All the world’s twelfth-night.

Wearied with receiving the incessant and overwhelming congratulations of the Universe upon his opening the Thirty-Eight of the Immortal Tomes, Mr. Punch commanded that neither visitors nor letters should be brought up to him for the space of one hour. And reclining in his delightful arm-chair, the gift of his gracious Sovereign on his last birthday, Mr. Punch slept. It was the Eve of St. Twelfthcake.

And a Dream came unto him.

He thought that all the Great Ones of the World held Twelfthnight.

And out of a vast Helmet, like that which in Horace Walpole’s story came down into the court-yard of Manfred of Otranto, they were drawing Twelfthnight characters.

By some Mesmeric agency, Punch, thought keeping his own majestic distance from the folk engaged in the revel, was able to read the painted scrolls which were drawn from the helmet.

And these were some of the characters drawn by the Great Ones of the World:

The Silent Man of the Tuileries drew Alexander the Great; motto, “The world’s mine oyster, which I with sword will open.”

The Emperor of Austria drew Bottom; motto, “I pray you remember to have me set down an Ass.”

The Emperor of Russia drew “Old Brown” the Liberator; motto, “The serfs are glad through Lara’s wide domain.”

His Holiness the Pope drew Aeolus; motto, “You untie the winds, and let them fight against the Churches.”

His Holiness the Sultan drew Saint Peter; motto, “I am better Christin than thou.” Which he showed to the preceding drawer.

President Buchanan drew Janus; motto, “Black’s not so black, nor white so very white.”

Lord Palmerston drew Warwick the Kingmaker; motto, “Mighty Pam, that kings and queens o’erthrow.”

The Ex-Grand Duke Leopold drew Honest Iago; motto, “Exit tyrannus, regum ultimus.”

Count Cavour drew Arnold of Brescia; motto, “Thou canst not, Cardinal, devise a name so slight, unworthy, and ridiculous as the Pope.”

Lord John Russell drew Jack the Giant-Killer; motto, “Though she but little, she is fierce.”

Princess Frederick William drew Queen Victoria; motto, “I never saw you look so like your mother.”

The King of Sardinia drew Bernadotte; motto, “Tis better using France than trusting France.”

Mr. Macready drew Coriolanus; motto, “A fool, a fool, I met a fool i’that Forrest.”

The Queen of Spain drew Lucretia (Borgia); motto, “Most women have no characters at all.”

Lord Brougham drew Mr. Punch; motto, “When you take her without her answer, you shall take her without her tongue.”

But here the crowd of Mr. Punch’s admirers, eager to go on congratulating him because so dense and noisy, that a humble supplication from the police that he would be pleased to remove the obstruction by letting the multitude enter, scattered his dream of the World’s Twelfthnight.

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