And having read it, the Pope made known
That its sentiments were, in good sooth, his own;
And heedless quite
Of the cause of right,
And grossly misled by party spite,
’Till he was moved to believe the worst
Of Ireland—libelled, maligned, aspersed—
The Pontiff published that famed “Decree,”
And filled the Unionist camp with glee.
Yes, it filled the Unionists’ hearts with hope,