Page:Under the Microscope - Swinburne (1899).djvu/107



R. SWINBURNE'S volume of Poems and Ballads having excited a fluster in 1866, a burlesque poem appeared in the Spectator for 15 September, 1866, named The Session of the Poets. It was anonymous; but rumour—since then confirmed by himself—ascribed it to Mr. Buchanan." Dante Gabriel Rossetti: His Family Letters, with a Memoir by W. M. Rossetti, (Octavo, 2 vols. London, 1895.) Vol. I, p. 294.

At the Session of Poets held lately in London, The Bard of Freshwater was voted the chair: With his tresses unbrushed, and his shirt-collar undone, He lolled at his ease like a good-humoured Bear: "Come, boys!" he exclaimed, "we'll be merry together!" And lit up his pipe with a smile on his cheek;— While with eye, like a skipper's, cocked up at the weather, Sat the Vice-Chairman Browning, thinking in Greek.

The company gathered embraced great and small bards, Both strong bards and weak bards, funny and grave, Fat bards and lean bards, little and tall bards, Bards who wear whiskers, and others who shave.