 | [At Plymouth, in] The proceedings at the celebration by the Pilgrim Society, at Plymouth, December 21, 1895, of the 275th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims |  |
6
AT PLYMOUTH.
The Muse whose task it is to pen
In her great Book the deeds of men,
Pens only what she sees,
Nor scans too closely these.
In her great Book the deeds of men,
Pens only what she sees,
Nor scans too closely these.
For, whether good or bad to her,
Time is their sole interpreter,
And slow the hands that trace
The verdicts of the Race!
Time is their sole interpreter,
And slow the hands that trace
The verdicts of the Race!
When he, the adventurous Genoese,
Put boldly forth on chartless seas,
He sought the shortest way
To India and Cathay.
Put boldly forth on chartless seas,
He sought the shortest way
To India and Cathay.
Day after day the waves went by;
Suns rose and set; stars shone on high;
'Till what seemed land-winds fanned
His sails, but from what land
Suns rose and set; stars shone on high;
'Till what seemed land-winds fanned
His sails, but from what land
He knew not; for a Hand unknown
Had steered more wisely than his own.
And when his sails were furled
'Twas in a new-found World!
Had steered more wisely than his own.
And when his sails were furled
'Twas in a new-found World!
The Muse of History, when she penned
This deed of his, saw not the end,
Or, roused with noble rage,
She would have torn the page;
This deed of his, saw not the end,
Or, roused with noble rage,
She would have torn the page;
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So many followed on his track,
And fetched the spoil of empires back;
Plundered their temples,—graves,
And made their peoples slaves.
And fetched the spoil of empires back;
Plundered their temples,—graves,
And made their peoples slaves.
Not to discover what might be
Beyond the waste of western Sea,
(No wish the wealth to find
Of Ormuz and of Ind,)
Beyond the waste of western Sea,
(No wish the wealth to find
Of Ormuz and of Ind,)
But lesser things, the common things
Which anger priests, and baffle kings,
Who, arrogant, try to bind
The forces of mankind;
Which anger priests, and baffle kings,
Who, arrogant, try to bind
The forces of mankind;
These, and no more—what could be less?
Directed the stern Righteousness
That sought a shelter here,
And makes its memory dear!
Directed the stern Righteousness
That sought a shelter here,
And makes its memory dear!
Above all other lands on earth,
They loved the Land that gave them birth;
Its sea-girt coasts, its downs,
Its hamlets and its towns;
They loved the Land that gave them birth;
Its sea-girt coasts, its downs,
Its hamlets and its towns;
The green fields where their children played;
The churchyards where their sires were laid!
God's Acres, sown, indeed,
With more than royal seed!
The churchyards where their sires were laid!
God's Acres, sown, indeed,
With more than royal seed!
They loved their England, what was best
In her they loved, but not the rest;
Her State that made her great,
But not her Church in State!
In her they loved, but not the rest;
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But not her Church in State!
For this she hated them; for she
Defender of the Faith would be,
If not with faggot-fires
Such as consumed their sires,
Defender of the Faith would be,
If not with faggot-fires
Such as consumed their sires,
With heavy penalties and fines,
With scurrile jests and ribald lines,
And all the loud, coarse lies
In town and country cries!
With scurrile jests and ribald lines,
And all the loud, coarse lies
In town and country cries!
What did they want, whom high and low
Despised and persecuted so?
Little, when understood.—
They wanted to be good;
Despised and persecuted so?
Little, when understood.—
They wanted to be good;
To worship God in their own way;
To read their Bibles, and to pray
And save their souls! Poor men—
But poorer England then!
To read their Bibles, and to pray
And save their souls! Poor men—
But poorer England then!
Little for little things like these
The Muse of History cares; she sees
And pens more splendid things:
The courts and camps of kings;
The Muse of History cares; she sees
And pens more splendid things:
The courts and camps of kings;
Great hosts of men on battle fields;
The crash of spears on brazen shields;
Sacked cities, wrapt in flame,
And deeds without a name!
The crash of spears on brazen shields;
Sacked cities, wrapt in flame,
And deeds without a name!
9
Not war, but peace our fathers sought;
For peace and not for war they fought—
The weak against the strong;
Such battles must be long!
For peace and not for war they fought—
The weak against the strong;
Such battles must be long!
Nought save themselves their vessel bore
To this inhospitable shore.
And they were less than nought
Incurious History thought.
To this inhospitable shore.
And they were less than nought
Incurious History thought.
She erred. For in their train, unseen,
There was a shape of dauntless mien—
The Manhood potent then
In those determined men!
There was a shape of dauntless mien—
The Manhood potent then
In those determined men!
The might of English hearts and hands,
To fell old forests, till new lands;
Prepared alike to pray,
And, when need was, to slay!
To fell old forests, till new lands;
Prepared alike to pray,
And, when need was, to slay!
They did the work they had to do;
They builded better than they knew:
So must the few whom Fate
Selects to found a State!
They builded better than they knew:
So must the few whom Fate
Selects to found a State!
They founded theirs with psalms and prayers;
What sounder State could be than theirs—
The first since time began
Of faith in God and Man!
What sounder State could be than theirs—
The first since time began
Of faith in God and Man!
| [At Plymouth, in] The proceedings at the celebration by the Pilgrim Society, at Plymouth, December 21, 1895, of the 275th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims | |