 | The Emperor's Vigil, and The Waves And The War |  |
61
III. Helping Hands.
And has it come to this at length,
That those who England sway,
Must overlook our native strength
For weakness far away?
That those who England sway,
Must overlook our native strength
For weakness far away?
And doubting o'er the foeman's shock,
Not trusting in our own,
Must strive to piece the British rock
With bits of meaner stone?
Not trusting in our own,
Must strive to piece the British rock
With bits of meaner stone?
Oh! woe betide the evil hour,
And curse the craven part,
When English hands shall lack the power
To guard an English heart!
And curse the craven part,
When English hands shall lack the power
To guard an English heart!
62
Thrice welcome be each honest friend
Who lifts a knightly lance,
With England's lion line to blend
Piedmont or gallant France.
Who lifts a knightly lance,
With England's lion line to blend
Piedmont or gallant France.
With him our path to fame shall be,
With him our soldier's grave;
For England loves the comrade free,
And spurns the hireling knave.
With him our soldier's grave;
For England loves the comrade free,
And spurns the hireling knave.
But woe betide the evil hour,
And curse the craven part,
When English hands shall lack the power
To guard an English heart.
And curse the craven part,
When English hands shall lack the power
To guard an English heart.
Give me the man who strikes for right,
Not him who kills for gold:—
The flags that heroes bore in fight,
Unfit is he to hold.
Not him who kills for gold:—
The flags that heroes bore in fight,
Unfit is he to hold.
63
A penny less, a penny more,
His cause and country make:—
Not such the men we sought of yore
To fight for England's sake.
His cause and country make:—
Not such the men we sought of yore
To fight for England's sake.
Oh! woe betide the evil hour,
And curse the craven part,
When English hands shall lack the power
To guard an English heart.
And curse the craven part,
When English hands shall lack the power
To guard an English heart.
But not so fall'n is England's might
To need the hireling's aid,
And make the field of honour's fight
A mart of bloody trade.
To need the hireling's aid,
And make the field of honour's fight
A mart of bloody trade.
We still can keep our native land,
We still can shield a friend;
An English sword in English hand
Can still make tyrants bend.
We still can shield a friend;
An English sword in English hand
Can still make tyrants bend.
64
Then woe betide the evil hour,
And curse the craven part,
That takes from English hands the power
To guard an English heart.
And curse the craven part,
That takes from English hands the power
To guard an English heart.
| The Emperor's Vigil, and The Waves And The War | |