They take their mirth in the joy of the Earth-they dare not grieve for her pain.

They know of toil and the end of toil; they know God's Law is plain;

So they whistle the Devil to make them sport who know that Sin is vain.

And oft-times cometh our wise Lord God, master of every

trade,

And tells them tales of His daily toil, of Edens newly made; And they rise to their feet as He passes by, gentlemen un

afraid.

To these who are cleansed of base Desire, Sorrow and Lust and Shame

Gods for they knew the hearts of men, men for they stooped to Fame

Borne on the breath that men call Death, my brother's spirit came.

He scarce had need to doff his pride or slough the dross of Earth

E'en as he trod that day to God so walked he from his birth, In simpleness and gentleness and honour and clean mirth.

So cup to lip in fellowship they gave him welcome high And made him place at the banquet board-the Strong Men ranged thereby,

Who had done his work and held his peace and had no fear to die.

Beyond the loom of the last lone star, through open darkness hurled,

Further than rebel comet dared or hiving star-swarm swirled, Sits he with those that praise our God for that they served His world.

TO THE TRUE ROMANCE

1893

THY face is far from this our war,
Our call and counter-cry,

I shall not find Thee quick and kind,
Nor know Thee till I die.
Enough for me in dreams to see
And touch Thy garments' hem:
Thy feet have trod so near to God
I may not follow them!

Through wantonness if men profess
They weary of Thy parts,
E'en let them die at blasphemy

And perish with their arts;
But we that love, but we that prove
Thine excellence august,

While we adore, discover more
Thee perfect, wise, and just.

Since spoken word Man's Spirit stirred Beyond his belly-need,

What is is Thine of fair design

In Thought and Craft and Deed.
Each stroke aright of toil and fight,
That was and that shall be,
And hope too high wherefore we die,
Has birth and worth in Thee.

Who holds by Thee hath Heaven in fee
To gild his dross thereby,

And knowledge sure that he endure
A child until he die-

For to make plain that man's disdain
Is but new Beauty's birth-

For to possess in singleness
The joy of all the earth.

As Thou didst teach all lovers speech
And Life all mystery,

So shalt Thou rule by every school
Till life and longing die,

Who wast or yet the Lights were set,
A whisper in the Void,

Who shalt be sung through planets young
When this is clean destroyed.

Beyond the bounds our staring rounds,
Across the pressing dark,

The children wise of outer skies
Look hitherward and mark

A light that shifts, a glare that drifts,
Rekindling thus and thus,
Not all forlorn, for Thou hast borne
Strange tales to them of us.

Time hath no tide but must abide
The servant of Thy will;

Tide hath no time, for to Thy rhyme
The ranging stars stand still-
Regent of spheres that lock our fears
Our hopes invisible,

Oh 't was certes at Thy decrees

We fashioned Heaven and Hell!

Pure Wisdom hath no certain path
That lacks thy morning-eyne,
And Captains bold by Thee controlled
Most like to Gods design.

Thou art the Voice to kingly boys
To lift them through the fight,
And Comfortress of Unsuccess,

To give the Dead good-night.

A veil to draw 'twixt God His Law
And Man's infirmity,

A shadow kind to dumb and blind
The shambles where we die;
A rule to trick th' arithmetic,
Too base, of leaguing odds-
The spur of trust, the curb of lust,
Thou handmaid of the Gods!

O Charity, all patiently

Abiding wrack and scaith!

O Faith, that meets ten thousand cheats Yet drops no jot of faith!

Devil and brute Thou dost transmute

To higher, lordlier show,
Who art in sooth that lovely Truth
The careless angels know!

Thy face is far from this our war,
Our call and counter-cry,
I may not find Thee quick and kind,
Nor know Thee till I die.

Yet may I look with heart unshook
On blow brought home or missed-

Yet may I hear with equal ear
The clarions down the List;
Yet set my lance above mischance
And ride the barriere—

Oh, hit or miss, how little 't is,
My Lady is not there!

SESTINA OF THE TRAMP-ROYAL

1896

SPEAKIN' in general, I 'ave tried 'em all—
The 'appy roads that take you o'er the world.
Speakin' in general, I 'ave found them good
For such as cannot use one bed too long,
But must get 'ence, the same as I 'ave done,
An' go observin' matters till they die.

What do it matter where or 'ow we die,
So long as we've our 'ealth to watch it all-
The different ways that different things are done,
An' men an' women lovin' in this world;
Takin' our chances as they come along,
An' when they ain't, pretendin' they are good?

In cash or credit-no, it aren't no good;
You 'ave to 'ave the 'abit or you'd die,
Unless you lived your life but one day long,
Nor didn't prophesy nor fret at all,

But drew your tucker some'ow from the world,
An' never bothered what you might ha' done.

But, Gawd, what things are they I 'aven't done!
I've turned my 'and to most, an' turned it good,
In various situations round the world-

but For 'im that doth not work must surely die;

But that's no reason man should labour all

'Is life on one same shift-life's none so long.

Therefore, from job to job I've moved along.
Pay couldn't 'old me when my time was done,
For something in my 'ead upset it all,