[In one of its many attacks upon those urging the criminal prosecution of Governor Eyre and his underlings for atrocities committed while putting down the Morant uprising, Punch makes its usual attack on Exeter Hall and the Baptists. The text below was created using ABBYY FineReader software from the Hathi Digital Library Trust page images of a copy of the periodical in the University of Michigan Library. The engraving of Exeter Hall comes from the 1844 Illustrated London News. Click on it for more information. — George P. Landow]
On the right of the Strand, as you walk to the West,
The street of all London the finest and best,
You’ll see a Greek word on a portico tall:
The building behind it is Exeter Hall.
There people resort to hear spouters abuse
Mahommedans, Catholics, Pagans, and Jews,
Ex-drunkards talk cant, Irish clergymen brawl,
And fanatics howl nonsense in Exeter Hall.
The victim, just now, of its blather and blare,
Is a brave British gentleman, GOVERNOR EYRE,
Who, for saving Jamaica with powder and ball,
Has roused all the malice of Exeter Hall.
The Hall has its Pets, whom you must not attack,
And chiefly it pets QUASHI-BUNGO the black:
And if QUASHI-BUNGO quotes words from ST. PAUL,
It's ready to kiss him, is Exefer Hall.
At times QUASHI-BUNGO from Scripture refrains,
And chops up white people, and scoops out their brains;
Uprises at once the philanthropist squall,
“Of course you provoked him,” says Exeter Hall.
For some horrible murders performed by the Pet,
Eras gave him a lesson he'll never forget,
“You monster, you wretch! QUASHI-BUNGO to maul;
“We’ll hang you at Newgate,” cries Exeter Hall.
“We'll hear,” says JOHN BULL, “hold your jabber and row,
I’ve known my old friend, Mr. EYRE, before now.”
“He’s a NERO, a JEFFREYS, a GOVERNOR WALL,”
Cries, screaming with passion, mad Exeter Hall.
Now JOHN stops his ears to fanatical spite,
And suspends QUASHI-BUNGO was served very right,
But he’ll hear the whole story, not told in the drawl
And spasmodic bewailings of Exeter Hall.
But if, when the tale of Jamaica is told,
The QUEEN gives her thanks to the Governor bold,
What a bellow will burst from the favourite stall
Of the big bulls of Bashan in Exeter Hall!
Related material
Other Punch interventions in the Eyre Affair
- “An Awful Warning” (17 November 1866)
- “The Jamaica Committee” (26 January 1867)
- “Exeter Hall Spite” (27 January 1866)
- “The Bold Governor Eyre and the Bulls of Exeter Hall” (10 February 1866)
- “Free as Eyre” (6 April 1867)
Last modified 28 January 2016