Government that document it found,
And straightway drew the inference, though how I do not know,
Some Jew had sold to Germany this dreadful Bordereau.

'Tis all (they said) a Hebrew trick---a treasonable plan--
And, now we come to think of it, why Dreyfus is the man!
At any rate (they argued thus), it is for him to show
That he is not the criminal who sold the Bordereau.

Some hinted at another man, whose autograph it bore--
But this was Dreyfus' artifice, and proved his guilt the more:
No motive for the horrid deed confessedly he had:
And crimes which are gratuitous are nearly twice as bad.

They caught that Jew (did Government) and charged him with the sale;
They proved his guilt--or said they did--and shut him up in gaol;
And then, their case to justify and show their verdict true,
They took and baited every one who called himself a Jew.

These incidents an uproar caused like Donnybrook its Fair:
Wherever Frenchmen met to talk 'twas Pandemonium there:
And anywhere except in France you'd argue from events
That Ministers had rather lost the public confidence.

Then spake the German Government (and here I must deplore
The fact that they had not presumed to mention it before):
"Although," they said respectfully, "we would not interfere
With any Angelegenheit outside our proper sphere--

Why make this quite-essentially-unnecessary fuss?
This compromising document was never sold to us:
Potztausend!" said the Chancellor, "upon my honour, no!
We have not got and do not want your precious Bordereau!"

This rather struck the Ministers, in Paris where they sat:
They took and read the Bordereau: they had not yet done that.
'Twas found to mention obvious facts which any one might know--
No horrid revelations lurked within the Bordereau!

And did they set poor Dreyfus free, the due amends to make,
Regain the public confidence by owning their mistake,
And cease for popularity by sordid means to bid?
These are the things they might have done; but this is what they did:--

They said, those Gallic Ministers, "Undoubtedly it's true
The document has not been sold, and is not worth a _sou_;
But as the man's in prison now, why, there he's got to stay--
_Que voulez-vous_?" they simply said, "it is a _Chose Jugee_!"

This artless little narrative is specially designed
To illustrate the workings of the Gallic statesman's mind;
And till they chang