Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald Edited by William Aldis Wright: In seven volumes |
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 | Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald |  |
‘My Son, the Kingdom of the World is not
‘Eternal, nor the sum of right desire;
‘Make thou the Law reveal'd of God thy Law,
‘The voice of Intellect Divine within
‘Interpreter; and considering To-day
‘To-morrow's Seed-field, ere That come to bear,
‘Sow with the harvest of Eternity.
‘And, as all Work, and, most of all, the Work
‘That Kings are born to, wisely should be wrought,
‘Where doubtful of thine own sufficiency,
‘Ever, as I have done, consult the Wise.
‘Turn not thy face away from the Old ways,
‘That were the canon of the Kings of Old;
‘Nor cloud with Tyranny the glass of Justice:
‘By Mercy rather to right Order turn
‘Confusion, and Disloyalty to Love.
‘In thy provision for the Realm's estate,
‘And for the Honour that becomes a King,
‘Drain not thy People's purse—the Tyranny
‘Which thee enriches at thy Subject's cost,
‘Awhile shall make thee strong; but in the end
‘Shall bow thy neck beneath thy People's hate,
‘And lead thee with the Robber down to Hell.
‘Thou art a Shepherd, and thy Flock the People,
‘To help and save, not ravage and destroy;
‘For which is for the other, Flock or Shepherd?
‘And join with thee True men to keep the Flock—
‘Dogs, if you will—but trusty—head in leash,
‘Whose teeth are for the Wolf, not for the Lamb,
‘And least of all the Wolf's accomplices.
‘For Sháhs must have Vizyrs—but be they Wise
‘And Trusty—knowing well the Realm's estate—
‘Knowing how far to Sháh and Subject bound
‘On either hand—not by extortion, nor
‘By usury wrung from the People's purse,
‘Feeding their Master, and themselves (with whom
‘Enough is apt enough to make rebel)
‘To such a surfeit feeding as feeds Hell.
‘Proper in soul and body be they—pitiful
‘To Poverty—hospitable to the Saint—
‘Their sweet Access a salve to wounded Hearts;
‘Their Wrath a sword against Iniquity,
‘But at thy bidding only to be drawn;
‘Whose Ministers they are, to bring thee in
‘Report of Good or Evil through the Realm:
‘Which to confirm with thine immediate Eye,
‘And least of all, remember—least of all,
‘Suffering Accuser also to be Judge,
‘By surest steps up-builds Prosperity.’
‘Eternal, nor the sum of right desire;
245
‘The voice of Intellect Divine within
‘Interpreter; and considering To-day
‘To-morrow's Seed-field, ere That come to bear,
‘Sow with the harvest of Eternity.
‘And, as all Work, and, most of all, the Work
‘That Kings are born to, wisely should be wrought,
‘Where doubtful of thine own sufficiency,
‘Ever, as I have done, consult the Wise.
‘Turn not thy face away from the Old ways,
‘That were the canon of the Kings of Old;
‘Nor cloud with Tyranny the glass of Justice:
‘By Mercy rather to right Order turn
‘Confusion, and Disloyalty to Love.
‘In thy provision for the Realm's estate,
‘And for the Honour that becomes a King,
‘Drain not thy People's purse—the Tyranny
‘Which thee enriches at thy Subject's cost,
‘Awhile shall make thee strong; but in the end
‘Shall bow thy neck beneath thy People's hate,
‘And lead thee with the Robber down to Hell.
‘Thou art a Shepherd, and thy Flock the People,
‘To help and save, not ravage and destroy;
‘For which is for the other, Flock or Shepherd?
‘And join with thee True men to keep the Flock—
‘Dogs, if you will—but trusty—head in leash,
‘Whose teeth are for the Wolf, not for the Lamb,
‘And least of all the Wolf's accomplices.
‘For Sháhs must have Vizyrs—but be they Wise
246
‘Knowing how far to Sháh and Subject bound
‘On either hand—not by extortion, nor
‘By usury wrung from the People's purse,
‘Feeding their Master, and themselves (with whom
‘Enough is apt enough to make rebel)
‘To such a surfeit feeding as feeds Hell.
‘Proper in soul and body be they—pitiful
‘To Poverty—hospitable to the Saint—
‘Their sweet Access a salve to wounded Hearts;
‘Their Wrath a sword against Iniquity,
‘But at thy bidding only to be drawn;
‘Whose Ministers they are, to bring thee in
‘Report of Good or Evil through the Realm:
‘Which to confirm with thine immediate Eye,
‘And least of all, remember—least of all,
‘Suffering Accuser also to be Judge,
‘By surest steps up-builds Prosperity.’
| Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald | |