276 The Petticoat Parliament. [MARCH, 



set on foot an organized plan of agitation, extending from the Orkneys 

 to Land's End. No argument or topic was omitted that could influence 

 or inflame the public mind ; it was urged that as long as parliaments 

 were of the masculine gender, they could never be expected to look 

 upon the people with a maternal eye ; it was confidently argued that 

 as the petticoat government was the best for a family, so it must also be 

 the best for a nation ; and the country was assured that until the House 

 of Commons was exclusively a female assembly, it had no chance what- 

 ever of a, fair representation. Our informant, however, had the candour 

 to admit, that it was not by the force of these arguments, or indeed of 

 any arguments at all, that the revolution was eventually accomplished ; 

 but by continually teasing and worrying the legislature, until (in a way 

 precisely analogous to that by which in domestic affairs husbands are 

 wont to be overpowered by wives) they were glad to compound for 

 peace and a quiet life at the expense of a total surrender of their politi- 

 cal power. Here the conversation broke off; the house became a little 

 more orderly ; the reporters began to mend their pens ; and I was left 

 to observe the proceedings in silence, not, however, without a hint from 

 the ladies about me that the presence of a gentleman there was a breach 

 of privilege, and that my proper place was the lantern. This, indeed, 

 said I to myself, is turning the tables with a vengeance ! 



The first thing I heard was, a new writ ordered for the borough of 

 Tavistock in the room of Lady Bellona Battlebridge, who had accepted 

 the office of Paymistress to the Forces. Lady Morgan took the oaths 

 and her seat as member for the University of Dublin j her ladyship rose 

 immediately on being sworn, and said that she felt it her duty to give 

 the house the earliest opportunity of witnessing her parliamentary 

 talents ; hitherto she was known to the ladies of England only as the 

 most distinguished literary character of the day ; but she trusted before 

 she sat down to convince them that her tongue was equal to her pen ; 

 " c'est a dire," continued her ladyship, " that she was as well calculated 

 to shine in the chapel of St. Etienne as in her own house in Kildare- 

 street, Dublin ; she did not, in mentioning Kildare-street, mean to go 

 into the subject of the institution with which that name was so inti- 

 mately connected, or, if she might be allowed the expression, associated 

 by a sort of vernacular liaison to borrow the language of an Italian 

 poet/' Here there was a shrill and general cry of order from all parts 

 of the house, which was followed by " chair, chair, chair :" the speaker 

 accordingly rose, and in a speech of nearly a quarter of an hour long 

 informed the learned lady, the member for the University of Dublin, 

 that there was no question before the house, begging her at the same 

 time to remember in future that English was the language of that 

 assembly, and that to speak in any foreign or unknown tongue, Italian 

 or Irish, was worthy only of the followers of Mr. Irving, with whom 

 she was sure the honourable and learned lady had no connection. Lady 

 Morgan assured the house the speaker did her no more than justice in 

 her last remark; although an unrivalled linguist, she had nothing to do 

 with the Caledonian matins ; she was too much of a philosopher and a Pa- 

 risian to trouble her head about Scotch apostles, or any apostles whatever. 



Mrs. Harriet Homily and Miss Angelica Pentateuch rose at the 

 same instant ; the latter, however, caught the speaker's eye : she said 

 that she could pardon the infidelity of the honourable and learned 

 lady who had sat down, but her attack upon " the tongues" was not to 



