THE ROYAL LINE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3510, 7 October 1882, Page 4

THE ROYAL LINE.

Wiiliam L—The sturdy conqueror, politic, severe ; William II. —Light-minded Rufus, dying like the deer ; Henry I. —Beau-clerc, who everything but virtue knew ; Stephen—Stephen, who graced the lawless sword he drew ; Henry. —Fine Henry hapless in his sons and priest ; Richard I.—Richard, the glorious trifier in the East, John —John, the mean wretch, tyrant and slave, a liar ; Henry lll.—lmbecile Henry, worthy of his sire ; Edward I.- Longshanks, well named, a great encroaeher he ; Edward ll.—Edward the minion, dying dreadfully ; Edward 111. —The splendid veteran, weak in his decline ; Richard II. —Another minion, surely untimely sign; Henry IV.—Usurping Lancaster, whom wrongs advance; Henry V.—Henry the fifth, the tennis boy of France; Henery VI. —The headsman praying while his Margaret fought ; Edward IV. —Edward, too sensual for a kindly thought ; Edward V.—The little head that never wore the crown ; Richard 111. —Crookback, to Nature giving frown for frown ; Henry Vll.—Close-hearted Henry, the shrewd carping sire ; Henry VIII.—The British Bluebeard, fat, and full of ire ; Edward VI. — Jhe sickly boy, endowing and endowed ; Mary—lll Mary, lighting many a living shroud ; Elizabeth.—The lion queen, with her stiff muslin mane ; James I.—The shambling pedant and his minion train ; Claries I.—Weak Charles, the victim of the dawn of right; Cromwell —Cromwell, misuser of his home spun might; Charles If. —The swarthy scapegrace all for ease and wit, James ll.—The bigot out of season forced to quit ; William lll.—The Dutchman, call'd to see our vessel through ; Anne —Anna made great by conquering Marlborough ; George I.—George, vulgar soul, a woman hated name ; George ll.—Another, fonder of his fee than fame ; George lII.—A third, too weak, instead of strong, to swerve ; George IV.—And fourth, whom " Canning " and Sir Will preserve. Leigh Hunt.