"How
shall I face the, French again,
My cheek with shame thus burning?
I who so often have prayed to Heaven
With tears for their returning!
dt
text .
•
note.
•
•
11
"I
was always fond of the little men—
Such gallant, gay carousers!
Do they sing and spring as they used to do,
And wear those funny white trousers?
dt
text .
•
x
12
"I
should like so much to see them again,
Put I hardly dare to, after
That ridiculous, stupid, accursed song;
I confess I fear their laughter.
dt
text .
•
x
13
"Why,
Alfred de Musset may come, you know,
That gutter-snipe of the city;
And, marching ahead of them, drum me deaf
With his insolence vile but witty."
dt
text .
•
x
14
Thus
poor old Father Rhine complained;
It made me sad to hear him.
I answered with many soothing words,
And did my best to cheer him.
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text .
•
x
15
"Father
Rhine, you need not fear the French;
Their tongue no longer itches
To jest and gibe; they're completely changed.
They've discarded the funny white breeches.
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text .
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x
16
"The
ones they are wearing now are red,
With different buttons; they wander
Unsinging, unspringing, grow duller each day,
And hang their heads and ponder.
dt
text .
17
"Kant,
Fichte, and Hegel are names one hears
They philosophize and they think now.
They play at skittles and smoke their pipes,
And beer is all the drink now.
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text .
•
x x
18
"They
will soon be worse Philistines far than ourselves,
So much have things altered. Voltaire now
has hardly a single disciple left;
Tis by Hengstenberg they swear now.
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text .
•
x
19
"It
is true that Alfred de Musset is still
A gutter-snipe, and a witty one;
But we'll see that we give hin1 as good as we get,
Though our answer may not be a pretty one.
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text .
•
x
20
"Yes,
if he comes drumming his wretched jokes,
We'll whistle him back his measure;
We'll whistle him tunes of the women fair
In whom he finds his pleasure.
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text .
•
x
21
"Oh,
soon you'll have heard a better song.
Let this silly song not grieve you.
Farewell, we shall shortIy meet again.
Though at present I must leave you."
