82 LIFE IN IRELAND 



Mighty monarch of the seas, 

 Form'd the fair and brave to please, 



And keep the world in awe ; 

 Lo ! he treads the Irish ground, 

 Wh — s and rogues his form surround, 



Wide he opes his royal jaw, 



Loud he bellows ' Eiren go bragh ! ' 



Sir Shawn confessed the thing was rather rude, 

 ' but,' said he, 'every one is not obliged to praise his 

 Majesty, and if his presence does not dispel our 

 political animosities, it will soothe them for a while, in 

 spite of the slander of newspapers and pamphleteers.' 



Grammachree was now bundled into a hackney- 

 coach, Sir Shawn walked home to Merion Square, 

 and, as it was not later than one o'clock, Brian called 

 for another bottle, and sat down determined to write a 

 full, true, and particular account of His Majesty's land- 

 ing at Howth, in opposition to the lies he had read in 

 the newspapers. 



Brian's muse always kept him company when he 

 was alone, and on this occasion he had finished nearly 

 a whole sheet of paper before he perceived he was 

 writing in rhyme ; it was too late to retrograde, so my 

 readers must follow his Pegasus to the end of his 

 journey, or throw down the book, which he pleases; — 

 if he pleases himself, he will never offend me. 



Rumour, a wicked sprite of Irish breed, 

 On which all ranks have appetite to feed, 

 Travell'd to London with dear Dublm's May'r, 

 Then backward flew upon the fields of air, 

 And whisper'd, as o'er Beggar's Bush he past, 

 * King George is coming, and that mighty fast.' 



