 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
774
THROUGH YELLOW SPECTACLES.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And walked about the streets,
And heard the modern Babel's cries,
Where fraud with folly meets;
I saw the swindler rising up,
The hero going down,
And leaders between kiss and cup,
Who traded on the Crown;
And teachers tossed by every wind
I saw without a plan;
But, seeking, nowhere could I find,
A MAN.
And walked about the streets,
And heard the modern Babel's cries,
Where fraud with folly meets;
I saw the swindler rising up,
The hero going down,
And leaders between kiss and cup,
Who traded on the Crown;
And teachers tossed by every wind
I saw without a plan;
But, seeking, nowhere could I find,
A MAN.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
Took lantern in my hand,
But read no rainbow in the skies,
No promise in the land;
I saw the ass who loudest brayed
Usurped the lion's power,
And rogues might plunder Christ, who prayed
With Him a little hour;
I saw a Constitution cooked
Within a kitchen pan,
But could not note (where'er I looked)
A MAN.
Took lantern in my hand,
But read no rainbow in the skies,
No promise in the land;
I saw the ass who loudest brayed
Usurped the lion's power,
And rogues might plunder Christ, who prayed
With Him a little hour;
I saw a Constitution cooked
Within a kitchen pan,
But could not note (where'er I looked)
A MAN.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And tried each Senate house,
But from such labour and such lies
Came only a meek mouse;
I saw how Parties would outbid
Each other, bought and sold
With bribes, and on the coffin lid
Of England played for gold;
I saw a nation, once so free,
Now doled its petty span
By foreign force, but could not see
A MAN.
And tried each Senate house,
But from such labour and such lies
Came only a meek mouse;
I saw how Parties would outbid
Each other, bought and sold
With bribes, and on the coffin lid
Of England played for gold;
I saw a nation, once so free,
Now doled its petty span
By foreign force, but could not see
A MAN.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And through the Churches trod,
But they had broken all the ties
That bound them unto God;
I saw the worship at the best
Was but a gorgeous wraith,
With things in millinery drest,
Preserving forms not faith;
I saw but mummeries and rites,
Beyond what hope could scan,
But not (though midges fought with mites)
A MAN.
And through the Churches trod,
But they had broken all the ties
That bound them unto God;
I saw the worship at the best
Was but a gorgeous wraith,
With things in millinery drest,
Preserving forms not faith;
I saw but mummeries and rites,
Beyond what hope could scan,
But not (though midges fought with mites)
A MAN.
775
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And strolled into the Courts,
Where dirty fingers make mud-pies,
And spoilers have their sports;
I saw dear Justice hawked for sale,
And law was longest purse,
That whitewashed even the blackest tale,
And proved the country's curse;
I saw the needy had no right,
With poverty for ban,
But met not there, while triumphed might,
A MAN.
And strolled into the Courts,
Where dirty fingers make mud-pies,
And spoilers have their sports;
I saw dear Justice hawked for sale,
And law was longest purse,
That whitewashed even the blackest tale,
And proved the country's curse;
I saw the needy had no right,
With poverty for ban,
But met not there, while triumphed might,
A MAN.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And turned where beauty blooms,
Where from red lips sweet laughter flies,
In stately drawing rooms;
I saw the fairest felt no pain,
At the most damning vice,
While all had still some hidden stain,
And every one her price;
I saw the adulterer at play,
Behind the modest fan,
But spied not on that primrose way
A MAN.
And turned where beauty blooms,
Where from red lips sweet laughter flies,
In stately drawing rooms;
I saw the fairest felt no pain,
At the most damning vice,
While all had still some hidden stain,
And every one her price;
I saw the adulterer at play,
Behind the modest fan,
But spied not on that primrose way
A MAN.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And wandered over fields
Whose soil, that niggard folly plies,
No more its fatness yields;
I saw the tenant treading yet
The ruts his fathers trod,
And simpletons who drew but debt,
Not increase, from the sod;
I saw the toiler, who would shirk
As much as cunning can,
But not in waste they miscalled work,
A MAN.
And wandered over fields
Whose soil, that niggard folly plies,
No more its fatness yields;
I saw the tenant treading yet
The ruts his fathers trod,
And simpletons who drew but debt,
Not increase, from the sod;
I saw the toiler, who would shirk
As much as cunning can,
But not in waste they miscalled work,
A MAN.
I put my glasses on my eyes,
And traversed fleets and camps,
Where the new statesman most will rise
Who most his duty scamps;
I saw the trooper without horse,
The navy served with guns
That burst on each new trial course
Which each new crotchet runs;
I saw the shores had no defence,
While traitors profit span,
But marked not in their loud pretence
A MAN.
And traversed fleets and camps,
Where the new statesman most will rise
Who most his duty scamps;
I saw the trooper without horse,
The navy served with guns
That burst on each new trial course
Which each new crotchet runs;
I saw the shores had no defence,
While traitors profit span,
But marked not in their loud pretence
A MAN.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |