THE MODERN BRITISH LION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1765, 19 August 1884, Page 2

THE MODERN BRITISH LION.

j The Rev. Dr Malan, the venerable , vicar of Broadwindsor, Dorset, in responding to the toast of his health a I , the annual dinner ot the Broadwindsoi i and Burstock Friendly (Society, drew , the following portrait of the Britisl j lion. He said—l have seen during ■ my time a great many changes, noi only in this parish but in the country , My recollection carries me farther bacfe than that of most of you- to sixtj . years ago. Sometimes I hardly thinl ; Jam living in the same country. ] , am speaking the same language, but ir t many respects I am not living aniong t the same people, In those days th< , British lion was a real lion, and ni , mistake about it. He was a nobli i beast; he was proud of being a lion, and whether he was sleeping or awake . standing or walking, everybody tool< , him for a lion, and everybody re > spected him and was afraid of him | 'lliat was a very good thing, for h( . kept the small fry in good order, anc , they did not like to interfere with bin [ That was as it should be, His bein< [ a lion was enough for him, and he was satisfied. But what have I,seen 1 ] saw him then a noble beast of flesh ant • bones, complete in all his parts, Ir ! course of time his brains were scooped i out; his eyes were put out and glass ' ones substituted for them ; his teetli 1 were extracted, and a row of false ones I put in; then lie was disembowelled, his heart was removed, and he was filled r with sawdust: and instead of sinews i they put in wires, and some of tlit ' people pulled every now and then. A ■ red French cap waR put on his head ■ and he was made to bow tt ■ France. Then they cut off his tai 1 and tied a handkerchief on him, anc ! made him bow to Russia, Now no 1 body knows him. He is taken aboul > by the head showman, and one mar 5 beats the big drum, another plays th< 1 bagpipes, another the whistle, and tliej ■ are accompanied by a mob of small boys which constitutes the majority in the House of Commons, I don't wish to go into politics; but that is what the Government and the head showman have done with the British lion. Instead of being feared, admired, and • respected; instead of his keeping the . small fry—the bears, and the cocks, i the horses, and the asses—in proper order, now the head showman leads him about, and makes him bow the . head to the foxes, the bears, and the cocks, and say, " Well, I was once a i lion, but now I am of sawdust, and you may do what you like with me." So one gives him a kick, another pulls his tail, another takes him by the mane i and., they do as they please, I hope the day will come when someone will put heart into him, sive him some good teeth and eyes, supply him with brains and a tail and a good mane, and make him a British lion again as before.