When the best of the race for home-ruling
Are those that Home-Rule most distrust;
As convinced that to trust Irish "tooling,"
Will bring Erin's car in the dust.
Home-Rule! 'Tis a compound sonorous,
Fine phrase on a green flag to fly;
But take stock of the stuff that's before us—
And who shall the Home-Rule supply?
Is't your own Irish Lords, Irish Commons,
Who adorned College Green long ago?