Studies from the Antique and Sketches from Nature By Charles Mackay |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. | No. XI.—THE WORN-OUT PEN. |
| XII. |
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 | Studies from the Antique and Sketches from Nature |  |
145
No. XI.—THE WORN-OUT PEN.
Old stump, outworn
By toil severe,
Frail and forlorn,
Why linger here?
Thy fight is fought,
Thy victory's won,
Thy work is wrought,
Thy day is done;—
New days, old pen,
Have brought new men,
And thou must rot,
Abandoned, useless, and forgot.
By toil severe,
Frail and forlorn,
Why linger here?
Thy fight is fought,
Thy victory's won,
Thy work is wrought,
Thy day is done;—
New days, old pen,
Have brought new men,
And thou must rot,
Abandoned, useless, and forgot.
146
In earlier time,
To mould an age,
Thy words sublime,
On freedom's page,
Made nations start
With patriot fire,
Or touched the heart
To pity's lyre.
That time is past,
And thou art cast
Unheeded down,
Trod by the footsteps of the town.
To mould an age,
Thy words sublime,
On freedom's page,
Made nations start
With patriot fire,
Or touched the heart
To pity's lyre.
That time is past,
And thou art cast
Unheeded down,
Trod by the footsteps of the town.
Men understand
A plough or wheel,
A draper's wand,
A sail or keel;
But pens are things
Which high and great
And popes and kings
Agree to hate;
And which the crowd,
Earth-born, earth-bowed,
Can scarcely know
For constant load of toil and woe.
A plough or wheel,
A draper's wand,
A sail or keel;
But pens are things
Which high and great
And popes and kings
Agree to hate;
147
Earth-born, earth-bowed,
Can scarcely know
For constant load of toil and woe.
But yet, may be,
A century hence,
Men who can see
With keener sense,
May chance to dig
Thy relics cold;
And looking big,
May cry “Behold!
The pen of Might!
That loved the Right!”
This thy reward!—
Rot! poor old pen! Die! hapless bard!
A century hence,
Men who can see
With keener sense,
May chance to dig
Thy relics cold;
And looking big,
May cry “Behold!
The pen of Might!
That loved the Right!”
This thy reward!—
Rot! poor old pen! Die! hapless bard!
| Studies from the Antique and Sketches from Nature | |