 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
KING DEATH'S DECISION.
King Death one day, while quaffing from a chalice
Made of a human skull, his jet-black wine,
Quoth in a jeering tone—“In this my palace,
I wonder who, of all these friends of mine
Does me most service?
Made of a human skull, his jet-black wine,
Quoth in a jeering tone—“In this my palace,
I wonder who, of all these friends of mine
Does me most service?
484
Then spake out Fever, with his red eyes glaring,
And his pulse beating with a hurried throb—
“Sire, 'twere an outrage past a spirit's bearing,
Did any one an effort make to rob
Me of that honor?
And his pulse beating with a hurried throb—
“Sire, 'twere an outrage past a spirit's bearing,
Did any one an effort make to rob
Me of that honor?
“For I evoke the poisonous exhalations
From base to attic in the tenement den,
Lurk underneath the tropic vegetation,
And from the surface of the western fen
Scatter malaria.
From base to attic in the tenement den,
Lurk underneath the tropic vegetation,
And from the surface of the western fen
Scatter malaria.
“Whatever part may be to me allotted;
Whatever name they give me as they run—
Enteric, Yellow, Typhus, Dengue, or Spotted—
You always find my work so surely done
That none escape me.
Whatever name they give me as they run—
Enteric, Yellow, Typhus, Dengue, or Spotted—
You always find my work so surely done
That none escape me.
“And for this service rendered, whatsoever
The rest may boast, their merits though I own,
I claim as meed of a sustained endeavor,
To stand at least the nearest to the throne
Of my great master.”
The rest may boast, their merits though I own,
I claim as meed of a sustained endeavor,
To stand at least the nearest to the throne
Of my great master.”
Then War arose, and, as his accents thund'red,
The other spirits shuddered in their fear—
“I have,” he cried, “in one day slain a hundred
For every one he slays within a year—
Let him be silent!”
The other spirits shuddered in their fear—
“I have,” he cried, “in one day slain a hundred
For every one he slays within a year—
Let him be silent!”
Now Famine spake. “My liege, my work though slower
Than some has been, was surely done, and well;
And that my victims are in sense no lower
Than those of others here, let figures tell—
And figures lie not.
Than some has been, was surely done, and well;
And that my victims are in sense no lower
Than those of others here, let figures tell—
And figures lie not.
485
“Let those who doubt seek some beleaguered city,
Or the wide fields where drought the corn-ear smites.
Where starving wretches have nor fear nor pity,
Where hunger's pang all natural feeling blights,
And men grow demons.”
Or the wide fields where drought the corn-ear smites.
Where starving wretches have nor fear nor pity,
Where hunger's pang all natural feeling blights,
And men grow demons.”
Then Plague exclaimed—“I ask all boldly whether
I have not slain, and suddenly, far more
Than Fever, War, and Famine put together,
Let my name then on Honor's pinions soar,
First of your nobles.”
I have not slain, and suddenly, far more
Than Fever, War, and Famine put together,
Let my name then on Honor's pinions soar,
First of your nobles.”
Murther, indignant, while the dark blood spouted,
Even as he spake, from some new victim's vein,
Cried—“I your eldest courtier am undoubted;
I was your servant in the days of Cain;
I gave your empire!
Even as he spake, from some new victim's vein,
Cried—“I your eldest courtier am undoubted;
I was your servant in the days of Cain;
I gave your empire!
“I found grim Death a shadow, fixed the rover,
And this broad realm I gave him mastery o'er,
A sway that shall not fail till all be over,
And the world end, and time shall be no more,
And God give judgment.”
And this broad realm I gave him mastery o'er,
A sway that shall not fail till all be over,
And the world end, and time shall be no more,
And God give judgment.”
King Death, who still is just, had gone no further
To seek the chiefest of his servants there,
But given the place of honor unto Murther,
Had not arisen, with stern and solemn air,
A terrible spirit.
To seek the chiefest of his servants there,
But given the place of honor unto Murther,
Had not arisen, with stern and solemn air,
A terrible spirit.
“I am,” it said, “Railway Assassination;
All these are weakling fiends compared to me;
I lie concealed at every railway station;
I break up wheels, and often pleasantly
I misturn switches.
All these are weakling fiends compared to me;
I lie concealed at every railway station;
I break up wheels, and often pleasantly
I misturn switches.
486
“When through the mountain gorges swiftly sweeping
The iron horse goes rushing on his trail,
I lie in wait, and, in his pathway creeping,
I stay his progress with a broken rail,
Hurling him headlong.
The iron horse goes rushing on his trail,
I lie in wait, and, in his pathway creeping,
I stay his progress with a broken rail,
Hurling him headlong.
“Those who have 'scaped from Famine, War, and Fever,
Whom Murther's knife hath never reached at all,
Though life woo sweetly, they are forced to leave her,
And lay their soulless corpses at my call,
Mangled and ghastly.
Whom Murther's knife hath never reached at all,
Though life woo sweetly, they are forced to leave her,
And lay their soulless corpses at my call,
Mangled and ghastly.
“'Tis true that Vigilance and Care might slay me—
I have no fear of those—they cost too much;
So let the rest a fitting homage pay me;
And judge thou, sire, if aught too great I clutch
In grasping honor!”
I have no fear of those—they cost too much;
So let the rest a fitting homage pay me;
And judge thou, sire, if aught too great I clutch
In grasping honor!”
Then Death arising, said—“Not 'mid my dearest
And trusted counsellors thy place alone;
But, to my person and my state the nearest,
Thy place is here, beside me on my throne,
Co-King and brother!”
And trusted counsellors thy place alone;
But, to my person and my state the nearest,
Thy place is here, beside me on my throne,
Co-King and brother!”
The two embraced. Death's bony back was to me;
But well enough I saw the other's face:
And, as I marked its outlines hard and gloomy,
A startling likeness I could clearly trace,
To whom I say not.
But well enough I saw the other's face:
And, as I marked its outlines hard and gloomy,
A startling likeness I could clearly trace,
To whom I say not.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |