第1章

Contents:

V。R。1819—1901

WARPOEMS

EMBARCATION

DEPARTURE

THECOLONEL\'SSOLILOQUY

THEGOINGOFTHEBATTERY

ATTHEWAROFFICE,LONDON

ACHRISTMASGHOST—STORY

THEDEADDRUMMER

AWIFEINLONDON

THESOULSOFTHESLAIN

SONGOFTHESOLDIERS\'WIVES

THESICKGOD

POEMSOFPILGRIMAGE

GENOAANDTHEMEDITERRANEAN

SHELLEY\'SSKYLARK

INTHEOLDTHEATRE,FIESOLE

ROME:ONTHEPALATINE

ROME:BUILDINGANEWSTREETINTHEANCIENTQUARTER

ROME:THEVATICAN—SALADELLEMUSE

ROME:ATTHEPYRAMIDOFCESTIUS

LAUSANNE:INGIBBON\'SOLDGARDEN

ZERMATT:TOTHEMATTERHORN

THEBRIDGEOFLODI

ONANINVITATIONTOTHEUNITEDSTATES

THEMOTHERMOURNS

\"ISAIDTOLOVE\"

ACOMMONPLACEDAY

ATALUNARECLIPSE

THELACKINGSENSE

TOLIFE

DOOMANDSHE

THEPROBLEM

THESUBALTERNS

THESLEEP—WORKER

THEBULLFINCHES

GOD—FORGOTTEN

THEBEDRIDDENPEASANTTOANUNKNOWINGGOD

BYTHEEARTH\'SCORPSE

MUTEOPINION

TOANUNBORNPAUPERCHILD

TOFLOWERSFROMITALYINWINTER

ONAFINEMORNING

TOLIZBIEBROWNE

SONGOFHOPE

THEWELL—BELOVED

HERREPROACH

THEINCONSISTENT

ABROKENAPPOINTMENT

\"BETWEENUSNOW\"

\"HOWGREATMYGRIEF\"

\"INEEDNOTGO\"

THECOQUETTE,ANDAFTER

ASPOT

LONGPLIGHTED

THEWIDOW

ATAHASTYWEDDING

THEDREAM—FOLLOWER

HISIMMORTALITY

THETO—BE—FORGOTTEN

WIVESINTHESERE

THESUPERSEDED

ANAUGUSTMIDNIGHT

THECAGEDTHRUSHFREEDANDHOMEAGAIN

BIRDSATWINTERNIGHTFALL

THEPUZZLEDGAME—BIRDS

WINTERINDURNOVERFIELD

THELASTCHRYSANTHEMUM

THEDARKLINGTHRUSH

THECOMETATYALBURYORYELL\'HAM

MADJUDY

AWASTEDILLNESS

AMAN

THEDAMEOFATHELHALL

THESEASONSOFHERYEAR

THEMILKMAID

THELEVELLEDCHURCHYARD

THERUINEDMAID

THERESPECTABLEBURGHERON\"THEHIGHERCRITICISM\"

ARCHITECTURALMASKS

THETENANT—FOR—LIFE

THEKING\'SEXPERIMENT

THETREE:ANOLDMAN\'SSTORY

HERLATEHUSBAND

THESELF—UNSEEING

DEPROFUNDISI。

DEPROFUNDISII。

DEPROFUNDISIII。

THECHURCH—BUILDER

THELOSTPYX:AMEDIAEVALLEGEND

TESS\'SLAMENT

THESUPPLANTER:ATALE

IMITATIONS,ETC。

SAPPHICFRAGMENT

CATULLUS:XXXI

AFTERSCHILLER

SONG:FROMHEINE

FROMVICTORHUGO

CARDINALBEMBO\'SEPITAPHONRAPHAEL

RETROSPECT

\"IHAVELIVEDWITHSHADES\"

MEMORYANDI

[GREEKTITLE]

V。R。1819—1901

AREVERIE

Momentsthemightiestpassuncalendared,AndwhentheAbsoluteInbackwardTimeoutgavethedeedfulwordWherebyalllifeisstirred:

\"LetonebebornandthronedwhosemouldshallconstituteThenormofeveryroyal—reckonedattribute,\"

Nomortalkneworheard。

ButinduedaysthepurposedLifeoutshone

Serene,sagacious,free;

—Herwaxingseasonsbloomedwithdeedswelldone,Andtheworld\'sheartwaswon

YetmaythedeedofhersmostbrightineyestobeLiehidfromours—asintheAll—One\'sthoughtlayshe

Tillripeningyearshaverun。

SUNDAYNIGHT,27thJanuary1901。

EMBARCATION

(SouthamptonDocks:October,1899)

Here,whereVespasian\'slegionsstruckthesands,AndCerdicwithhisSaxonsenteredin,AndHenry\'sarmyleaptafloattowinConvincingtriumphsoverneighbourlands,Vasterbattalionspressforfurtherstrands,Toargueintheself—samebloodymodeWhichthislateageofthought,andpact,andcode,Stillfailstomend。—Nowdeckwardtrampthebands,Yellowasautumnleaves,aliveasspring;

AndaseachhostdrawsoutupontheseaBeyondwhichliesthetragicalTo—be,Nonedubiousofthecause,nonemurmuring,Wives,sisters,parents,wavewhitehandsandsmile,Asiftheyknewnotthattheyweepthewhile。

DEPARTURE

(SouthamptonDocks:October,1899)

Whilethefarfarewellmusicthinsandfails,Andthebroadbottomsripthebearingbrine

Allsmallingslowlytothegraysealine

Andeachsignificantredsmoke—shaftpales,Keensenseofseveranceeverywhereprevails,WhichshapesthelatelongtrampofmountingmenToseemingwordsthataskandaskagain:

\"Howlong,OstrivingTeutons,Slavs,andGaelsMustyourwrothreasoningstradeonliveslikethese,Thatareaspuppetsinaplayinghand?

WhenshallthesanersofterpolitiesWhereofwedream,haveplayineachproudland,Andpatriotism,grownGodlike,scorntostandBondslavetorealms,butcircleearthandseas?\"

THECOLONEL\'SSOLILOQUY

(SouthamptonDocks:October,1899)

\"Thequayrecedes。Hurrah!Aheadwego!

It\'strueI\'vebeenaccustomednowtohome,Andjointsgetrusty,andone\'slimbsmaygrowMorefittorestthanroam。

\"ButIcanstandasyetfairstressandstrain;

There\'snotalittlesteelbeneaththerust;

Myyearsmountsomewhat,buthere\'sto\'tagain!

AndifIfall,Imust。

\"GodknowsthatformyselfI\'vescantycare;

Pastscrimmageshaveprovedasmuchtoall;

InEasternlandsandSouthI\'vehadmyshareBothofthebladeandball。

\"AndwherethosevillainsrippedmeintheflitchWiththeiroldironinmyearlytime,I\'maptatchangeofwindtofeelatwitch,Oratachangeofclime。

\"AndwhatmymirrorshowsmeinthemorningHasmoreofblotchandwrinklethanofbloom;

Myeyes,too,heretoforeallglassesscorning,Havejustatouchofrheum

\"Nowsounds\'TheGirlI\'veleftbehindme,\'—Ah,Theyears,theardours,wakenedbythattune!

Timewaswhen,withthecrowd\'sfarewell\'Hurrah!\'

\'Twouldliftmetothemoon。

\"Butnowit\'slatetoleavebehindmeoneWhoif,poorsoul,hermangoesunderground,WillnotrecoverasshemighthavedoneIndayswhenhopesabound。

\"She\'swavingfromthewharfside,palelygrieving,AsdownwedrawHertearsmakelittleshow,YetnowshesuffersmorethanatmyleavingSometwentyyearsago。

\"Ipraythoseleftathomewillcareforher!

Ishallcomeback;Ihavebefore;thoughwhenTheGirlyouleavebehindyouisagrandmother,Thingsmaynotbeasthen。\"

THEGOINGOFTHEBATTERY

WIVES\'LAMENT

(November2,1899)

I

Oitwassadenough,weakenough,madenough

Lightintheirlovingassoldierscanbe

Firsttoriskchoosingthem,leavealonelosingthemNow,infarbattle,beyondtheSouthSea!

II

—Raincamedowndrenchingly;butweunblenchinglyTrudgedonbesidethemthroughmirkandthroughmire,Theysteppingsteadily—onlytooreadily!

Scarceasifsteppingbroughtparting—timenigher。

III

Greatgunsweregleamingthere,livingthingsseemingthere,Cloakedintheirtar—cloths,upmouthedtothenight;

Wheelswetandyellowfromaxletofelloe,Throatsblankofsound,butprophetictosight。

IV

Gas—glimmersdrearily,blearily,eerilyLitourpalefacesoutstretchedforonekiss,Whilewestoodpresttothem,withalastquesttothemNottocourtperilsthathonourcouldmiss。

V

Sharpwerethosesighsofours,blindedtheseeyesofours,WhenatlastmovedawayunderthearchAllweloved。Aidforthemeachwomanprayedforthem,Treadingbackslowlythetrackoftheirmarch。

VI

Someonesaid:\"Nevermorewilltheycome:evermoreAretheynowlosttous。\"Oitwaswrong!

Thoughmaybehardtheirways,someHandwillguardtheirways,Bearthemthroughsafely,inbrieftimeorlong。

VII

—Yet,voiceshauntingus,dauntingus,tauntingus,Hintinthenight—timewhenlifebeatsarelowOtherandgraverthingsHoldwetobraverthings,Waitwe,intrust,whatTime\'sfulnessshallshow。