Tions, verses by the way
For which he has a curious predilection,
And Mr. Werther’s work
Called ‘England shall not shirk,’
Or ‘The Cape to Cairo, Kairouan and Cadiz,’
And ‘Burke,’ and ‘Who is Who,’
And ‘Men and Women’ too,
And ‘Etiquette for Gentlemen and Ladies,’”
Et cetera, et cetera.
All that lyric depends entirely for its effects upon the little Venetian air taken from Sullivan, who himself took it from Verdi, who got it from a Gondolier. The words by themselves have no beauty whatsoever.