Stones from The Quarry or, Moods of Mind. By Henry Browne [i.e. Henry Ellison] |
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THE REVERSIBLE POLITICAL PALETÔT. |
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 | Stones from The Quarry |  |
THE REVERSIBLE POLITICAL PALETÔT.
“Small by degrees and beautifully less,”Distinction without difference almost,
The vanishing-point where finally, ere lost,
Meet Tory and Liberal lines, and acquiesce.
By what defect here, there by what excess
Each becomes other; with how little cost
Of principle the mongrel-“strains” are crost,
For a new hybrid, he who runs may guess!
As Jacob's sheep and cattle did conform
To the ring-streak'd and spotted rods, so place
And office Liberal and Tory form.
Placeless, the Liberal shows the dull flock-face;
The Tory crawls, as like as worm to worm:
But sight of those will speck and spot each race!
| Stones from The Quarry | |