For England Author:William Watson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: FORCE AND FREEDOM Oh, doubtless ye can trample and enchain, Sow death and breathe out winter; but can ye Persuade the destined bondsman he is free, Or w... more »ith a signal build the summer again ? Oh, ye can hold the rivulets of the plain A little while from nuptials with the sea, But the fierce mountain-stream of Liberty Not edicts and not hosts may long restrain. For this is of the heights and of the deeps, 26 FORCE AND FREEDOM Born of the heights and in the deeps conceived. This, 'mid the lofty places of the mind, Gushes pellucid, vehemently upheaved ; And tears and heart's blood hallow it, as it sweeps Invincibly on, co-during with mankind. TO ONE ESPOUSING UNPOPULAR TRUTH Not yet, dejected though thy cause, despair, Nor doubt of Dawn for all her laggard wing. In shrewdest March the earth was mellowing. And had conceived the Summer unaware. With delicate ministration, like the air, The sovereign forces that conspire to bring 28 ESPOUSING UNPOPULAR TRUTH Light out of darkness, out of Winter Spring, Perform unseen their tasks benign and fair. The sower soweth seed o'er vale and hill, And long the folded life waits to be born ; Yet hath it never slept, nor once been still: And clouds and suns have served it night and morn; The winds are of its secret council sworn ; And Time and nurturing Silence work its will. LAMENTATION O Early fall'n, uncrowned with envied laurel, O lives that nameless come and noteless Our vainly brave in an ignoble quarrel, That fought unhating an unhating foe ! Ye pass, ye cease; in alien dust your dust Carnage and tears depart not, wrath remains; 30 LAMENTATION And Power derides the lips that counsel justice, And nations wonder, and the world arraigns. And foresight of...« less