2'"i S. X. Oct, 13. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



293 



Her Remains lie buried near those of 



Her Husband and Son, 



In Commemoration of whom, the 



Neighbouring Monument 



Was erected." 



The following memorial to their only surviving 

 child has been more recently inscribed on a mar- 

 ble tablet : — 



" In Memory of 



Elizabeth Sophia Lawrence 



Of Studley Royal and Kirkby Fleetham 



In this County, 



Who died July 30th 1845 Aged 84, 



And whose remains are deposited in a vault 



In this Chancel. 



Her sterling moral worth, her unbending integrity. 



Her extensive private and public Charities, 



Will long be gratefully and affectionately remembered. 



Entertaining a deep sense of her responsibility 



In the sight of God, 



In simplicity and true humility. 



She devoted her riches to His Glory 



And the spiritual and temporal welfare 



Of her fellow creatures." 



Miss Lawrence bequeathed her Kirkby Fleet- 

 ham estate and mansion to IT. E. Waller, Esq., of 

 Farmington, near ISTorthleach. Patonce. 



SAYERS THE CARICATURIST. 

 (^Concluded from p. 276.) 



I have met with a copy of another of Mr. James 



Sayers' poems, endorsed, 



" Speech of the Member for Odium. 

 " Sleep, Mr. Speaker, Cobbett will soon 

 Move to abolish the Sun and the Moon." 



" Stanzas to the Speaker Asleep," 

 Morning Post, March, 1833. 



" Mr. Cobbett ask'd leave to bring in very soon 

 A Bill to abolish the Sun and the Moon. 

 The Honourable Member proceeded to state 

 Some arguments, used in a former debate. 

 On the subject of sinecures, taxes, vexations, 

 The Army and Navy, and old Corporations : — 

 The Heavenly Bodies, like those upon Earth, 

 Had, he said, been corrupt from the day of their birth. 

 With reckless profusion expending their light, 

 One after another, bi* day and by night. 

 And what classes enjoy'd it? — The upper alone — 

 Upon such they had always exclusively shone ; 

 But when had they ever emitted a spark 

 For the people, who toil under-ground in the dark? 

 The People of England — the Miners, and Borers, 

 Of Earth's hidden treasures the skilful explorers. 

 Who furnish, by grubbing beneath, like the mole. 

 All the iron and copper, the tin and the coal. 

 But their minds were enlightening ; they learn'd every 



hour 

 That discussion is knowledge, and knowledge is power. 

 Long humbled and crushed like a Giant they'd rise 

 And sweep off the cobwebs that darken the skies ; 

 To Sunshine and Moonshine their duties assign. 

 And claim equal rights for the Mountain and Mine. 

 Turn to other departments — high time to enquire 

 What abuses exist in Air, Water, and Fire. — 

 Why keep up Volcanoes? that idle display. 

 That Pageant, was all mighty well in its day. 



But the reign of Utility now had commenc'd, 



Arid Wisdom with such exhibitions dispens'd : 



When so many were starving with cold it was cruel 



To make such a waste of good fire and fuel. 



As for Nature — how little experience had taught her 



Appear'd in the administration of Water. 



Was so noble a capital duly employ'd ? 



Or, was it by few (if by any) enjoy'd? 



Pour'd on inarshes and fens, which were better without, 



While pasture and arable perish'd for drought. 



When flagrant injustice so often occurs. 



Abler hands must be wanted, and purer, than hers. 



Not to speak of old Ocean's insatiable needs, 



Or of Seas so ill plough'd they bear nothing but 



weeds. 

 At some future day he perhaps should be able 

 To lay the details of their cost on the table ; 

 At present, no longer the House to detain, 

 He'd confine his remarks to the subject of Rain. 

 Was it wanted? — A more economical plan. 

 More equally working, more useful to Man, 

 In this age of improvement might surely be found. 

 By which all would be sprinkled and none would be 



drown'd. 

 He would boldly appeal to the Nation's good sense 

 Not to sanction this useless, enormous expense. 

 If the wind did but shift — if a cloud did but lower — 

 What millions of Rain-drops Avere spent in a shower I 

 Let them burst through the shackles of wind and of 



weather — 

 Do away with the oflSce of Rain altogether — 

 Let the whole be remodell'd on principles new — 

 And consolidate half the old funds into Dew : 

 Less than half was sufficient ; the surplus applied 

 To steam and canals would for commerce provide. 

 What on earth could be wanted that Dew would not 



give ? 

 Refreshment and food for all creatures that live. 

 Just moisture enough to promote vegetation. 

 And supplj' the demands of this vast population ; 

 For warmth would consummate what Dew had begun. 

 When clouds would no longer obfuscate the Sun. 

 He hoped that the House a few minutes would spare 

 While he ofFer'd some brief observations on Air.- 

 To plain statements he must their attention beseech, 

 For he never had yet in his life made a speech. 

 Air call'd for his censure, nor should it escape. 

 Though made to elude any tangible shape. 

 Not the Sun, nor the Moon, nor Earth, water or fire. 

 Nor Tories themselves, when with Whigs they conspire. 

 Nor Churchmen, nor Statesmen, nor Placemen, nor 



Peers, 

 Nor the Emperor Paul, nor the Dey of Algiers, 

 Were half so unjust, so despotic, so blind. 

 So deaf to the cries and the claims of mankind, 

 As Air, and his ivicked Prime Minister, Wind. 

 Goes forth the Despoiler ! consuming the rations 

 Design'd for the lungs of unborn generations. 

 What a waste of the Elements made in a storm! 

 And all this carried on in the teeth of Reform ! 

 Hail, Lightning, and Thunder, in volleys and peals. 

 The Tropics are trembling, the Universe reels. 

 Come Whirlwind and Hurricane, Tempests, Tornadoes, 

 Woe, woe to Antigua, Jamaica, IBarbadoes 1 

 Plantations uprooted, and sugars dissolv'd, 

 Rum, coffee, and spice in one ruin involv'd. 

 And while the Carribbees were ruin'd and rifled, 

 Not a breeze reach'd Guiana, and Englaad was stifled. 

 The quality bad, and the quantity bare. 

 Our life's spent in taking or changing the air. 

 Rate all that exists at its practical worth, 

 'Twas a svstem of humbug from Heaven to Earth. — 



