Volume 158 — PAISLEY TO THE RESCUE OF THE COALITION.

Welcome, for Old Long Since's sake, Home to your ancient seat! It needed only this to make My cup of joy complete; The weary waiting time is past; The yawning vacuum is mended; And here we have you back at last— Oh, Herbert, this is splendid! As one whose wisdom overflows With human nature's lore, You know they make the keenest foes Who have been friends before; We loved as only Liberals do Until their rival sabres rattle And Greek joins Greek (like me and you)— Then is the tug of battle. As an old Parliamentary hand Familiar with the ropes, Those perils you will understand With which a Premier copes Whose big battalions run to seed, Having indulged a taste for slacking, And let their muscles moult for need Of foemen worth the whacking. Such was my case. By habit's use They still obeyed the whip, But loyal zeal grew limp and loose And things were left to rip; I had no hope to stay the rot And fortify their old affections (Save for the stimulus they got From losing by-elections). Daily I took, to keep me fit, My tonic in The Times; Daily recovered tone and grit Reading about my crimes; But one strong foe is what we lack To put us on our best behaviour; That's why in you I welcome back The Coalition's saviour. O.S.