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: III. NOW AND THEN. " My timorous muse Unambitious tracks pursues; Does with weak, unballast wings, About the mossy banks and springs. About the trees' new-blossomed heads, About the garden's painted beds, About the fields and flowery meads, And all inferior beauteous things ; Like th'e laborious bee, For little drops of honey flee, And then with humble sweets contents her industrie." —Cowley's Ode in Praise of Pindar, imitated from Horace. THE BANNERS OF OLD. Far down the long vista of shadowy ages Ye see the fierce tumult of battle alone; No light on the war-cloud the day-dawn presages, With faith to the temple or law to the throne. The desolate earth hid in splendours volcanic, In earth-born glory what symbol is there ? What hope that can lift it o'er life scarce organic, Late blossoming out of a silent despair ? What purpose of man, or what life-theme of nations, From out this red struggle for mastery springs ? What growth from this death-wreck of war's desolations ? What hope where the sword is the plaything of kings, Who make, in their passion, man's lordliest token The weapon of envy, oppression, and pride ? See, down through the ages the red sword lies broken, While justice alone keeps it clear by its side ! The banners of old through the war-clouds are breaking, Like golden-winged eagles half hid in the mist; The earth with the tread of her armies is shaking, And knows but in song of the sweetness of rest. I doubt not some purpose, all richly resultant, Runs through this rude chaos of turmoil and strife ; But where shall we greet, with a spirit exultant, Some Banner to lead the brave battle of life ? There hangeth full many a war-worn standard, All dusty, in many a high olden hall; And brave hearts by tho... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.