Page:Fugitive Poetry 1600-1878.djvu/559
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PENNY POSTAGE.
541
He who has money must die some day,
And who has none must go the same way.
And who has none must go the same way.
Oh, 'tis all one to me, all one,
Whether I've money or whether I've none.
Whether I've money or whether I've none.
Penny Postage.
The Penny Postage commenced on the 10th January, 1840. The following squib, which was issued during the same month, has an abiding interest:—
The Universal Penny Postage.
From universal suffrage some
Say every blessing's sure to come,
As clear as one and one make two;
But others say it's all a hum,
And there's no blessing like the Universal Penny Postage.
Say every blessing's sure to come,
As clear as one and one make two;
But others say it's all a hum,
And there's no blessing like the Universal Penny Postage.
Of all the penn'orths Nature gave—
A penny show, a penny shave,
There's blacking for a penny too,
A penny biscuit—all must waive
Their claims in favour of the Universal Penny Postage.
A penny show, a penny shave,
There's blacking for a penny too,
A penny biscuit—all must waive
Their claims in favour of the Universal Penny Postage.
For all things now there's some new way—
To write, to seal, to fold, to pay;
And you must talk in idioms new,
And when you mean Post-paid must say,
"Prepaid," by order of the Universal Penny Postage.
To write, to seal, to fold, to pay;
And you must talk in idioms new,
And when you mean Post-paid must say,
"Prepaid," by order of the Universal Penny Postage.
If aught's not new the wonder's great,
The tables are so turned of late,
E'en useful tables, though so true:
Your half-ounce makes one penny-weight,
According to the school of Universal Penny Postage.
The tables are so turned of late,
E'en useful tables, though so true:
Your half-ounce makes one penny-weight,
According to the school of Universal Penny Postage.
Who'd think our great authorities
Would do a thing so (penny) wise?
(Pound foolish things we know they do!)
How now in history they'll rise!—
The Government that gave the Universal Penny Postage.
Would do a thing so (penny) wise?
(Pound foolish things we know they do!)
How now in history they'll rise!—
The Government that gave the Universal Penny Postage.