POETRY.
THE WORLD IN ARMOUR.
THREE SONNETS ON TIM EUROPEAN OUTLOOK.
UNDER. this shade of crimson wings abhorred That never wholly leaves the sky serene,— While Vengeance sleeps a sleep so light, between Dominions that acclaim Thee overlord,— Sadly the blast of Thy tremendous word, Whate'er its mystic purport may have been Echoes across the ages, Nazarene : Not to bring peace Mine errand, but a mord, For lo, Thy world uprises and lies down In armour, and its Peace is War, in all Save the great death that weaves War's dreadful crown ; War anennobled by heroic pain, War where none triumph, none sublimely fall, War that sits smiling, with the eyes of Cain.
When London's Plague, that day by day enrolled His thousands dead, nor deigned his rage to abate Till grass was green in silent Bishopsgate, Had come and passed like thunder,—still, 'tis told, The monster, driven to earth, in hovels old And haunts obscure, though dormant, lingered late, Till the dread Fire, one roaring wave of fate, Rose, and swept clean his last retreat and hold.
In Europe live the dregs of Plague to-day, Dregs of full many an ancient Plague and dire, Old wrongs, old lies of ages blind and cruel.
What if alone the world-war's worldwide fire Can purge the ambushed pestilence away?
Yet woe to him that idly lights the fuel !
A moment's fantasy, the vision came Of Europe dipped in fiery death, and so Mounting reborn, with vestal limbs aglow, Splendid and fragrant from her bath of flame.
It fleeted ; and a phantom without name, Sightless, dismembered, terrible, said : "Lo, I am that ravished Europe men shall know After the morn of blood and night of shame."
The spectre passed, and I beheld alone The Europe of the present, as she stands, Powerless from terror of her own vast power, 'Neath novel stars, beside a brink unknown; And round her the sad Kings, with sleepless hands, Piling the faggots, hour by doomful hour.
WILLIAM WATSON.
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