THE QUEEN'S AFTER-DINNER SPEECH 'Me loving subjects,' sez she, 'Here's me best respects,' sez she, 'An' I'm poud this day,' sez she, 'Of the illigant way,' sez she, 'Ye gave me the hand,' sez she, 'Whin I came to land,' sez she. 'There was some people said,' sez she, 'They was greatly in dread,' sez she, 'I'd be murthered or shot,' sez she, 'As like as not,' sez she, 'But 'tis mighty clear,' sez she, ''Tis not over here,' sez she, 'I have cause to fear,' sez she, ''Tis them Belgiums,' sez she, 'That's throwin' bombs,' sez she, 'And scarin' the life,' sez she, 'Out o' me son and the wife,' sez she. 'But in these parts,' sez she, 'They have warrum hearts,' sez she, 'And they like me well,' sez she, 'Barrin' Anna Parnell,' sez she. 'I dunno, Earl,' sez she, 'What's come to the girl,' sez she, 'And that other wan,' sez she, 'That Maud Gonne,' sez she, 'Dhressin' in black,' sez she, 'To welcome me back,' sez she; 'Though I don't care,' sez she, 'What they wear,' sez she, 'An' all that gammon,' sez she, 'About me bringin' famine,' sez she, 'Now Maud 'ill write,' sez she, 'That I brought the blight,' sez she, 'Or altered the saysons,' sez she, 'For some private raysins,' sez she, 'An' I think there's a slate,' sez she, 'Off Willie Yeats,' sez she. 'He should be at home,' sez she, 'French polishin' a poem,' sez she, 'An' not writin' letters,' sez she, 'About his betters,' sez she. 'Paradin' me crimes,' sez she, 'In the Irish Times,' sez she.... -- "Prose, Poems and Parodies of Percy French," 1925 -- Best known perhaps for his song writing skills, with "Mountains of Mourne" just one of the numerous songs he composed, William Percy French was also an entertainer, poet and painter. Born near Roscommon in 1854, he graduated from Trinity College Dublin as an engineer and worked for 7 years in Cavan as the 'Inspector of Drains'. During that time he wrote songs and painted, which he considered his true talent. After the death of his first wife he turned to the stage for a fulltime career. Today the watercolours of Percy French can fetch high prices but, with no desire to accumulate money himself, French frequently paid for his board and lodgings with paintings or gave them away to friends.