第69章 THE TWO SPIRITS (1855)
Last night,when weary silence fell on all,And starless skies arose so dim and vast,I heard the Spirit of the Present call Upon the sleeping Spirit of the Past.
Far off and near,I saw their radiance shine,And listened while they spoke of deeds divine.
The Spirit of the Past.
My deeds are writ in iron;
My glory stands alone;
A veil of shadowy honour Upon my tombs is thrown;The great names of my heroes Like gems in history lie;To live they deemed ignoble,Had they the chance to die!
The Spirit of the Present.
My children,too,are honoured;
Dear shall their memory be To the proud lands that own them;Dearer than thine to thee;
For,though they hold that sacred Is God's great gift of life,At the first call of duty They rush into the strife!
The Spirit of the Past.
Then,with all valiant precepts Woman's soft heart was fraught;"Death,not dishonour,"echoed The war-cry she had taught.
Fearless and glad,those mothers,At bloody deaths elate,Cried out they bore their children Only for such a fate!
The Spirit of the Present.
Though such stern laws of honour Are faded now away,Yet many a mourning mother,With nobler grief than they,Bows down in sad submission:
The heroes of the fight Learnt at her knee the lesson,"For God and for the Right!"The Spirit of the Past.
No voice there spake of sorrow:
They saw the noblest fall With no repining murmur;Stern Fate was lord of all.
And when the loved ones perished,One cry alone arose,Waking the startled echoes,"Vengeance upon our foes!"The Spirit of the Present.
Grief dwells in France and England For many a noble son;Yet louder than the sorrow,"Thy will,Oh God,be done!"From desolate homes is rising One prayer,"Let carnage cease!
On friends and foes have mercy,Oh Lord,and give us peace!"The Spirit of the Past.
Then,every hearth was honoured That sent its children forth,To spread their country's glory,And gain her south or north.
Then,little recked they numbers,No band would ever fly,But stern and resolute they stood To conquer or to die.
The Spirit of the Present.
And now from France and England Their dearest and their best Go forth to succour freedom,To help the much oppressed;Now,let the far-off Future And Past bow down to-day,Before the few young hearts that hold Whole armaments at bay.
The Spirit of the Past.
Then,each one strove for honour,Each for a deathless name;Love,home,rest,joy,were offered As sacrifice to Fame.
They longed that in far ages Their deeds might still be told,And distant times and nations Their names in honour hold.
The Spirit of the Present.
Though nursed by such old legends,Our heroes of to-day Go cheerfully to battle As children go to play;They gaze with awe and wonder On your great names of pride,Unconscious that their own will shine In glory side by side!
Day dawned;and as the Spirits passed away,Methought I saw,in the dim morning grey,The Past's bright diadem had paled before The starry crown the glorious Present wore.