There came a Grecian Admiral to pale Britannia's shore--
In Eighteen Ninety-eight he came, and anchored off the Nore;
An ultimatum he despatched (I give the text complete),
Addressing it "_To Kurio_, the Premier, Downing-street." [1]

"Whereas the sons of Liberty with indignation view
The number of dependencies which governed are by you--
With Hellas (Freedom's chosen land) we purpose to unite
Some part of those dependencies--let's say the Isle of Wight."

"The Isle of Wight!" said Parliament, and shuddered at the word,
"Her Majesty's at Osborne, too--of course, the thing's absurd!"
And this response Lord Salisbury eventually gave:
"Such transfers must attended be by difficulties grave."

"My orders," said the Admiral, "are positive and flat:
I am not in the least deterred by obstacles like that:
We're really only acting in the interests of peace:
Expansion is a nation's law--we've aims sublime in Greece."

With that Britannia blazed amain with patriotic flames!
They built a hundred ironclads and launched them in the Thames:
They girded on their fathers' swords, both commoners and peers;
They mobilized an Army Corps, and drilled the Volunteers!

The Labour Party armed itself, invasion's path to bar,
"Truth" and the "Daily Chronicle" proclaimed a Righteous War;
Sir William Harcourt stumped the towns that sacred fire to fan,
And Mr Gladstone every day sent telegrams from Cannes.