Whene'er approached by gentlemen of rank,
And, when reproved, presented arms to me!

"There is no potentate in France or Flanders
You will not heap with insult if you can.
For lo! a car. It is the Corps Commander's;
The sentries take no notice of the man,
Or fix him with a not unkindly stare,
And slap their butts in an engaging way,
Or else, too late, in penitent despair
Cry, 'Guard, turn out!' and there is no guard there,
But they are in _The Blue Estaminet_.

"Weary I am of worrying and warning;
For all my toil I get it in the neck;
I am fed up with it; and from this morning
I shall not seek to keep your crimes in check;
Sin as you will--I shall but acquiesce;
Sleep on, O sentinels--I shall not curse;
And so, maybe, from sheer contrariness
Some day a guard may be a slight success;
At any rate you cannot well do worse."

* * * * *

LIGHT ON THE SITUATION.

"FRONT OF CROWN PRINCE RUPPRECHT.--At night the firing
engagement slackened but little, and near Hellwerden it
again rose to very great intensity."--_Admiralty, per