8 Tom Moore s Prophetic Almanack for the Year 1832. QJAN. 



SEPTEMBER. 



For five miles round, hark ! loud reports are heard ; 

 Lo ! fifty sportsmen (!) shooting at one bird. 

 Mantons are raised yet old birds lose no legs, 

 Nor will the young ones be decoyed by Eggs. 

 Yet forward rush the troop all sorts of game 

 In danger, save the things at which they aim ; 

 Their only boast, when night bids labour cease, 

 They shot a spaniel and a groom a-piece. 



1st. The Reformed Parliament assembles. Bill introduced to make 

 firing at partridges on the 1st of September a capital offence, it being a 

 species of "cruelty to animals" of the most flagitious nature ; measure 

 lost in consequence of an erroneous phrase in the bill, inasmuch as firing 

 at, which is synonymous with " missing" partridges, cannot be called 

 cruelty. 



3d. Great excitement produced by the exhibitions at Bartholomew 

 Fair. Among other attractions will be seen, a living Anti-reformer of 

 the Londonderry species (supposed to be the last of the race), measuring 

 five feet eleven inches from the top of the coronet to the end of the spur ; 

 capable of walking erect, though accustomed to crawl in preference ; 

 speaks much, yet says nothing ; amazingly powerful, yet now perfectly 

 harmless. Another remarkable animal from Portugal, called the Miguel 

 (the most rabid and ravenous specimen ever introduced into this country, 

 though we have had many of the breed), will be exhibited in an iron 

 cage, and fed every half hour with young princesses, imported at an im- 

 mense expense. 



OCTOBER. 



Pheasants and hares now call some people down 



To country seats, while plays keep some in town ! 



A few for though they've got what keepers call 



" Lions," they're not such lions after all. 



Does Polhill wish to fill the town with fun ? 



Then let the lions sup on Mr. Bunn ; 



The head snapped off at " full" price, and the " half" 



Admitted at the end of the first calf. 



7th. Theatrical monopolies demolished. Patent-theatre prosecutions 

 against the minor houses, for acting rational pieces, thrown out. The 

 " large" houses delivered over to the projectors of lion-dramas, panto- 

 mimes, Ducrowisms, Napoleontics, Stanfieldiana, phantasmagoria, and 

 diablerie ; and the privilege of performing the tragedies of Shakspeare, 

 and the comedies of Congreve and Farquhar extended to all theatres 

 where seeing and hearing are not enjoyed through the medium of opera- 

 glasses and ear-trumpets. 



21st. Repeal of all taxes upon knowledge. Prospectuses of fifteen 

 morning, three-and-twenty evening, and a hundred and seventy-seven 

 weekly newspapers, issued immediately ; three of them actually appear, 

 and survive for nearly a fortnight. 



25th. Colonel Sibthorpe utters some sensible observation, which ex- 

 cites a great deal of astonishment. 



