It was at once eloquent and grotesque, and the House
cheered and cheered yet again without any distinction of party--the
friends in admiration of the splendid eloquence of the gesture, the foes
in hearty admiration of the great and perennial spirit of the great Old
Man.
[Sidenote: Comedy.]
But on May 11th there was a new and a bolder departure. Most of my
readers have seen that remarkable little lay written by Mr. Gilbert for
Miss Anderson to display the range and variety of her powers--"Comedy
and Tragedy." Mr. Gladstone gave proof of powers of equally wide
versatility; and all at the expense of poor Joe. First for the Comedy. I
must quote the passage of the speech to explain what I mean:--
"My right hon. friend has a bundle of quotations. He says he has
fortified himself. (Laughter.) He said he had fortified himself against
me when I said there could be no supremacy without the presence of Irish
members in this House. I never asserted anything of the kind. (Cheers.)
'Oh,' he said, 'I have got the papers'--(laughter)--and the party
opposite cheered at the expected triumph. (Laughter.)"
When Mr. Gladstone came to the words. "'Oh,' he said, 'I have got the
papers,'" Mr.
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