They bowed to me,
Kowtowed to me:
And how could I decline?
I sneered at them
And jeered at them,
But went, and drank their wine.
Don’t talk to me of impudence, deception, or audacity.
I worried them, I flurried them, I worked upon their fears:
And now they duly recognise my value and capacity,
And meekly let me lead them by their noses and their ears.