_Poem on the Burning of the Houses of Parliament_ (Vol. v., p. 488.).--As
this doggerel is written on the same plan as our old friend "This is the
House that Jack built," it will be sufficient to give the last paragraph,
which of course embraces the whole. I copy from a newspaper cutting, but
from what newspaper I am ignorant. It is printed consecutively (as I send
it), and not with reference to the metre.
"This is the Peer, who in town being resident, signed the report for
the absent Lord President, and said that the history, was cleared of
its mystery, by Whitbread the waiter, adding his _negatur_, to that of
John Riddle, who laugh'd and said 'Fiddle!' when told Mr. Cooper of
Drury Lane, had been down to Dudley and back again, and had heard the
same day, a bagman say, that the house was a-blazing, a thing quite
{548} amazing, even to John Snell, who knew very well, by the smoke and
the heat, that was broiling his feet, through his great thick boots in
the Black Rod's seat, that Dick Reynolds was right, that the fires were
too bright, heaped up to such an unconscionable height, in spite of the
fright, they gave poor Mistress Wright, when she sent to Josh. Cross,
so full of his sauce, both to her and to Weobly, who'd heard so feebly,
the directions of Phipps, when he told him the chips, might be burnt in
the flues, yet never sent the news, as he ought to Milne, who'd have
burnt in a kiln, these confounded old sticks, and not heated the
bricks, nor set fire to the house that Josh. burnt."