VERSES OLD AND NEW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 9

VERSES OLD AND NEW.

:' ;■; THE CONSCRIPT. ' /With' rain the brushwood steep was dim, ."'•„ •And from blurred heights the fort hung, '[■■ 'grim, For there his barracks gaped for him. (A-.bugle shrilled: "0 .brothers!:',we. Shall rouse a lad from Brittany.").; •. /Upon his sight the town struck grey; , ■ His eyes were aching for. a' bay ''- 1 Where sails and net-buoys heave 'and >'-. ■'■;■_..; sway'. ; .. '. ;■:'. (A sabre flashed: "0 -brothers! we , .. i: . Shall thrill a lad from' Brittany.") , -'• ' The barracks scored across his brain l Remembrances of. that night's cold rain: Yet now he. would march, back again; . (A gun'growled but: "0 brothers! we Save .made a man .for Brittany.") —M.L. A., in the "Glasgow.Herald." ■ BALLAD OF THE GOODLY FERE. fla' we lost the goodliest fere o' all;*:: For the priests,.and the'gallows tree? !Aye lover he was of brawny men, 0' ships and the open sea.iWhen they came wi'.a host to take "Our ..',"'._' Man His smile was good to see— PFirst let these go," quo' the Goodly '.' .Fere, "Or I'll see ye damned,", says he. " iAy.'.ke sent us through the crossed high ; .spears, ..'■"'' ■_..' ,'• ■ ■ And the scorn o' his laugh rang free— j f*Why took ye not me. when I walked' .'■■ about Alone in the-town?" says he.Oi we drank his hale in the'good red wine , ~'.,"' When: we last.made companyNo. capon priest was the. Goodly Fere; But a man o' men was he. .'-./■ • ■■ ; ■ • ■ I ha' seen him" drive a hundred men . ;••'■ Wi' a. bundle o' 'cords swung free, '-. ' That, they took the.high and holy house • For their pawn and treasury., They'll, no': get him in a book, I think, Tho" they write it cunningly— . ■■ -No mouse o' the scrolls was our Goodly : Fere, r ■"--.■ .. But aye loved the open sea. If they think they ha-snared our Goodly •■■;■■• ; Fere, .' , -.■■... ' They are fools to. the last.degreeTil go to the' feast," quo' our -Goodly •Fere,-"," . "Tho' I/go to the gallows tree!" seen- me heal the lame and blind, 1 An'd awake ; thedead," says he; •' .•'.."' 'TTe shall see one thing to master allHow a brave'man dies on tho tree." •A son of God was the Goodly Fere, •.'-■ That ..bade us his brothers be— I ha' jseen' him cowe a thousand men, :"..".■ I ha'' seen him upon the tree. ' He cried--no cry when they drav* the • nails,. And the blood gushed hot and free— / The ;liounds of the crimson "sky' gave '■tangue, ■'~'. i But "never a cry cried he. . '-...'. i 'ha' .seen him cowe a thousand men- : Oh the' hills o'' , , They whined as he walked out calm 'between '-..-. ;,', Wi';. his eyes like the gray o' the sea. Like/the. sea that broke'no voyaging, With the winds unleashed .and free— . '. ~ Like'tha sea that he cowed at Gens'eret, . Wi'vtwey words spoke'suddenly. ■ • 'A;master of men.was'the Goodly Fere, •• _A mate o' the winds and the sea; If they think they ha' slain our Goodly v' -Fere, ■. ,•■ ■<.- '-'j'ODIU ,: i' i '_ ■ The* are fools eternally,' . ."„-.-'... '-•(*,, I ha'&oen him eat of the honev <SmV** : Sin-:tbey nailed him to the,'tree. ;':; . ; i-t v '.. ■ ; "—By Ejra ;; :Pound. ,1

.■''•''HlSTraON.'-"- :i f'--' - "No man has dared-to. write this thing as yet, : , : 'And yet I know how that the souls of ■ ' men great .'• • 'At times pass through us, ... And we are-melted.into them, arid are ■' not . .'..,■ Save reflections of their'souk;' . Thus aid. I Dante for a' space and am ■■' One Francois Villon, ballad-lord and thief, Or am such holy ones "T; may not write,' Lest blasphemy be writ against iny name;" This for an instant and.,thc;flaine'is gone., '"Tis. as in midmost us', there glows 'a sphere" . . . • .Translucent,-.molten gold, that is the;.'l,' And into. .this some form .projects: itself. Christus, or'John,.'or .eke. the Florentine, And'as the clear.space is. not if a form's Imposed thereon, .'.- ■'.-,: So cease, we from all being''for- the time, And' these, the. Masters ■of the". Soul, live '.on!" .■ ■ ; . : ";: \ ',•.'•;■'. —By Ezra Pound.

NIGHTS AND DATS. , ; .;"•'■'.-' (I'roin the French.) * There are strange eyes, ■". when souls ' breathe from the flowers, ... Wjien on tho pulsing air, as pale moths - n fly, ■ -- .' Moats sad .Repentance; in a slow,'deep sigh :■':.-;'.. , The secret heart yields! on. the lips to ■" die. . . There are strange eyes,, when souls' breathe 'There are strange eves, when; souls breathe from, tho flowers, I pass, a woman, through the tender hours. There are bright mornings, rose-bloom .-. chapleted, ' ... . ■■ When the soul leaps and ..laughs"., as '7-mountain' streams, The-heart an Easter sky of glad chimes ■■■■'• seems, •. -•■_.'. ; And life goes pure' of .'flesh, and white - 0f,.-dreams.' .--,' .'.- "/■'"':■'" • •■ ': '-■'■•: There are bright,'mornings,''.rose-bloom. chapleted, ;•;; -.-' I walk, a child, : amid "Joy's wealths outspread. ; ; ■'■■■-..■■ ■'■'.-■ i ■ There are drear days, when, with bleak IrnthA o erborne, Age-heavy leans the heart'on'spoils of ', ' 'time, .'.-; ~ ,-,,:-. When -the dear past' looms famished, ■ < dimmed i with grimo:' -■. A booth where struts. a .vague .'and wretched mime. ,'>"'. .■--." : . ■• ••■ ;-' There are.drear days, 'when, with Truth's weight o erborne, ... I, creep, a. grey shade of old years out- ; worn. There are black nights of doubt that anguish holds, ■ ■ . When the- soul sunk unto the' lowest Above Infinity in terror hun" Quails iii the great winds from, the ' ..abyss flung . " black nights of doubt that ■ . anguish holds . . .-• ■ fo?ds Ono IVh ° m " Death ' s ''road shadow. -F-. O'Neill .Gallagher, in the "Daily ..News. . . . "'.'.' ..' LUCIFER. : {''.' Daily 1 see pas? by on tireless feet The punctual lighter of lamps: unerrinE he, . \' : .'■ : As fine bloom-culling instinct in-a bee, i To find his goal, hurrying from'street to street; Nor recks he that the logging sun's retreat Westward still hints not the great final red; / 'Nor' heeds how pale what, present lHit is shed, , -- But torch in hand kindles his round complete. When spectral day doth yield to utter night, ■'. v -'., ■ Each seed of. flrc,;'each : palpitant graft of flame,.' Grows. : towers, 'and."silvers to a beacon t light: Whether Life wester soon. or'< tarrv long, Down .Ihe wide'aveiiues of spirit fame Trim thou the, wicks and light the lamps of Song. •■;•■' -By Gottfried Hult.

A VISION OP LOVERS. When the' white wings of magic aro unfurled- ■ . Over the heart of history—with mo shino Those ones who blow a iragranco through tho world, ""■'.' Immortal and divine. Then Paolo leans—whilo twilight seems 'to rush Over tho jrowning walls of Rimini— Towards Francesca, in delicious hush Tho missal on his knee! Or castlcl Camelot afar off glows, And Arthur's among the liliesstands In noble guilt, by his most Eoyal Eoso, And clasps her .milk-white hands! Or then tho purple seas of Cornwall gleam, . , .And pipes the shephcrd-boy his note of fato: ' ■ While .Tristan's spirit severed from earth's . dream ■'. ' Leaves Iseulte desolate! Or where the streams of Heav'n .celestial, rise. ~| Circled by virgins—Beatrice, like a flame, Thunders rebuke to Dante, whoso deep •'.„. e 3"es : ■, . Are raised not.for shame! Or steal those lovers sheltered by the • dawn Shrouded by twilight—to Verona lent By^God—in life by purest passion torn! v / In death so innocent! . When the white wings of magic are un- , ,- furled • Over the heart of history—with me shine Those ones who blow a fragrance through the world, Im:nort.il, and divine. . —Eloanou Norton in the "Westminster Gazette." . '',' A PEAYEE, • Lord, not for light in darkness do wo pray, .-■•■■' Not that tho veil be lifted from our _ .eyes, .•'';' Nor that tho slow ascension of our day Be otherwise. Not for a "clearer vision of the things Whereof the fashioning shall make us ' great, Not for remission of the peril and stings Of time and fate. Not'for a fuller knowledge of-the end Whereto wo travel, bruised yet unafraid, Nor that the little healing that we lend Shall bo repaid. Not these* 0 Lord. We would not break ' the bars . , Thy wisdom sets about us; we shall _ climb Unfettered to tho secrets of tho stars In Thy, good time. We do. not crave the high perception , swift When to refrain were well, and when :..' fulfil, Nor yet the understanding strong to sift .... The good from ill. Not these, 0 Lord. For these Thou hast revealed, We, know the golden season when to reap The heavy-fruited treasure of tho field, The hour to sleep. Not these. :We know tho hemlock from . the rose, The l pure from stained, tlie noble from Jfip base, The tranquil holy light of truth that . glows- ' - . '.' , Oh Pity's face. ' • \- - •' We know tho paths.- wherein our feet should press, . . \ Across our hearts aro. written Thy de- ■ crees, ' , ' : "' •■. ' • Yet now, 0 Lord, be moiciful to bless With more than these;

Grant us the will to fashion as we feel, Grant us the strength' to labour as we know,. Grant us the purpose, ribbed and edged ' with steel, ' ..£.'■.. To strike the--blow.;.'i>d Knowledge vre ask not—knowledge Thou has lent, But, Lord, the will—there' lies;our. bitter. (■'•'. '■ -i =•; ■'■"' •' : ■'■ •" .'>■. Give us to build above the deep intent .; : :; •;: >The deed, ~the deed. .; ''•' — John Drinkwate'r, in the "Spectator;" '