WORKS AND MEN.
Shake the Nation's measure up, Be its vacant spaces filled : O'er the rim of Britain's cup Many golden grains are spilled. Shake Old England's measure up, Keep the gold within the cup.
Isles and continents of lands Teem with elements of bread ; Continents and isles of hands Pine and cry and are not fed. Shake the men into the lands ; This is what the world demands.
So the regions of the State, Where our power of greatness is, While she struggles to be great, Lie unworked or worked amiss. Summon up the nien of fate; Break the fellows of the State.
God bath given many a field ; God bath sent us seeds of mind ; Seeds and soils together yield Each according to his kind. Soils unworked and seeds unsown Bring no yield, or worse than none.
Thousands die without a task Matched to meet a noble mind ; Works beside them die that ask Genius kindred to their kind. Tasks for minds, and minds for tasks, This is what our country asks.
Tenants at our Landlord's will, Lofty chances freely given, Would that we could but fulfil Half the husbandry of Heaven ! Readjust those stalwart hands, Idle now on idle lands.
Tear away the barrier line That has barred our genius out; Let them in their right divine Man the good ship with a about: Now at least, when storms o'erwhelm, Call the best hands to the helm.
Ye have made your sea-line free To the traders of your bread ; Freer yet her mind should be, 'Tis on that the State is fed : Gates of Council, open be ; Let the trade of State be free.
Wrong no more a patient Queen, Everywhere with drones opprest : Let us strive to mako it seen Who of us can serve her best ; Let the drones from office fall,— Chance to few be choice from all.
Earth's great Gardener, year by year, Patient, loving, kind, and strong, Sees our fig-tree fruitless here, Suffering tenderly and long. Let us haste to show him fruit, For the axe is at our root.
As our camp was, so our mind-
Ill-apportioned, scantly fed ; Yet we never stoop to find
Who are born to be our head. Let the works but find the men, England soon shall rise again.
Widesby Rectory. W. B. P.
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