Wordsworth's Grave 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: VII. Restored Allegiance. Dark is thy trespass, deep be thy remorse, O England! Fittingly thine own feet bleed, Submissive to the purblind guides that ... more » Thy weary steps along this rugged course. Yet . . . when I glance abroad, and track the source More selfish far, of other nations' deed, And mark their tortuous craft, their jealous greed, Their serpent-wisdom or mere soulless force, Homeward returns my vagrant fealty, Crying, " O England, shouldst thou one day fall, Shatter'd in ruins by some Titan foe, Justice were thenceforth weaker throughout The world, and Truth less passionately free, And God the poorer for thine overthrow." VIII. The Political Luminary. A Skilful leech, so long as we were whole : Who scann'd the nation's every outward part, But ah ! misheard the beating of its heart. Sire of huge sorrows, yet erect of soul. Swift rider with calamity for goal, Who, overtasking his equestrian art, Unstall'd a steed full willing for the start, But wondrous hard to curb or to control. Sometimes we thought he led the people forth: Anon he seemed to follow where they flew ; Lord of the golden tongue and smiting eyes ; Great out of season, and untimely wise : A man whose virtue, genius, grandeur, worth, Wrought deadlier ill than ages can undo. IX. Foreign Menace. I Marvel that this land, whereof I claim The glory of sonship—for it was erewhile A glory to be sprung of Britain's isle, Though now it well-nigh more resembles shame— I marvel that this land with heart so tame Can brook the northern insolence and guile. But most it angers me, to think how vile Art thou, how base, from whom the insult came, Unwieldy laggard, many an age behind Thy sister Powers, in brain and conscience both ; In...« less