"With gold and fear and hate "I have harnessed state to state, "And with hate and fear and gold their hates are tied. "For hate men seek a weapon, for fear they seek a shield "Keener blades and broader targes than their frantic neighbours wield "For gold I arm their hands, "And for gold I buy their lands, "And for gold I sell their enemies the yield. "Their nearest foes may purchase, or their furthest friends may lease, "One by one from Ancient Accad to the Islands of the Seas. "And their covenants they make "For the naked iron's sake, "But I-I trap them armoured into peace. "The flocks that Egypt pledged me to Assyria I drave, "And Pharaoh hath the increase of the herds that Sargon gave. "Not for Ashdod overthrown "Will the Kings destroy their own, "Or their peoples wake the strife they feign to brave. THE PEACE OF DIVES "Is not Calno like Carchemish? For the steeds of their desire "They have sold me seven harvests that I sell to Crowning Tyre; "And the Tyrian sweeps the plains "With a thousand hired wains, "And the Cities keep the peace and-share the hire. "Hast thou seen the pride of Moab? For the swords about his path, "His bond is to Philistia, in half of all he hath; "And he dare not draw the sword "Till Gaza give the word, "And he show release from Askalon and Gath. "Wilt thou call again thy peoples, wilt thou craze anew thy Kings? "Lo! my lightnings pass before thee, and their whistling servant brings, "Ere the drowsy street hath stirred "Every masked and midnight word, "And the nations break their fast upon these things. "So I make a jest of Wonder, and a mock of Time and Space, "The roofless Seas an hostel, and the Earth a market place, "Where the anxious traders know "Each is surety for his foe, "And none may thrive without his fellows' grace. "Now this is all my subtlety and this is all my wit, "God give thee good enlightenment, My Master in the Pit. "But behold all Earth is laid "In the peace which I have made, "And behold I wait on thee to trouble it!" SOUTH AFRICA LIVED a woman wonderful, (May the Lord amend her!) Neither simple, kind, nor true, But her Pagan beauty drew Christian gentlemen a few Hotly to attend her. Christian gentlemen a few For she was South Africa, She was our South Africa, Africa all over! Half her land was dead with drouth, Half was red with battle; She was fenced with fire and sword, Plague on pestilence outpoured, Locusts on the greening sward And murrain on the cattle! True, ah true, and overtrue; That is why we love her! For she is South Africa, And she is South Africa, She is our South Africa, Africa all over! Bitter hard her lovers toiled, Scandalous their payment,Food forgot on trains derailed; Cattle-dung where fuel failed; Water where the mules had staled; And sackcloth for their raiment! So she filled their mouths with dust And their bones with fever; Greeted them with cruel lies; Treated them despiteful-wise; Meted them calamities Till they vowed to leave her. They took ship and they took sail, Raging, from her borders,— In a little, none the less, They forgat their sore duresse, And returned for orders! |