Genre:

Song, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Subjects:

Railways, Transport, Commerce, Charlatanry

    A parody of Leporello's aria, 'Madama, il catologo e questo' from Wolfgang A Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. According to PU1/15/24/6, Leporello is to be played by George Hudson and is the servant of John Bull, who is a railway speculator rather than a Lothario. He describes to Donna Elivira, who is played by Britannia, some of John Bull's nefarious speculations. He explains that his master has 'shares in plenty' in European railways, has 'millions' in English lines, that railway schemes have been 'suspended through his troubles', and that for most of his lines he believes in 'Paying nought, or paying less'. The illustration shows the Sphinx, with the face of Hudson, looking onto a steam locomotive and carriages running past it, possibly a reference to his Egyptian railway dealings.