6. Then, amidst oath, and prayer, and rush, and wreck, Faint screams, faint questions waiting no reply, Our colonel gave the word, and on the deck Formed us in line to die. 7. To die! 'twas hard whilst the sleek ocean glowed Beneath a sky as fair as summer flowers : "All to the boats!" cried one :-he was, thank God, No officer of ours! 8. Our English hearts beat true, we would not stir; That base appeal we heard but heeded not: On land, on sea, we had our colours, sir, 9. They shall not say in England, that we fought With shameful strength, unhonoured Into mean safety, mean deserters, brought 10. So we made women with their children go, The oars ply back again, and yet again; Whilst, inch by inch, the drowning ship sank low, Still under steadfast men. 11. What follows, why recall?—The brave who died, Died without flinching in the bloody They sleep as well beneath that purple tide, 12. They sleep as well! and, roused from their wild grave, Wearing their wounds like stars, shall rise again, Joint-heirs with Christ, because they bled to save His weak ones, not in vain. DEATH OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY. spec-ta-cle, sight. one who had won a victory. mar-tyr, one who dies for his faith, or in some noble cause. King of Ter-ror, death. flower of Eng-land's chi val-ry, the best of the English knights or warriors. boon, a favour or gift. Ar-a-bi-an sands, the deserts of Arabia, in Asia. guile, deceit, treachery. be-leagu-er-ed, besieged. leagu-ed, joined. A spectacle to heaven and earth, to men's and angels' eyes, Triumphant in the midst of pain, 'tis thus a martyr dies; And like a loved and welcome friend the King of Terror comes To quiet souls that pine away in quiet village homes. But can the warrior's latest hours be calm and 5 pure as this, And fresh from scenes of bloodshed can he pass to realms of bliss? And can the holy fruit of peace on field of battle grow, Where human passions wildly rage, still work- -O come with me to Zutphen's plain across There Sidney falls, the fairest flower of Eng- 10 land's chivalry: He quits the fatal battle-field, struck by a mortal wound,— See how his friends and followers come, in pity gathering round! His fevered lips are parched with thirst, his sight grows faint and dim, One drop of water were a boon beyond all price to him. No flower exposed to noonday heat upon some 15 scorched-up plain, E'er longed so much for dewy night or grateful summer rain; No traveller on Arabian sands amid the wil derness, E'er yearned to reach some desert spring with greater eagerness. See, see! it comes! his languid head upon your shoulders prop, And let him drink the precious draught, re- 20 freshed by every drop. Why stays he thus ? he will not taste, and with averted eye, Points to a fellow-soldier stretched upon the ground hard by; "Take this and drink, O wounded man, thou need'st it more than I!" Then from th' untasted flask his lips the suffering hero moves, And on the soldier at his side bestows the 25 draught he loves; Rejoicing, in the midst of pain and weakness, that he can To others' sorrows bring relief, and cheer his fellow-man. O victor in a nobler strife than those of shield and spear, SIDNEY, thy hardest struggle and thy highest praise is here! A conquest o'er the love of self more worthy 30 of renown Than his who takes by force or guile a long beleaguered town. True manly valour shines most clear in love's celestial light, And charity with courage leagued makes up the perfect knight. Whate'er our station, we may all herein be like to thee, There is no limit to the range of Christian 35 chivalry: Though few can hope thy glorious deeds of arms to imitate, Yet all may follow thee in this, therein most truly great : Mindful of Christ our Saviour's words, who said, "Whate'er it be |