The Gladstone Alphabet.

A's Aristides, or Gladstone the Good;         B is Lord B., whom I'd crush if I could.         C are Conservatives, full of mad pranks;         D are the Dunces who fill up their ranks.         E stands for Ewelme, of some notoriety;         F for the Fuss made in Oxford society.         G stands for Gladstone, a hewer of wood;         H is my Hatchet of merciless mood.         I is the Irish Church which I cut down:         J are the Jobs which I kill with a frown,         K are the Knocks which I give and I take:         L are the Liberals whom I forsake.         M are the Ministry whom I revile;         N are the Noodles my speeches beguile.         O is the Office I mean to refuse:         P is the Premier - I long for his shoes.         Q are the Qualms of my conscience refined;         R is the Rhetoric nothing can bind,         S is Herr Schliemann who loves much to walk about         T ancient Troy, which I love much to talk about.         U is the Union of Church and State;         V are my former Views, now out of date.         W is William, the People's 'True Bill,'         X is the Exit from power of that 'Will.'         Y is Young England, who soon will unite         Z in fresh Zeal for the 'People's Delight.'         (1879)