below.
hamdHr-Then why in glory's name. ascend they
0fas, &. The spirit. willing, bu, the n',h = weak.
Sixteen Bath chsrs coutain as many generals
Ia carriages conveyed have g'iare me hsl.
sead Word T. say they cam It leave their hels
But failing power 70 draw their srorI o. serve
such as a. he Zoe be S' roaIc a :I iu pay
Bold veterans even ~, ingeuOusy,
Are sltting up their way, and star oY stair
Game Care S SSrs At onee 6u ne swy 1nd
y Aud lad 20 BE- sent home Ak 4in In cabs.
, Inquiries into the condition Of the army reveal
a corresponding ineficiency Plenty OF saddles
, but no horses, plenty Of clothing and shoes but
J no men to wear tnetn, only twenty -four ne and
-: serviceable cannon, aud on. In this emer.
eency tne Prince Of Wales enters and like shake.
speare's Prince Hal, reveals the better side Of
his character, volunteers to start for India and
attack the Russians from that quarter, and lis
r9ls erinG companions agree 10 20 with him
The act closes Nitn a great battle at peshawur
IN which the Bltish army Is victorious.
Act VII, and last, describes battle at Sue7
suatches IRON England announcing the abd'c A
ton OF Queen Victoria, aud all present hail the
Prince with cries of Long live King Edward
The idea Of the whole production II, evident
", to give form and expression TO the growing
discomfort In England with the Queens IN
attention 20 public affairs ana the Prince Of
Waless foes aud dissipation. unquestion
= ably, great many English people would be
= 81 I'd 20 see g Queen aDdicate and the Prince
take her place. This change would al
once relieve the country OF an inefficient Queen
anG an unworthy prince the expectation beinu
that when the prince Is once fairly charged with
e the duties OF ROYALTY he will abandon his
resent evil courses, and become a King such as
England Will have no reason To be ashamed
Of ASH is, the Cabinet are at their wits ends Il
v know what 10 do with him. lie was sent OF tC
. India to Keep bin out OF mischief, but he Ii
, coming back soon, and then what nextl He il
Z VIGOROUSLY heavily In debt, his companions are
r Of kind % encourage his proqensiiies 10 extra
{ vagance and wee. and II the Queen persists In
Z occupying the throne, he may be irretriey
, ably ruined. 1t would not be surprising, there.
: fore, II the last scene OF this lampOon should be
4 propneIcal, and that within a short time Ed
. ward VII. should be the sovereign OF Greal
| Britain.
a Queer sort OF IA Hymn.