“Bonnie Bar-gee” by Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910) (original) (raw)

Envisaged here are three grotesques: the Corporation itself as a turtle, holding Gog and Magog, the mythological giants whose conflict resulted in the foundation of the capital (see Weinreb et al. 327-28). Their statues have graced the Guidhall's Great Hall for centuries. The former, with laurel wreath and Roman sandals and garb, represents the ancient past; the latter, originally a Trojan invader, is seen here as a captive with ball and chain. Nevertheless, the pair are quite happy together, both merrily dipping their ladles into a soup bowl with a tap over it.

As for the choice of a turtle to represent the Lord Mayor, apparently turtle soup was a favourite at municipal banquets; this also explains the use of the words, "Calipash, Calipee," which are the terms for the upper and lower shells of a turtle. The tap is coming out of the turtle’s stomach to fill the bowl, from which the two figures are ladling their soup. The Lord Mayor at this time (1879-80) was Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott (1824–1895). Blaming him for his support of the idea, Sambourne suggests the self-indulgence and folly of erecting such an obstacle in the middle of the road. The title, "Bonnie Bar-gee" seems to suggest that the grotesques are sailing down the Strand in a barge — with a double pun on the word "barge" to refer to the Temple Bar itself, and also to the fact that the ill-conceived monument is getting in the way.

"'Tis a jolly conception!" — 'twas TRUSCOTT who spoke —
"Though Temple Bar's gone, we can still have our joke;
So let each civic wag who loves humour and me,
Vote for putting this Stone where the Bar; used to be.
Come, out with your trowels, and up with the Stone,
Though Cabmen may cavil, and Bus-drivers groan.
We care for no pleadings or warnings — not we!
For it's up with the cry — 'Calipash! Calipee!'"

Now the Stone is erected, objectors are beat,
And the Civic wags laugh at the block in the Fleet,
While TRUSCOTT, the joker, cries, "Well, as you see,
'Tis a noble memorial of humour and ME!"
So crash goes the hansom, and smash goes the van,
There's a mingling together of horse, wheel, and man,
Just over the spot where the Bar used to be
They triumphantly cry, "Calipash! Calipee!"

There are fools in the East as in West, South, or North,
But there yet may be time ere the edict go forth,
Since there are sober men who the reason can't see
For obstructing the Fleet where the Bar used to be.
Come, put up the trowels, and leave well alone;
Come, abandon the scheme, and have done with the Stone!
For if once set up, 'twould a laughing-stock be,
To be fitly inscribed "Calipash! Calipee!"

Image capture and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee, with text by Banerjee and Shirley Nicholson. You may use the image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the Hathi Trust and the University of Michigan and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

Bibliography

Punch 78-79 (1880): 122. Hathi Trust. Contributed by the University of Michigan. Web. 19 April 2022.

Weinreb, Ben, Christopher Hibbert, Julia Keay and John Keay. The London Encyclopaedia. New ed. London: Macmillan, 2008.

Created 20 April 2022