What boundless gratitude one feels
To DESBOROUGH, inspiring chief,
For telling us: "One pound of eels
Is better than a loin of beef"
Of old, Popes made eel-breeding pay
(At least Lord DESBOROUGH says they did),
And cleared per annum in this way
Twelve hundred jingling, tingling quid.
In fact my brain in anguish reels
To think we never took a leaf