The Year of Shame 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: TO A "LADY Daughter of Ireland,—nay, 'twere better said, Daughter of Ireland's beauty, Ireland's grace, Child of her charm, of her romance; whose fac... more »e Is legendary with her glories fled! The shadow of her living griefs and dead I pray you to put by a little space, 22 TO A LADY And mourn with me an ancient Orient race Outcast and doomed and disinherited. Though Wrong be strong, though thrones be built on crimes, To know you, Lady, is to doubt no more That in the world are mightier powers than these ; That heaven, the ocean, gains on earth, the shore; And that deformity and hate are Time's, And love and loveliness Eternity's. chapter{Section 4THE TURK IN ARMENIA What profits it, O England, to prevail In arts and arms, and mighty realms subdue, And ocean with thine argosies bestrew, And wrest thy tribute from each golden gale, If idly thou must hearken to the wail Of women martyred by the turbaned crew Whose tenderest mercy was the sword that slew, And hazard not the dinting of thy mail ? We deemed of old thou held'st a charge from Him 24 THE TURK IN ARMENIA Who sits companioned by His seraphim, To smite the wronger with thy destined rod. Wait'st thou His sign ? Enough, the un- answered cry Of virgin souls for vengeance, and on high The gathering blackness of the frown of God! chapter{Section 5IGNOBLE EASE Never henceforth, O England, nevermore Prate thou of generous effort, righteous aim, Whose shame is that thou knowest not thy shame! Summer hath passed, and Autumn's threshing-floor Been winnowed; Winter at Armenia's door Snarls like a wolf; and still the sword and flame Sleep not; thou only sleepest; and the same Cry unto heaven ascends as heretofore ; 26 IGNOBLE EASE ...« less