It was a gallant Irishman, and thus I heard him sing—
"To legislate at Westminster's a dull decorous thing:
But O in merry Austria's deliberative hall,
Bedad, the fun and divilment is simply kolossal!
"No base procedure rules restrain those wild untutored Czechs,
They have no vile formalities the patriot's soul to vex:
While we must catch the Speaker's eye before a word is said,
In free and happy Austria they blacken it instead.
"Cold water oft on me to throw is Mr Gully's whim,
But Dr Abrahamovitch has buckets thrown on him:
Quite pleasant and familiar are their dealings with the Chair—
We 'pull' sometimes the Speaker's 'leg'—they always pull his hair!
"When, for my own metropolis, I quit this formal scene,
And Ireland's native Parliament shall sit in College-green,
To keep the fun alive and fresh we'll bring a Czech or two
(The Czechs but not the Balances that Mr Gladstone knew):
"We'll have no dictatorial rule—no Peels or Gullys there—
But Dr Abrahamovitch shall fill the Speaker's chair:
'Tis he shall guide by gentle arts our legislative aims,
While Mr Dillon tweaks his nose and Healy calls him names."
It was an Irish patriot, and thus I heard him say—
"O set me in Vienna's walls, beneath the Kaiser's sway!
For since Home Rule I cannot get, 'tis there that I would be,
A-chivying the President, an Austrian M.P.!"