Classic Poem

And now — cross-buns and pancakes o'er —
Hail, Lords and Gentlemen, once more!
Thrice hail and welcome, Houses Twain!
The short eclipse of April-Day
Having (God grant it!) past away,
Collective Wisdom, shine again!

Come, Ayes and Noes, thro' thick and thin, —
With Paddy Holmes for whipperin, —
Whate'er the job, prepared to back it;
Come, voters of Supplies — bestowers
Of jackets upon trumpet-blowers,
At eighty mortal pounds the jacket!

Come — free, at length, from Joint-Stock cares —
Ye Senators of many Shares,
Whose dreams of premium knew no boundary;
So fond of aught like Company ,
That you would even have taken tea
(Had you been askt) with Mr. Goundry.

Come, matchless country-gentlemen;
Come, wise Sir Thomas — wisest then
When creeds and corn-lords are debated;
Come, rival even the Harlot Red,
And show how wholly into bread
A 'Squire is transubstantiated ,

Come, Lauderdale, and tell the world,
That — surely as thy scratch is curled
As never scratch was curled before —
Cheap eating does more harm than good;
And working-people spoiled by food,
The less they eat, will work the more.

Come, Goulburn, with thy glib defence
(Which thou 'dst have made for Peter's Pence)
Of Church-rates, worthy of a halter;
Two pipes of port ( old port, 'twas said
By honest New port) bought and paid
By Papists for the Orange Altar!

Come, Horton, with thy plan so merry
For peopling Canada from Kerry —
Not so much rendering Ireland quiet,
As grafting on the dull Canadians
That liveliest of earth's contagions,
The bull -pock of Hibernian riot!

Come all, in short, ye wondroust men
Of wit and wisdom, come again;
Tho' short your absence, all deplpore it —
Oh, come and show, whate'er men say,
That you can after April-Day,
Be just as — sapient as before it.