24 MAY 1968, Page 8

Le Roi Soleil

CHRISTOPHER HOLLIS

'And Kings creep out again to take the Sun.'— Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Conquering Kings their captions take From policies they plan to make: Cecil in a harsher hash From the man he hopes to smash.

For, though gnomes are not impressed When reserves are window-dressed, Yet banking habits such as these Are occupational disease

That's the way it's always done.

When Kings creep out to take the sun, `Up Jenkins, up' the comrades cry, And, though they aren't quite certain why, And some of them beyond a doubt Would cheer enough were Harold out, The crowd is singularly thin That has much wish for Cecil in.