Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 379: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

314 Pickwick Abroad. the spirits of all present were exuberant. ‘The evening was therefore - an exceedingly pleasant one: Mr. Winkle and Mr. Siffkin flirted with the young ladies; Mr. Chitty imitated the chorus of the four winds to Mr. Kallaway; Mr. Walker demonstrated the infallibility of his system by eating enough to have satisfied four; Mr. Scuttle joked Mr. Tup- man about the rat-trap; Mr. Pickwick was unremitting in his attentions to the fair widow; and that lady, in the course of the evening, favoured the party with the following air, which she had herself translated from the French of Fer favourite poet, Victor Hugo. SONG. Genius of France, if stili thy wing O’er Gallia’s lands auspicious soar, Peace to a wearied nation bring, And let the war-note sound no more. The boist’rous passions of the soul Keep thou beneath a stern controul, ‘ind calm tranquillity restore : Repel the surge of civil strife, Stop the sad waste of human life, And banish discord from thy shore ! Let not the great despise the low, The sufferer be more opprest ; Bid monarchs spare their subjects’ woe, Nor deeper wound the bleeding breast :— Cast down the gibbet, dry the tears Of orphans, and in future years Thy guardian bounty will be blest ; So thet amid the dreams of night No horrors fili us with affright, Nor wake us from a tranquil rest. Mrs. Weston’s beautiful song gave a fresh impulse to the conviviality of the evening; and as the exertion of singing had bestowed upon the widow acolour which not a httle enhanced her beauty, so did the in- fluence of the champagne confer upon her lover a gaiety and vivacity which almost carried him to the verge of attempting a song himself. But Mr. Hook Walker prudently whispered to his venerable friend “‘that singing ought not to form a part of his system ;” and Mr. Kallaway proceeded to inform his guests that he should have the honour of complimenting the three illustrious men, whom he was proud to see at his board on that occasion, in a song purposely written the day before by their esteemed acquaintance, Mr. Septimus Chitty. Hereupon a vast clattering of knives and glasses ensued to testify the universal satisfaction which was felt at Mr. Kallaway’s announcement : Mr. Chitty looked very modest, and requested the worthy host ‘‘ to egnis ved—fire away ;” and Messieurs Pickwick, Tupman, and Winkle, bestowed each a bow and a smile upon the company. So soon as order was restored, Mr. Kaliaway commenced the following highly complimentary song. Gomichbooks.¢co nN