 | The Emperor's Vigil, and The Waves And The War |  |
44
VII. The Return.
We return—but not down-hearted;
Not a warrior vails his brow:
Proud and joyous we departed,
And as proud return we now.
Not a warrior vails his brow:
Proud and joyous we departed,
And as proud return we now.
Do you ask for our achievements—
What the cities we laid low?
Greater 'tis to save a kinsman,
Greater than to smite a foe.
What the cities we laid low?
Greater 'tis to save a kinsman,
Greater than to smite a foe.
And your eyes, to mete our service,
Need not wander o'er the flood:
See in England—not in Russia—
What we did for England's good.
Need not wander o'er the flood:
See in England—not in Russia—
What we did for England's good.
45
England's shores were in our keeping,
England's commerce in our trust:
Are your widowed mothers weeping?
Are your stately mansions dust?
England's commerce in our trust:
Are your widowed mothers weeping?
Are your stately mansions dust?
Have your coasts, from Wight to Orkney,
Seen a single foeman's sail—
Save the captives that we sent ye
To adorn your triumph's tale?
Seen a single foeman's sail—
Save the captives that we sent ye
To adorn your triumph's tale?
On your seaboard commerce tarries,
And along its virgin coast
Still your great unrivalled cities
Their unchallenged grandeur boast.
And along its virgin coast
Still your great unrivalled cities
Their unchallenged grandeur boast.
Not for useless cruel slaughter
England sent her warriors forth;
But to keep the world's peace-breaker
Captive in his sullen North.
England sent her warriors forth;
But to keep the world's peace-breaker
Captive in his sullen North.
46
Captive in his own dominion
Did we hold him at our will;
At his prison bars he struggled,
But he lies there captive still!
Did we hold him at our will;
At his prison bars he struggled,
But he lies there captive still!
Safe with us was England's honour—
Safe we bring it back again:
Never once the foeman's navy
Faced the mistress of the main.
Safe we bring it back again:
Never once the foeman's navy
Faced the mistress of the main.
Though to woo him to the battle,
Half our ships we sent away,
And before him, twice our number,
Two long weeks our challenge lay.
Half our ships we sent away,
And before him, twice our number,
Two long weeks our challenge lay.
On his ramparts fell our thunder,
And their voice grew still and tame,
Bomarsund we rent asunder,
Sveaborg expired in flame.
And their voice grew still and tame,
Bomarsund we rent asunder,
Sveaborg expired in flame.
47
But we spared the trader's palace,
And we spared the fisher's cot,
As we struck for England's honour—
But for blood and vengeance not.
And we spared the fisher's cot,
As we struck for England's honour—
But for blood and vengeance not.
We return, but not down-hearted;
Not a comrade vails his brow:
Proud and joyous we departed,
And as proud return we now.
Not a comrade vails his brow:
Proud and joyous we departed,
And as proud return we now.
| The Emperor's Vigil, and The Waves And The War | |