The Lion’s Council of State

A lion held a court for state affairs:
Why? That is not your business, Sir, ’twas theirs!
He called the elephants for counsellors--still
The council-board was incomplete;
And the king deemed it fit
With asses all the vacancies to fill.
Heaven help the state--for lo! the bench of asses
The bench of elephants by far surpasses.

He was a fool--the foresaid king--you’ll say;
Better have kept those places vacant surely,
Than fill them up so poorly.
O no! that’s not the royal way;
Things have been done for ages thus--and we
Have a deep reverence for antiquity:
Nought worse, Sir, than to be, or to appear
Wiser and better than our fathers were.

The list must be complete, even though you make it
Complete with asses; for the lion saw
Such had for ages been the law--
He was no radical to break it!

“Besides,” he said, “my elephants’ good sense
Will soon my asses’ ignorance diminish,
For wisdom has a mighty influence.”
They made a pretty finish!
The asses’ folly soon obtained the sway;
The elephants became as dull as they!