al bed-chamber and a cohort of
nurses, who cover his legs with kisses, and then dart furtively between
his horse's _jambes_ as if to escape the pressure of the crowd. Just
beyond these a throng of hucksters, market-women, butchers, bakers,
etc., vociferously urge him to accept their votive offerings of garden
truck, carrots, cabbages, parsnips, haunches of beef, baskets of French
rolls and the like, all of which the Prince proudly declines, whereupon
the vast concourse breaks forth into this wild chant to the air of

BINGEN ON THE RHINE.

From fountains bright at fair Versailles,
And gardens of St. Cloud--
With a rooster of the Gallic breed
To cock-a-doodle-do--

Behold! our Prince Imperial comes,
And in his hands a lance,
That erst he'll cross with German spears
For glory and for France.

They've ta'en his bib and tucker off,
And set him on a steed;
That he may ride where soldiers ride,
And bleed where soldiers bleed.

They've cut his curls of jetty hair,
And armed him _cap a pie_,
Until he looks as fair a knight
As France could wish to see.

Ho! ladies of the chamber,
Ho! nurses, gather near;
Your _charge_ upon a _charger_ waits
To shed the parting tear.

Come! kiss him for his mother,
_Et pour sa Majeste,_
And twine his brow with garlands of
The fadeless _fleurs de lis._

_Voila!_ who but a few moons gone
Of babies held the van,
Now wears his spurs and draws his blade
Like any other man!

Then come, ye courtly dames of France,
Oh! take him to your heart,
And cheer as only woman can
Our beardless BONAPARTE;

For ere another sun shall set,
Those lips cannot be kissed;
And through the grove and in the court
Their prattling will be missed.

The light that from those soft blue eyes
Now kindly answers thine,
Will flash where mighty armies tread,
Upon the banks of Rhine.

Yea, hide from him, as best you can,
All womanly alarms,
Nor smile with those who mocking cry,
"Behold! A _babe-in-arms!_"

A babe indeed! Oh! sland'rous tongues,
A Prince fresh from his smock,
Shows _manly_ proof if he can stand
The battle shout and shock.

And this is one on whom the g