THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1932, 4 May 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1880.

Poets will have no necessity for the future to search for a theme of inspiration. The valour of Mr. John Evans Brown will supply an army of song makers with a subject for an indefinite period. The manner in which he, as one of the Drainage Board, faced the public meeting on Thursday last stands almost unparalleled in the annals of deeds of daring. And Mr. John Evans Brown is proudly conscious of the fact. Ho describes himself as having “ borne the brunt ” of popular feeling at the said meeting, and alludes to the other members of the Board—Mr. Hall, who was also present, being of course excepted—as perhaps afraid to appear on the occasion. Joking apart, was there ever such a ridiculous piece of rhodomontado uttered. Mr Brown appeared at the meeting to do anything else hut uphold tho actions of the Drainage Board. Whether he was on tho right or wrong side has nothing whatever to do with the matter. Ho appeared there, and offered not one word in extenuation of the actions of the Board. We yesterday expressed an unfavourable opinion as to the views held by tho Board, so that it is not from sympathy with that body that we object to the absurd pretensions put forward by Mr. Brown. But at tho same time we stated an opinion that the Board wore perfectly right in not appearing at tho meeting, as such a meeting as was held last week is not tho placo whore the administrative acts of a public body can be answered by that body itself. The mooting was almost unanimous in its condemnation of tho late action of the Board; bat where was tho risk run by the valiant Mr. Brown ? He swam with tho stream of popular foeliug with a smilo on his countenance indicative of tho highest satisfaction, and loft his colleagues to ho swamped. One would have thought there might have been one or two items to bo said in favor of tho Board. There are extenuating circumstances in most cases, but the gentleman who was employed in “bearing tho brunt” of xiopular fooling was not tho man to bring thorn forward. And then Mr. Brown boasts of his own valour, and implies that his colleagues have shown tho white feather ! Happy is tho man who can get up a respectable delusion of this description at a moment’s notice. Others before Mr. Brown have done tho same with infinite satisfaction to thomsolvos — “ A plague ” says tho valiant Sir John 1

Falstaff, “on all cowards, I say, and a i vengeance too ! Marry and amen! Give me a cup of sack, rogue —Is there no valour extant!” And then, in describing his valiant hearing on a certain occasion, ho proceeds :—“ I am a rogue, if I were not at half-sword with a dozen of them two hours together. I have scaped by miracle. lam eight times thrust through the doublet; four through the hose. My buckler cut through and through: my sword hacked like a handsaw: ecce signum. I never dealt bettor since I was a man : all would not do. A plague of all cowards! Let them speak: if they speak more or less than truth, they are villains and the sous of darkness.”