[Illustration: THE "SALUTE!" OR, TAKING HIS MEASURE.]

(OPENING OF SESSION, FEB. 11, 1890.)

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THE "SALUTE;" OR, TAKING DISTANCE.

"When the assault is given in the presence of spectators, it is not
uncommon to precede it by the Salute, which shows the scheme and
various figures, as it were, of the attack and defence in a precise,
ceremonious manner, and with the same kind of courtly ritual as that
which distinguishes the minuet."--_H. A. Colmore Dunn's "Fencing"._

There, standing face to face, foil in hand,
Just out of lunging range they salute,
Who anon, swordsman stark, old fencer grand,
Must fight their duel out, foot to foot.
Mere preliminary flourish, all of this;
The punctilio of "form" without a fault;
But soon the blades shall counter, clash, and twist,
In assault.

The ritual of the rapier or the foil;
Vastly pretty ceremonial parade.
Merest preface to the hot and breathless toil
Of the fencers fiercely battling blade to blade.
In position! Featly, formally on guard,
Engage the blades in quarte. But by-and-by
Every subtle thrust and parry, feint and ward,
Each will try.

Foible to foible! Measure distance! Lunge!
Now the thrust ends in the merest harmless touch;
But ere the beaten man throws up the sponge,
As the boxers say, relaxing his hilt-clutch,
There'll be lunges and ripostes of other sort.
Firm foot and steady hand must be their friend;
The encounter will be struggle, not mere sport,
Ere the end.

First to left and then to right! Parry of quarte!
In pronation by a turn of supple wrist!
Parry in tierce! All elegant and smart;
But the lethal thrust no parry can resist
Comes not in this preliminary play.
The defender, so complacent and erect,
Will show another pose another day,
We suspect.

And that grey Grand Old Assailant, who's expert
At beat and re-beat, press, and graze, and bind,
Will try his best at a disabling hurt;
It is not mere parade that's in his mind.
Meanwhile he's taking measure of his foe,
Meanwhile his foe of him is taking stock;
And anon they'll come together in a glow,
With a shock!

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THE PREMIER'S POWER.

_Brief Fragment of a current Historical Romance._

[It is whispered that the PRIME MINISTER