H A DECADE AND A SEPTENNATE. 出 X. There be who hold within their hand the mighty things of state, XI. And while the peoples 'neath their sway are trampled in the dust XII. Yet would they talk of "royal blood" or boast of "right Divine", TRUE NOBILITY. OBILITY exists alone in character and worth; Of " one blood only God hath made all nations upon earth": The high, the low, uncrowned and crowned, the wealthy and the poor, The proud patrician and the prince, the peasant and the boor. XIV. Each man's nobility is proved by thought and word and deed, Nor can his father's virtues once for his ill-deeds atone. XV. Thus there be some who realize their proud and high estate, And only as His servants seek for honour and renown: XVI. Who while they hold the foremost place, know their deep need to learn, Remembering that they also have a King all kings above, And studying, like that King, to rule in wisdom and in love. SOLOMON'S CHOICE. NCE on a time, in eastern land a youthful monarch dwelt, XVIII. And God was pleased to listen to that youthful king's request, XIX. And doubt we not in modern days that England's youthful Queen In humble prayer for strength and grace by God was often seen; That He an understanding heart would to His servant give, That she in wisdom and in worth might speak and act and live. 出 XX. And now that two score years have passed since that auspicious day THE RIGHT DIVINE. N every house where God is feared and Christian virtues shine XXII. Such is the type of the great King who ruleth over all, XXIII. ANCIENT OF DAYS, ETERNAL, I AM, JEHOVAH, LORD, Through everlasting circling years unknown and unexplored; Yet taking to Himself through Christ, these names all names above- XXIV. And such, too, is the type of power for ruling empires great, DULCE DOMUM. UCH was the sphere, Princess beloved, in which thy lot was cast : XXVI. Thy royal mother's senators her just dominion own, But they in chief direct affairs though she sits on the throne; XXVII. Thy father was a king who ruled within the royal dome, XXVIII. Thus each to each in loyalty a loving will inclined, She with a heart most womanly, and he a regal mind; In their respective spheres of life they wrought and ruled and reigned, And in the ways of usefulness the olive-branches trained. THE RIVEN OAK. ND so the years slipped by, Princess, till thou hadst come of age, And brightly shone the morning sun on life's now radiant page; And loyal hearts beat high for thee and him thou stood'st beside, A DECADE AND A SEPTENNATE. XXX. And then drew on the closing weeks of the old dying year, And happy, joyous Christmas-tide approached each day more near, When the unbroken peace was marred by one o'erwhelming stroke, And the relentless shaft of death laid low the Royal Oak. XXXI. The issue of men's lives and deaths are in the Sovereign hand 'Tis our's to bend submissive down before the high decree. XXXII. So, if thy father's sun scarce rose to it's meridian height SPRING BUDS. ND thou it was, in filial love, who blessed his closing hours XXXIV. And when it was made known to thee on that momentous day The father whom thou lovedst so well had passed from earth away, Such was the shock to thy young heart that thou, too, wast laid low, And fears were felt lest thou as well hadst sunk beneath the blow. XXXV. But thou wast spared to comfort her who chiefly felt the smart, And leaning on thy husband's arm, thou spedd'st upon thy way. XXXVI. And if upon another soil thy future home was placed, Thy well-known features from our minds were not for that effaced; And though the "silver streak" might serve to keep our forms apart, Thou wast the "Princess Alice" still to every loyal heart. THE STRAY SHEEP. E knew not then, we know not now, what was thy inner life, XXXVIII. But idle ears or sland'rous tongues, capricious in their praise, XXXIX. Save only if the tale be true that thou didst heed awhile XL. Till God, in mercy to thy soul, took Home thy darling child, And led thee, plunged in darkness, back from the bleak desert wild; WITHIN THE FOLD. UT once brought safely back again, and housed within the fold, XLII. Methinks vain speculations were no longer now indulged, And in unreasoning reasoning thy thoughts were seldom plunged; For in the boldest ventures of the farthest-seeing mind In vain thou wouldest search for peace-would'st search, but never find. XLIII. Hence the false doctrines failed to yield to thee their former zest, The ore, when subjected to heat, was found but base alloy, XLIV. Thus it was only unto Him to solace those in grief -The MAN OF SORROWS-thou didst point for succour and relief: To Him who spake the precious words to all with care opprest, "YE HEAVY-LADEN COME TO ME, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST." THE CLASH OF ARMS. EANWHILE, the trump of war was heard in hovel and in hall, XLVI. Depriving of a father's care ten myriad girls and boys, Blighting their childhood and their youth, to woes transforming joys; Filling with human blood the streets, the meadows, and the brooks, Changing men's ploughshares into swords, to spears their pruning-hooks: XLVII. Strewing with desolation dire the valley and the plain, Wantonly burning human food, God's glorious, golden grain! Pillaging temples, laying homesteads level with the dust, Giving licentiousness uncheck'd to plunder and to lust! XLVIII. And if thou wert exempted then from more appalling harm, THE IRONY OF HEROISM. OO soon the hospitals were filled with dying and with dead, The wound to dress, the anguish soothe, or cool the burning tongue. A DECADE AND A SEPTENNATE. L. Strange irony of regal life! grim paradox of war! Fantastic forms of courage rise our hazy view before; LI. Princes who are but tender lads are taught to show their skill, Of counteracting the results such ghastly work involves. LII. The husband goes to battle forth to torture and to slay, DISTINGUISHED VALOUR. EN practise in their early days on foxes and on hares, LIV. And when they grow to riper years such practice bears its fruit, Souls red with ten-fold murder they deem the ones for fame, LV. I asked what meant the medal that a doughty soldier wore: Distinguished valour on the field" were the words it bore; "One morn ere he had breakfasted," that warrior answer made, "Nine men in death upon the ground he valiantly had laid!" LVI. Distinguished valour! holy God, ope Thou our rulers' eyes, Make them discern wherein with Thee distinguished valour lies: O, Lord, have mercy on us! and to keep this sacred law"Thou shalt not kill "-incline our hearts in time of peace and war. RETRIBUTION. HE struggle ended, and the Power that called that struggle forth, Gave up the sword, for ever sheathed, and fell before Sedan. LVIII. And those who floated to the top on revolution's flood To grasp at place and power by means of perfidy and blood, LIX. Fit ending! would to God when kings and nations fiercely burn, That whatsoe'er is sown in spring the autumn must produce, |