XLIV.

It would fill a Court Gazette to name What East and West End people came To the rite of Christianity: The lofty Lord, and the titled Dame, All di'monds, plumes, and urbanity: His Lordship the May'r with his golden chain, And two Gold Sticks, and the Sheriffs twain, Nine foreign Counts, and other great men With their orders and stars, to help "M. or N."

To renounce all pomp and vanity.

XLV.

To paint the maternal Kilmansegg The pen of an Eastern Poet would beg, And need an elaborate sonnet; How she sparkled with gems whenever she stirr'd, And her head niddle-noddled at every word, And seem'd so happy, a Paradise Bird Had nidificated upon it.

XLVI.

And Sir Jacob the Father strutted and bow'd, And smiled to himself, and laugh'd aloud, To think of his heiress and daughter-- And then in his pockets he made a grope, And then, in the fulness of joy and hope, Seem'd washing his hands with invisible soap In imperceptible water.

XLVII.

He had roll'd in money like pigs in mud.

Till it scem'd to have entered into his blood By some occult projection: And his cheeks instead of a healthy hue, As yellow as any guinea grew, Making the common phrase seem true, About a rich complexion.

XLVIII.

And now came the nurse, and during a pause, Her dead-leaf satin would fitly cause A very autumnal rustle-- So full of figure, so full of fuss, As she carried about the babe to buss, She seem'd to be nothing but bustle.

XLIX.

A wealthy Nabob was Godpapa, And an Indian Begum was Godmamma, Whose jewels a Queen might covet-- And the Priest was a Vicar, and Dean withal Of that Temple we see with a Golden Ball, And a Golden Cross above it.

L.

The Font was a bowl of American gold, Won by Raleigh in days of old, In spite of Spanish bravado; And the Book of Pray'r was so overrun With gilt devices, it shone in the sun Like a copy--a presentation one-- Of Humboldt's "El Dorada."

LI.

Gold! and gold! and nothing but gold!

The same auriferous shine behold Wherever the eye could settle!

On the walls--the sideboard--the ceiling-sky-- On the gorgeous footmen standing by, In coats to delight a miner's eye With seams of the precious metal.

LII.

Gold! and gold! and besides the gold, The very robe of the infant told A tale of wealth in every fold, It lapp'd her like a vapor!

So fine! so thin! the mind at a loss Could compare it to nothing except a cross Of cobweb with bank-note paper.

LIII.

Then her pearls--'twas a perfect sight, forsooth, To see them, like "the dew of her youth,"

In such a plentiful sprinkle.

Meanwhile, the Vicar read through the form, And gave her another, not overwarm, That made her little eyes twinkle.

LIV.

Then the babe was cross'd and bless'd amain!

But instead of the Kate, or Ann, or Jane, Which the humbler female endorses-- Instead of one name, as some people prefix, Kilmansegg went at the tails of six, Like a carriage of state with its horses.

LV.

Oh, then the kisses she got and hugs!

The golden mugs and the golden jugs That lent fresh rays to the midges!

The golden knives, and the golden spoons, The gems that sparkled like fairy boons, It was one of the Kilmansegg's own saloons, But looked like Rundell and Bridge's!

LVI.

Gold! and gold! the new and the old!

The company ate and drank from gold, They revell'd, they sang, and were merry; And one of the Gold Sticks rose from his chair, And toasted "the Lass with the golden hair"

In a bumper of Golden Sherry.

LVII.

Gold! still gold! it rained on the nurse, Who--unlike Danae--was none the worse!

There was nothing but guineas glistening!

Fifty were given to Doctor James, For calling the little Baby names, And for saying, Amen!

The Clerk had ten, And that was the end of the Christening.

HER CHILDHOOD.

LVIII.

Our youth! our childhood! that spring of springs!

'Tis surely one of the blessedest things That nature ever intended!

When the rich are wealthy beyond their wealth, And the poor are rich in spirits and health, And all with their lots contented!

LIX.

There's little Phelim, he sings like a thrush, In the selfsame pair of patchwork plush, With the selfsame empty pockets, That tempted his daddy so often to cut His throat, or jump in the water-butt-- But what cares Phelim? an empty nut Would sooner bring tears to their sockets.