L'Ancien Regime; or, The Good Old Rule

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king,
Our king all kings above ?
A young girl brought him love ;
And he dowered her with shame,
With a sort of infamous fame.
And then with lonely years
Of penance and bitter tears :
Love is scarcely the thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king ?
A statesman brought him planned
Justice for all the land ;
And he in recompense got
Fierce struggle with brigue and plot,
Then a fall from lofty place
Into exile and disgrace :
Justice is never the thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king ?
A writer brought him truth ;
And first he imprisoned the youth ;
And then he bestowed a free pyre
That the works might have plenty of fire,
And also to cure the pain
Of the headache called thought in the brain :
Truth is a very bad thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king ?
The people brought their sure
Loyalty fervid and pure ;
And he gave them bountiful spoil
Of taxes and hunger and toil,
Ignorance, brutish plight,
And wholesale slaughter in fight :
Loyalty's quite the worst thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

AVho has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king ?
A courtier brought to his feet
Servihty graceful and sweet,
With an ever ready smile
And an ever supple guile ;
And he got in reward the place
Of the statesman in disgrace :
Servility's always a thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king ?
A soldier brought him war,
La glotre, la victoire
Ravage and carnage and groans,
For the pious Te Deum tones ;
And he got in return for himself
Rank and honours and pelf :
War is a very fine thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king ?
A harlot brought him her flesh.
Her lusts, and the manifold mesh
Of her wiles intervolved with caprice ;
And he gave her his realm to fleece,
To corrupt, to ruin, and gave
Himself for her toy and her slave :
Harlotry's just the thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Who has a thing to bring
For a gift to our lord the king.
Our king who fears to die ?
A priest brought him a lie.
The blackness of hell uprolled
In heaven's shining gold ;
And he got as guerdon for that
A see and a cardinal's hat :
A lie is an excellent thing
To bring as a gift for our king.

Has any one yet a thing
For a gift to our lord the king ?
The country gave him a tomb,
A magnificent sleeping-room ;
And for this it obtained some rest,
Clear riddance of many a pest,
And a hope which it much enjoyed
That the throne would continue void :
A tomb IS the very best thing
For a gift to our lord the king.