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THE
SONG OF THE EXILE
A CANADIAN EPIC
Visions and Miscellaneous Poems
BY
WILFRED S. SKEATS
TORONTO
HART & COMPANY
31 & 33 KING ST. WEST
1891
Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada in the Office of
the Minister of Agriculture, by HART & COMPANY, in the year one
thousand eight hundred and ninety.
_DEDICATION_.
_To Thee, whose cheering words have urged me on
When fainting heart advised me to stay
My halting pen, and leave my task undone:
To Thee, I humbly dedicate this lay.
Strong, womanly heart! whose long-enduring pain
Has not sufficed to rend thy faith in twain,
But rather teaches thee to sympathise
With those whose path through pain and darkness lies
Thyself forgetting, if but thou canst be
Of aid to others in adversity;
The helpful word, the approbative smile
From thee have ever greeted me, the while
None other cheered. Then let this tribute be
A token of my gratitude to Thee_.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
THE SONG OF THE EXILE:
Canto the First 9
Canto the Second 29
Canto the Third 49
Canto the Fourth 71
Canto the Fifth 93
Footnotes 118
VISIONS:
The New Resolve 121
The Higher Duty 124
The Hidden Purpose 127
MISCELLANEOUS:
The Serpent 135
Pro Deo et Patria 137
Despondency 139
To L. W. 142
You Wrong Me Kate 145
Flossie 147
To Ethel 149
Dear Little Ethel 151
To D. R. P. 153
Christmas 158
A Serenade 160
THE
SONG OF THE EXILE.
_A CANADIAN EPIC_.
CANTO THE FIRST.
I.
Ye shores of England, as ye fast recede
The pain of parting rends my weary breast.
I must regret--yet there is little need
That I should mourn, for only wild unrest
Is mine while in my native land I roam.
Thou gav'st me birth, but cannot give a home.
II.
Yet happy were the days that have been mine,
So happy that those days must needs be few.
It could not be that that bright sun would shine
For many months, and while its light was new
The clouds arose, and, in one fated day,
The jealous storm had swept my joys away.
III.
That fated day, when I believed that all
The hopes that I had cherished in the past
Would be fulfilled, and I should fondly call
The being whom I loved my own at last:
Then fell the storm, and bursting on my head,
Still saved my body when my soul was dead.
IV.
I loved her dearly, and my heart was set
On winning her. My only aim in life
Was to secure her love, and so forget
The world beside--my world would be my wife.
I never loved another, her alone
I loved, and, loving, longed to call my own.
V.
The summer months were passed in tortured bliss.
My love had grown, but that it could not grow;
It all-enveloped me, and one sweet kiss
From her dear lips had made my bosom glow
With happiness; and many months of pain
Had been as nothing, that one kiss to gain.
VI.
And, when the many-tinted Autumn's reign
Succeeded Summer's more congenial sway,
I told her of the mingled joy and pain
That stirred my soul throughout each Summer's day.
And whispered, in emotion's softest tone,
The love that I had feared before to own.
VII.
She listened silently, then, sweetly shy,
She laid her gentle head upon my breast.
And, in the liquid depths of each blue eye,
I read the love her lips had not confessed;
And quickly, fondly, pressed her to my heart,
Vowing that none should keep us two apart.
VIII.
Ah! happy were the months that followed then,
The months that flew as rapidly as days;
And sweet the stolen hours of meeting when
We listened to the nightingale's sad lays,
Or, seated on a rustic bench alone,
Forgot all else in glad communion.
IX.
I had not asked her father for her hand;
He was a baronet of ancient blood.
Proud of his lineage, jealous of his land;
His pride was such as boded me no good.
I was an author, not unknown to fame,
But could not boast a title to my name.
X.
Sore did my loved one beg me to confess
My love to him, and ask for his consent.
He loved her well, and could not fail to bless
Our union; his pride had oft unbent
To her, and she had now but little fear
That he would hear me with a willing ear.
XI.
I gladly heard her speak in confident
And reassuring tones, and all the doubt
That had been mine now vanished, and I went,
With lightsome heart, to seek her father out:
And prayed him give his daughter for my wife,
And thus confer a blessing on my life.
XII.
He heard me silently, nor did he speak
For full two minutes after I had ceased;
Then, while his eye flashed, and his livid cheek
Betrayed his passion, was his tongue released;
And, in vituperative tones, he swore
That I should never cross his threshold more.
XIII.
Was this my gratitude for patronage,
That I should thus inveigle his one daughter,
And seek to supplement my sorry wage
By the rich dowry that her marriage brought her?
He was a baronet of ancient name;
No parvenu his daughter's hand should claim.
XIV.
His words enraged me, but I checked my wrath
For her dear sake, whose love alone that fire
Could quench, and mildly arguments put forth
To soothe the baronet, and calm his ire.
But useless all the arguments I wove;
In foaming rage he cursed me and my love.
XV.
What need to speak of all that next ensued?
Still constantly, throughout those weary days,
Impelled by hope, with fondest love imbued,
Did I renew my suit. By bold essays
I sought to win the baronet's consent--
Each day a wilder rage his bosom rent.
XVI.
He had forbidden me to see my Love;
But one glad morning I received a note
From her. She bade me meet her in the grove
Behind her father's house. In pain she wrote,
For, though the letter spoke no word of pain,
Her tears had left a sorrow-telling stain.
XVII.
We met at night-time; and her tear-stained face,
Upturned to mine, was sorrowful and pale.
I pressed her to me in a fond embrace,
And kissed the cheeks that told so sad a tale.
She sadly smiled, then spoke, her cheek bedewed,
The while, with bitter tears again renewed:
XVIII.
"My fondest Love, within this silent glen,
I bade thee come to say a last farewell.
Alas! my Love, we may not meet again,
For thou must leave me. Ah! I cannot tell
What pain was mine as on my knees I cried,
And begged my father to unbend his pride.
XIX.
"He will not hear me; nought that I can say
Will calm his wrath, but rather do my prayers
Increase his passion. Each recurring day,
When I would still importune him, he bears
A sterner aspect, and 'twere better now
That we should speak no more of this our vow.
XX.
"But leave thou me, and seek a foreign clime.
My father thus will think that thou hast lost
All hope of winning me. In one year's time
Return again; perhaps, by conscience tossed,
My father will repent his stern decree,
And gladly, as my husband, welcome thee."
XXI.
"Oh! fly thou with me, Love," I trembling cried,
"And--" but my loved one would not hear my cry:
"'Tis but a twelvemonth since my mother died,
And I should sin against my God if I
Should leave my father. Oh! my Love, seek not
To tempt me thus, but help me bear my lot."
XXII.
'Twere wrong to more persuade her. Silently
I kissed her gentle lips. A loving spell
Of sweet communion followed--it could be
But short--and then we bade a long farewell.
O'erwhelmed with tears, my gentle Love was gone,
And I must wander exiled and alone.
XXIII.
Yet is it best that I should wander thus,
Far from the cherished spot where we have passed
Such happy days, since not again for us
Will be the joy that seemed too great to last.
Her father is too stern a man to know
Remorse's sting; his hatred will but grow.
XXIV.
Each year my wandering feet shall hither stray,
Each year my heart will feel the pang anew.
And this one thought alone will cheer my way,
That she, my Love, is faithful still, and true.
Her father may forbid our union,
But still our hearts together beat as one.
XXV.
Lonely I stand, and silent gaze upon
The fading shore, where dwells my soul's twin-soul.
'Midst my companions I am still alone,
Less near to them than her, though billows roll
Between us two. Fast fades the distant strand.
Farewell my Love! Farewell my native Land!
XXVI.
England! dear land of liberty and peace,
Great art thou now, and greater still wilt be,
If but thy truth and honesty increase
As each revolving decade renders thee
In population greater. Let the name
Of Christian England fix thy future fame.
XXVII.
The tale is told that when a foreign king
Would know what pow'r thy gracious Queen possessed,
That she could rule, with might unfaltering,
Her people, and by them be ever blessed;
She laid her hand upon a Bible near,
And, smiling, said: "That pow'r lies hidden here."
XXVIII.
Defender of the Faith we call our Queen,
And she has been that Faith's exemplar too.
Not all the ages of the past have seen
A sovereign more noble, pure, and true.
And she has kept, as well as monarch could,
Her childhood's promise: "Oh! I will be good."
XXIX.
And not without the help of that great Book
Could she have kept the promise of her youth.
Through all the backward years of history look--
These plainly prove that declaration's truth.
Kingdoms may rise, and, with unquestioned sway,
Monarchs may rule, and none their right gainsay,
XXX.
But, founded on another base than this,
That monarch's might shall surely pass away;
No kingdom is so strong that it can miss
This destiny. A premature decay
Has greeted, and will ever greet, that land
Whose weak foundation trembles in the sand.
XXXI.
The sword is mighty; by its bloody might
Empires have risen--risen but to fall.
A nation built in blood must ever fight,
Or lose its name and power. 'Tis not all
To conquer once; an enemy subdued
Waits but a happy chance for further feud.
XXXII.
Nor will the nation nurtured by the sword,
If undisturbed by subjugated foes,
Remain in peace and rest; one murmured word
Of discontent will plunge it in the throes
Of fratricidal warfare; and not long
That word remains uncalled for by some wrong.
XXXIII.
The page of history is blotted o'er
With tales of bloodshed. Not a single nation
Exists, but spent its greater life in war.
And in each Power's restless fluctuation
From might to weakness, and from servitude
To might, is shown the sword's incertitude.
XXXIV.
Until the time when every mighty Power
Stands ready to confess the Christian creed
That bloodshed is a sin--until that hour
Has come, all Europe's treasuries must bleed,
That naval armaments may grimly stand,
And military menace every land.
XXXV.
Then, England, since an universal peace,
A peace eternal, has not been proclaimed,
Thy military might must still increase,
Thy naval glory must not be defamed.
But only when thine honour shall demand,
Or injured right, upraise thy martial hand.
XXXVI.
Be Christian first and last, and be not slow
To propagate the cause of arbitration.
Let peaceful compacts, bloodless victories, grow
Till hideous war, with ruthless devastation,
Destroy no more the beauty of thy land,
Nor raise against thy homes its bloodstained hand.
XXXVII.
Be Christian first and last, for thus alone
Shalt thou attain to might unfaltering.
No nation in the past has ever known
The lasting power which faith alone can bring.
Though each in turn has gained a glorious name,
Not one has risen to eternal fame.
XXXVIII.
The Roman Cæsars, with increasing pride,
"Outstretched their hands and grasped a hemisphere."
Their glory swelled with ever-flowing tide,
And nations bowed to them in trembling fear.
Their eagles flew, and lofty was their flight,
Yet only Cæsar's empire met their sight.
XXXIX.
But now the Roman Empire is no more;
No longer Roman eagles sweep the sky.
The pampered luxury of Rome soon bore
Its wonted fruit--gross immorality;
And weakened thus, and by internal strife,
Great Cæsar's Empire yielded up its life.
XL.
And classic Greece, which, in a former age,
Bore mighty warriors without compeer,
Knew not the land whose war-compelling gage
Could not be taken up without a fear.
But now her power is so completely broke,
She almost yields her to an Asian yoke.
XLI.
And France, in later days, has girded on
A might magnificent; and none could stay
The pow'r of her adored Napoleon,
Before whose hosts, in ill-concealed dismay,
The nations fled. Then France her flag unfurled,
And waved it proudly over half a world.
XLII.
But not in England. And when Bonaparte
Would lay the British nation at his feet,
Her legions tore his mighty hosts apart,
And snatched the Conqueror from his lofty seat.
Then France's glory faded fast away,
Till not a nation owned her sovereign sway.
XLIII.
And thus have mighty nations ever perished,
Or lost the greater portion of their might,
When, as their sole upholder, they have cherished
The reeking sword, in disregard of right.
Then, England, take thou warning by their fate,
And keep thy Christian faith inviolate.
XLIV.
America's Republic stands alone.
But once for bloody glory did she raise
Her martial hand; and Canada was thrown
Into a state of war.[A] But all essays
To sever her allegiance from her King
Proved vain--her faith remained unfaltering.
XLV.
But once America unrighteously
Led forth her armies. Only to defend
Her people's honour and integrity
Has she, since then, allowed them to contend
In bitter warfare. And the peaceful arts
Engage more readily her people's hearts.
XLVI.
A noble nation striving peacefully
To gain the highest pinnacle of honour,
Without a peer in ingenuity;
Well mayest thou, great England, look upon her
As worthier far to be thy firm ally
Than any European monarchy.
XLVII.
Send forth thy Prince's son, and let him find
In broad America a worthy bride.
Thus let the ties of blood together bind
The Anglo-Saxon race on either side
The great Atlantic. Keep thy princes free
From royal Europe's mad heredity.
XLVIII.
Far better were it they should choose their brides
From some American pure family,
Than wed their cousins, in whose blood, besides
The fell disease which immorality
Of ancestors has planted there, there run
Weaknesses caused by kindred's union.
XLIX.
The scurvy-stricken family whose head
Rules all the Russias' limitless domain;
The progeny of Ludwig, lately dead
By his own hand; the Hohenzollern vain
And proud, and yet diseased; or Austria's queen
Whose hidden madness still is plainly seen:
L.
Shall we defile our royal English blood
By marriage with such families as these?
Shall English kings inherit all this flood
Of imbecility and dread disease?
Must all the purity of Guelph be so
Impaired and ruined by this noisome flow?
LI.
Nay, rather let us throw aside that form,
(That well had been abolished in the past),
Which bids our royal princes to conform
To rules as rigid as the Indian caste
Distinctions, nor a single Prince allows
To marry other than a royal spouse.
LII.
And let our England's royal House be bound
By wedlock to America. Perchance
This bond may, in a future day, be found
The first of many, which shall so enhance
Our mutual love that, by God's kindly grace,
On History's page this name shall have a place:
"THE EMPIRE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON RACE."
LIII.
Great England! Land of liberty and peace,
With fond regret I leave thy hallowed shore;
But, in my exile, I can never cease
To love the Land that I may see no more.
All foreign countries are alike to me;
My heart's affection is bound up in thee.
Blue, boundless and free, the deep-flowing sea
Environs on every side
The ship, which the gale, well-filling each sail,
Impels through the rolling tide.
Around, far and near, bright, foaming and clear,
The billows tumultuous roll;
And their message to me is, "Free, wildly free!
"Free ever from man's control!"
As round me they throng, I hear their wild song,
And echo its truthful strain.
The power of man, that limitless span
Of ocean, can ne'er restrain.
But I know that their Maker can challenge each breaker,
And still every wave by His word;
And o'er me a feeling comes silently stealing
Of awe at the might of the Lord.
And sweet is the thought, by memory brought,
That once on the waters He trod;
And my soul seems to be, on the breast of the sea,
Alone in the presence of God.
Then soft on the air I whisper a prayer,
And know 'twill be echoed above:
"Be Thou very near her to comfort and cheer her,
Oh, God, bless and cherish my Love!"
CANTO THE SECOND.
I.
Renowned Quebec, upon its rocky height,
Stands frowning o'er St. Lawrence' noble river;
Well-nigh impregnable, its chosen site
Bespeaks its founder's wisdom, and forever
Should be remembered all the toil and pain
Endured by him, brave Samuel de Champlain.
II.
Not light the task, nor enviable the lot
Of him who thus would plant, on shores unknown,
And in a wild and never-trodden spot,
A new-born city's first foundation stone.
A sturdy courage and a fearless heart
Belong to him who plays so bold a part.
III.
Not first to land in Acadie, nor first
To sail the great St. Lawrence, brave Champlain
Yet dared what none before him ever durst--
To give his life and labour--not for gain
To be derived from profitable trade--
Ambition else by hardship had been stayed;
IV.
But, for his king to found a colony,
And, for his God to win another land,
He suffered pain and hardship patiently;
And, with a busy and unflinching hand,
He laboured on that wild and rugged shore;
Nor ceased to labour till he breathed no more.
V.
He had not thus endured, as he endured,
Except his faith had given him new might;
Nor had he been to suffering inured,
And patient borne, except the holy rite,
Each day renewed, had cheered his fainting soul,
Enabling him to keep his courage whole.
VI.
Ye, living in your luxury and ease
Think not of all your country's fathers bore;
And still forget the famine and disease
Those pioneers suffered on your shore.
Their names are unfamiliar on your tongue,
Their deeds but vaguely known, their praise unsung.
VII.
So has it been, and so shall ever be
The man who stands to-day a shining light,
The hero who commands our fealty,
To-morrow, in oblivion's dark night,
Will be forgotten, or, on history's page,
May flicker dimly in a future age.
VIII.
Think not, ye men who seek to carve your name
On monuments of everlasting stone,
That ye can thus secure eternal fame.
Far greater deeds than yours have others done,
And greater far the harvest they have sown,
Which now ye reap, while they remain unknown.
IX.
As through the ages, silent and unseen,
The tiny corals work beneath the wave
And build a reef, which reef had never been
Except each coral there had found a grave;
So work the heroes of the human race,
And in their work-field find a resting place.
X.
How vast the number of the coral shells
That form the reef! And yet of these but one
Of many thousands ever elsewhere dwells
Than on that reef; all hidden and unknown
The rest remain, and few indeed are they
Which shine as jewels at a later day.
XI.
And thus have lived our heroes in the past:
The army of the brave and noble who
Have laboured uncomplaining, and at last
Have yielded up their lives; but there are few
Whose names stand forth, as worth would bid them stand,
Revered and honoured in their fatherland.
XII.
But Canada, let not the brave Champlain
Be thus in dark oblivion forgot.
Grant him the fame he never sought to gain;
Pay him the honour that he courted not;
And on thine earliest page of history
Write large his name, not as a mystery
XIII.
Or name unknown--but tell his deeds abroad,
And teach thy children all that he has done
Not hard the task, and thou canst well afford
To show the gratitude that he has won
From thee; and thus thou surely wilt impart
A proud ambition in thy children's heart
XIV.
To imitate the man, so true and brave,
Who laboured self-denyingly in life,
And 'neath the city's walls has found a grave,
At rest at last, and free from further strife.
Thus, as thy children knowledge of him gain,
Their hearts shall burn to emulate Champlain.
XV.
I stand upon the plains of Abraham,
And, silent as I stand, a train of thought
Comes o'er me, and the spot whereon I am
Seems almost holy ground; for here was fought
That mighty battle, whose event would show
If Canada were British soil or no.
XVI.
Before my eyes a vision rises bright,
And, in the vision, I can clearly see
The actions re-enacted of that fight;
And grand indeed the sight appears to me.
Repictured thus, I gaze upon the scene,
And meditate again on what has been.
XVII.
Ere yet the light had broken on that morn,[B]
Before the sun had shed his rays around,
While blackest darkness heralded the dawn,
The little fleet had left its anchor-ground;
With not a lantern showing light or gleam,
It floated silently adown the stream.
XVIII.
Within the flagship, weakened by the pain
Of recent fever, Wolfe reclining lay
Unfit to bear the war's fatigue and strain,
He yet was armed and ready for the fray.
Forgetful of _his_ pain and suffering,
He thought but of his country and his king.
XIX.
His duty bade him fight, and he would fight;
His country bade him win, and he would win
If bravery could put the foe to flight.
If courage and a sturdy heart within
Could win the day, he feared not the event;
His men were veterans on victory bent.
XX.
Yet, as he lay upon his couch at rest
Among his officers, he seemed to be
Prescient of his fate; for he addressed
His friends in verses from an Elegy,
And to this line a special accent gave:
"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
XXI.
Foreknowledge of his fate perchance impressed
This truth upon him. Glory's path would lead
Him to the grave that day, and there at rest,
No longer pain or glory would he heed.
Full well might these appear a mockery
To him who soon would meet eternity.[C]
XXII.
And who will blame him if his thought recurred,
At such a time, to England and the maid
Beloved, to whom he gave his plighted word
Ere parting? Who will wonder at the shade
Of sorrow darkling on his troubled brow,
As he reflects on what may not be now?
XXIII.
A vision bright, of home and happiness,
Of calm domestic joy, before him lies.
One moment gazes he--his hands hard press
His forehead, and the hardy soldier sighs--
One moment only, then he turns away,
Prepared to lead his army to the fray.
XXIV.
Below the city, anchored by the shore,
The fleet is floating; and in silent speed,
The soldiers land, Wolfe leading in the fore.
And, if of urging there were any need,
His fearless mien and proud determination
Would banish every thought of hesitation.
XXV.
But fear is foreign to each noble heart
That follows him, and in the breast of none
Has doubt or hesitation any part;
Let him but lead, and they will follow on.
They listen to his orders and obey;
He fears not death or danger--why should they?
XXVI.
Above them tow'rs the cliff precipitous,
Well-nigh impassable its steep ascent.
How hard the task and how laborious
To scale the cliff! Yet forth the order went.
Then, in the darkness, stealthily they creep,
And silently approach the rocky steep.
XXVII.
Like Indians soft stealing on the trail
Of hated foes, intent upon surprise,
And silent moving lest their project fail,
When death in premature detection lies;
So noiselessly that army scaled the height,
While darkness hid them from the foemen's sight.
XXVIII.
At length they reach the summit unattacked,
Then form, and silent march upon the plain.
And now they learn the foe has seen their act,
For onward towards them comes his shining train.
The day has broke, the sun now brightly shines,
And each can plainly see the other's lines.
XXIX.
Then from the French battalions comes the fire
Of musketry, and bullets hissing loud
Pierce through the English ranks, yet but inspire
The veterans to vengeance, and their blood
Boils in their veins. Yet silently they still
March on, awaiting their commander's will.
XXX.
At length is heard the general's command
To fire. A fearful volley from their ranks
Then belches forth, and, sweeping o'er the land,
The bullets carry ruin to the Franks.
In deep dismay the Frenchmen hesitate
One moment; then, with valour desperate,
XXXI.
They turn again, restrengthened, to the fight.
But fruitless all the bravery they show;
Repulsed anew, ere long they take to flight,
Pursued by English bullets as they go.
And from the time the battle first begun,
But fifteen minutes passed till it was won.
XXXII.
But deadly was the devastation wrought
On either side, and dearly was the day
Of glory by the English army bought.
Thrice bullet-pierced their young commander lay.
He lived to hear the cry of victory,
Then yielded up his spirit willingly.
XXXIII.
Good reason had the conquerors to mourn;
Yet had the vanquished greater cause than they.
The day was lost, and sadly had they borne
Their leader from the battle-field away.
Beloved Montcalm, the generous and brave,
Upon that field had found a bloody grave.
XXXIV.
And what of her who sat in silent grief,
And listened vainly for the step of him
Whose coming only could afford relief,
And stay the tears in which her eyes will swim?
Ah! History has nought to say of her,
Nor speaks it of the sorrow she must bear.
XXXV.
The full extent of war's resulting curse
Is never known: the country's gain or loss
Is reckoned by its victory or reverse,
The dead are numbered--but the heavy cross
Of suffering, which womankind must bear,
Is reckoned not among the deeds of war.
XXXVI.
Nor can it be: while war is arbiter
Between the nations, private suffering
Must count for nought; affection must defer
To duty, whatso'er the pain it bring.
The soldier must obey the bugle call;
The wife must weep, and pray he may not fall.
XXXVII.
While war is arbiter--but must it be
Forever arbiter? Will not the day
Of lasting peace dawn ever? Will not ye,
Ye Christian nations, raise your voice, and stay
The march of war throughout the universe;
And rid you of its agony and curse?
XXXVIII.
It lies not in your pow'r to order those,
The nations still uncivilized, to cease
From war, and, if they make themselves your foes,
Ye must resist; yet can ye order peace
Among yourselves. And, sure, ye Christian lands
Would wash the blood of war from off your hands!
XXXIX.
Slow, slow, the march of Christianity,
Yet sure--more sure because its march is slow;
And settled now in peace and amity
Are issues which, but fifty years ago,
Had been the cause of bloodshed and of strife,
And cost each country many a noble life.
XL.
Then let the infidel or atheist,
Or him who doubts if ever God can be,
And questions the existence of a Christ,
Mark well the fruits of Christianity,
And say what other power has ever wrought
The good that Christianity has brought
XLI.
No myth or vain delusion can achieve
What love of Christ has done; no mockery
Can bring the troubled comfort, or relieve
The broken heart; nor can idolatry
Inspire our hearts with love and charity:
These follow only Christianity.
XLII.
I pause before a simple monument,
And read inscribed thereon the noble names
Montcalm and Wolfe. Their enmity is spent,
And each from French and English justly claims
An equal reverence. This humble stone
Stands emblematic of their union.
XLIII.
And are the nations so united now,
In Canada, that nothing comes between
To break the bond, or disannul the vow
Of friendship and of fealty to our Queen?
Do they not rather live each wide apart
From other, bound in name but not in heart?
XLIV.
Well nigh a century and thirty years
Have run their course since Canada became
An English colony; and yet appears,
Within her shores, a unity in name,
And name alone, between those races who
Should live as one, but still exist as two.
XLV.
What boots it that an oath of loyalty
To Britain's Queen is taken by the French,
If they but wait the opportunity
To give that man support who seeks to wrench
This vast Dominion from the British Crown,
And tear our noble red-cross banner down?
XLVI.
And why call that an English colony
In which a foreign tongue predominates?
And how will he preserve his loyalty
To England, who the name of England hates?
Too generous have been your governors,
Too lightly exercised their given powers.
XLVII.
Ere this, if England had asserted all
The rights that conquest gave, here might have been
A colony which we could truly call
A British land. Nor should we now have seen,
In Canada, two nations side by side
Upgrowing, by affection's bond untied.
XLVIII.
"A nation self-divided cannot stand."
All history has proved this adage true.
And, Canada, if thou would'st be a land
Of might and power, thou must surely do
As other lands have done; it cannot be
That thou wilt else secure prosperity.
XLIX.
Let not incipient rebellion grow
To actual revolt, but trample down
Its very sign, and with a mighty blow,
Crush all who rise disloyal to the Crown.
Do this, but this alone will not suffice;
A sterner duty yet before thee lies.
L.
Send forth the edict that the English tongue,
And it alone, shall be official here,
And teach the language everywhere among
The French in all the counties far and near.
Thus, and thus only, canst thou hope to see
Thy future self preserved in unity.
LI.
But what are these to me? A passing thought,
An evanescent stirring of the brain,
Which, for a time, forgetfulness has brought,
And temporary soothing of my pain.
But as I turn away, anew I feel
The burning sore which time can never heal.
LII.
Apart from her I love I wander here,
In thought communing with that absent one;
In body distant, though in spirit near,
I feel our hearts are in communion.
Then, softly murmuring, I breathe this lay
To her so near, and yet so far away.
* * * * *
From regions remote my message shall float
On zephyrs across the sea,
And softly thou'lt hear the words in thine ear,
"I love thee, I love but thee."[D]
Though distant I rove, sweet thoughts of my love
Are ever at home with me.
Each day and each hour but strengthen their power;
I love thee, I love but thee.
If sorrow be thine, oh! cease to repine,
For mine thou shalt always be.
Oh! breathe not a sigh, though I am not nigh,
I love thee, I love but thee.
Though oceans divide us and fortune deride us,
No two are more near than we;
Our hearts close are beating in tenderest greeting;
I love thee, I love but thee.
I ask not of Fate a lordly estate,
Or position of high degree;
I ask her alone to grant me my own;
I love thee, I love but thee.
CANTO THE THIRD.
I.
Below me, as I stand upon this mount,
I see, in panoramic view displayed
So clearly that with ease I could recount
The mighty buildings and the ships fast stayed
Within the harbour, Montreal, the port
Of Canada, and once its chiefest fort.
II.
And, winding through the valley, I can see
St. Lawrence river, and the fields beyond
Of corn and pasture land. The scenery
Reminds me of my native land, and fond,
Yet sad and sorrow-laden, memories
Possess me as the vision meets my eyes.
III.
My native land! still, still I think of thee;
By day and night the oft-recurring thought
Brings intermingled pain and joy to me.
And oft I curse the fortune which has brought
These days of exile and of solitude
To one who longs for peace and quietude.
IV.
My life has not been sinless, yet what sin
Have I committed that my punishment
Should be so great! An aching heart within
Still makes me sorrowful. Why was I sent,
Far from my home, to wander lonely here,
Apart from those whose love I hold so dear?
V.
I met and loved her whom I may not wed,
And, ere I knew that she could not be mine,
I thought that God upon my life had shed
A brighter light than had been wont to shine.
And, sure, this power cometh from above;
He teacheth us to love, whose name is Love.
VI.
And since He giveth us this love, oh! why
Doth He not smooth the path of love, and hear
The prayer of those who in their anguish cry
To Him for help, and in their godly fear
Rely upon His aid? And why hath He
Prepared this pain and agony for me?
VII.
Be still my soul; it is not thine to take
Thy God to task. Canst thou forget the pain
And agony He suffered for thy sake?
Or canst remember these and not restrain
Thyself from challenging thy God? Be still,
And bow submissive to thy Father's will.
VIII.
'Twas man condemned me to a life of woe,
And 'twas not God. The pride of man hath said
That I must suffer thus. It must be so
Because the baronet was nobler bred.
Oh, cruel, cruel wrong! Oh mockery!
That bluer blood should sever her from me!
IX.
Give thanks to God, Canadians, that ye
Have not been cursed with nobility.
And, as you love your country, keep it free
From those whose utter inutility
For any good is proven by their pride
Of blood; they have not aught to boast beside.
X.
A noble land is yours, and ye may well
Be proud of her. And here before me lies
Your greatest city. Would that I could tell
One-half the tales of brave self-sacrifice
Which those who founded Montreal had shown,
Ere yet the name of Canada was known.
XI.
But, should I strive to speak of every deed
Of sacrifice and brave endurance borne
By all your heroes, I should feel the need
Of greater time, and heart less sorrow-worn;
Nor have the Muses so inspired my pen
That I can fitly praise those noble men.
XII.
Yet would I strive to sing as best I may
Of him who landed first upon this shore;
I fain would speak of hardy Cartier:
His ship the first St. Lawrence ever bore;
His face the first pale-face the Indians
Had seen; his deeds well merit utterance.
XIII.
Three centuries and half a century
Have sped their course since Cartier set sail
From France, intent upon discovery.
He oft had heard the wonder-stirring tale
Of distant lands possessed of mighty wealth;
These now he would discover for himself.
XIV.
And westward sailing on his unknown way,
In course of time he met his due reward;
And sailed this noble river on the day
Made holy to St. Lawrence. He implored
The blessing of the Saint upon his aim,
And called the gulf and river by his name.
XV.
Then, landing on the wooded shore, he knelt
Before his God, and offered up a prayer
To Him, to show the gratitude he felt
Towards the God whose hand had brought him there
In safety. And he asked for further aid
And guidance in the land where now he stayed.
XVI.
When men were more unlearned than they are
In this our present scientific day,
The earth to heaven seemed to be more near,
And God Himself appeared less far away.
For deeds accomplished, or for blessings given,
Due praise was offered to the God of Heaven.
XVII.
But now our wise philosophers, and those
Whose scientific knowledge is so vast
That he who knows what has escaped them knows
What is not worth the knowing; these, at last,
Have reached to such a pinnacle of pride,
That God Himself is little by their side.
XVIII.
In truth, their learning has become so great
That their imagination can conceive
No being mightier than they, and, straight,
In God's existence they will not believe.
And men untutored listen to their word,
And deem those foolish who believe the Lord.
XIX.
But Cartier was living in an age
When Science in her cradle was asleep,
And men accounted not themselves too sage
To bow to God in prayer, nor to reap
The benefits which only can accrue
To those whose faith in God is pure and true.
XX.
So he besought a blessing from his Lord
Before he re-embarked; then, setting sail,
The newly-christened river he explored,
Till, favored by a gently-blowing gale,
He reached the Hochelaga settlement
Of Indians, and thence no further went.
XXI.
A hundred years elapsed, and then there came
A little band from France to yonder isle;
To found a mission and a fort their aim;
And there they laboured for their faith, the while
Protecting them as best they might from those
Who proved themselves their fierce and bitter foes.
XXII.
The Iroquois, by cruel hate possessed,
Left not a chance untaken to obtain
A reeking scalp; and fiercely they oppressed
The little band, whose suffering and pain,
In Montreal and all throughout the land,
Seemed more than human frailty could withstand.
XXIII.
But Maisonneuve and they who followed him
Were bent upon a high and holy aim;
Their undertaking was no foolish whim,
Nor had they come for honour or for fame.
A Jesuitic band, they sought to win
Those Indians from a life of death and sin.
XXIV.
They sought to win them to the faith which they
Themselves possessed, and thought it not a hard,
Nor yet an unexpected, thing to lay
Their own lives down to win them. Their reward
They counted not to win on earth, but knew
That each in Heaven would gain the glory due.
XXV.
What though the Jesuitic creed be not
As true and generous a faith as that
Which we profess; what though a bloody blot
Has stained its page of history; the great
And worthy deeds those fathers wrought should raise
A feeling in our hearts of loving praise.
XXVI.
They suffered for their God and for their Pope;
They suffered for their faith, to them as true
And pure as ours to us, and in the hope
That God would bless their labours, and endue
The savage Indians with a softer heart,
And give them with the blessed ones a part.
XXVII.
_They_ merit praise and honour, but the cause
For which they laboured merits none of these;
A cruel creed, with harsh and bloody laws,
The very name of Christ it travesties.
An evil Order, working in the name
Of Christianity dark deeds of shame.
XXVIII.
He whom they call their Master suffered not
His followers to mingle in the strife
Of politics--not such their chosen lot;
Theirs to prepare men for a higher life.
And yet He bade them to their king be true,
And offer unto Cæsar all his due.
XXIX.
But this do not the Jesuits; they fain
Would undermine the power of the land
In which they dwell, and every effort strain
To take the civil sceptre in their hand.
They creep, as serpents, smoothly on their prey,
But subtly spread their poison in the way.
XXX.
And these, Canadians, have found a home
Within your shores. Ye know not what ye do
In harb'ring them. Be sure the day will come
When ye will bitterly and sadly rue
Your action. Other lands will not permit
The entrance of the hated Jesuit.
XXXI.
But why should I presume to thus dictate
To ye? And what know I of all the things
Which influence your Ministers of State,
That I should utter forth these murmurings?
By greed and selfish motives unpossessed,
They, in their wisdom, must do what is best!
XXXII.
I stand upon the hill at Ottawa,
And stretching wide before me lies a scene
Of pretty lowland country. Near and far,
The river Ottawa winds on between
The wooded slopes and meadow-lands, where lie
The lazy cattle chewing silently.
XXXIII.
The scene is unimposing; there is nought
Of grandeur or magnificence displayed;
But by its quiet prettiness is brought
A sense of calm enjoyment--hill and glade
And peaceful meadow, all alike suggest
Sweet thoughts of still serenity and rest.
XXXIV.
The face of Nature, for the student's mind,
Provides a subject inexhaustible.
And, in its study, weary men may find
A solace for the troubles caused by all
The sorrows and afflictions which must be
The lot of all, of high or low degree.
XXXV.
The mountain, by its grandeur, testifies
To His omnipotence who placed it there;
The rushing, mighty torrent verifies
His ceaseless working; and His constant care
And kindliness is proven by the still
And growing meadow, and the purling rill.
XXXVI.
Thus, whatsoever his environment,
The sorrow-stricken one can find a balm,
Which should assuage his moody discontent,
Replacing it by trustfulness and calm.
For God reveals Himself in every place,
And writes His presence on Creation's face.
XXXVII.
And here I feel a quiet peace unfelt
In all my solitary wanderings
Before. My heavy troubles seem to melt
Away, and Faith a calm contentment brings,
And all my misery aside is thrown;
He cares for me who cares for all His own.
XXXVIII.
A pile majestic and magnificent,
Of lofty buildings, stands upon this hill;
Unequalled elsewhere on the continent,
It well bespeaks the architective skill
Displayed in this our nineteenth century;
And clothes the city with its dignity.
XXXIX.
Within these walls are gathered in debate
The statesmen and the legislators, who
Are learned in the matters of the State.
Alike to God and to their country true
These men should be, and high above the rest
Exalted, seeking not self-interest.
XL.
These hold the country's welfare in their hand.
A mighty trust to them has been consigned.
They know their duty, and should understand
What acts will echo best the people's mind;
And they should act, in matters small or great,
As wisdom and their consciences dictate.
XLI.
Thus should they act, but thus do not they all,
But mildly bow to their Dictator's bid;
They fear to disobey him, lest they fall
Quick victims to his anger, or be chid
Severely by the leader, in whose power
It lies to give his slaves official dower.
XLII.
Thus is a heavy premium placed upon
A blind obedience and servility;
And high position hardly can be won
Except by meekness and docility:
By meekness where assertion would be right;
By weak docility where should be might.
XLIII.
And they, the Ministers of State, who hold
The gift of the office and the nation's trust,
From long retained authority grow bold,
And, almost flagrantly, they dare adjust
The national affairs in such a way
As best will serve them, and protract their sway.
XLIV.
But not too far do they attempt to go
In serving self. There stands an arbiter
To whom they must appeal; were this not so,
Their conscientiousness might not deter
The country's servants from committing deeds
To hinder which their shame now intercedes.
XLV.
And yet, methinks, the arbiter to whom
They must appeal is far too liberal,
Or far too careless. When the day has come
In which a judgment must be given on all
The actions of their Ministers of State,
The people are too mild and moderate.
XLVI.
Or they forget the misdeeds of the past--
Misdeeds which well deserve a harder name,
And which at first provoked a stormy blast
Of anger, and aroused a sense of shame
Within the people's hearts--these are forgot,
Though on the Nation's life they leave a blot.
XLVII.
They are forgot; for party feelings run
More high than love of country, and the man,
Who can defeat the chosen champion
Of an opposing party, will obtain
A full forgiveness for his deeds of shame,
And crown himself with all a hero's fame.
XLVIII.
Not Liberal and not Conservative
Alone compels my wrath; to either party
My feeble but impartial pen would give
A condemnation passionate and hearty;
Each sees the wreck the Catholic has made
In Canada, and each implores his aid.
XLIX.
Each begs support for only selfish ends;
Unfired with love for Britain's Queen they cry,
And seek to make the Catholics their friends
For party purposes; their loyalty
Bombastically swearing, each bows down
To those inimical to Britain's Crown.
L.
'Tis hate of bigotry, they glibly shout,
Impels their tolerance: Oh! take that word
And bid the feet of License crush it out;
For License now is undisputed lord.
Let not the bigot live,--_but nurse the snake_
_That brings the Inquisition in its wake!_
LI.
See where, in old Quebec, its Premier
Uplifts the Tricolor, and waves it high.
While shouts un-English rend the poisoned air
To greet the new-born Nationality;
And hear Ontario's Minister confess
His joy for this, a Liberal success!
LII.
And is it bigotry to interfere
When treason stalks triumphant through the land?
Will none but bigots hear the traitors cheer,
Nor long to raise aloft the armed hand?
Your ancestors would not account it so;
And English hearts would burn to strike the blow.
LIII.
Tear down that flag! in God's name and the Queen's.
Will not the Red Cross Banner rouse your zeal?
Tear down that flag! and let who intervenes
Bite hard the dust beneath your iron heel.
Tear down that flag!--Oh, Canada! bow, bow
Your shameful head in deep contrition now.
LIV.
What wonder, since your party deeds alone
Absorb your thought and wake your energy,
That insurrection's seeds are widely sown,
And voice is given to dark disloyalty?
Ye clothe your land in insurrection's dress,
And nurse disloyalty, by callousness.
LV.
And I, though sojourning a stranger here,
Will dare to raise my voice in condemnation,
When words unwelcome to an English ear
Are heard re-echoing without cessation;
The while accursed party interests
Drive patriotic thoughts from out your breasts.
LVI.
I marvel not that politicians stand
In ill repute with honourable men,
While, through the length and breadth of this fair land,
They mark themselves with party's evil stain,
And enter in the field of politics
For selfish ends attained by shameless tricks.
LVII.
Yet are not politicians in one mould
All fashioned; there are honest men and true
Who serve their country, not for love of gold
Or fame, but for the good that they can do.
Would God that these, and these alone, held sway
Within your senates, Canada, to-day!
LVIII.
But politics shall occupy my thought
No more. I turn with deep relief away
From that which lack of principle has brought
To premature and undeserved decay.
Perchance, from out the ashes where it lies,
True statesmanship may, phoenix-like, arise.
LIX.
The sun is setting, and its shining rays
Reflect them redly on the river's breast,
Which now an iridescent gleam displays,
Which, like a mighty opal, is possessed
With ever-changing hues of brilliancy;
As sets the sun their light I still can see.
LX.
The twilight hour approaches--silent hour
For calm reflection or communion,
When, in a quiet, unfrequented bower,
Fond lovers whisper as they sit alone.
And I would send a greeting to the one
Whose heart with mine still beats in unison.
* * * * *
My Love, my own Sweetheart,
Let sorrow not be thine,
Though still we live apart,
The lamp of Hope must shine.
And, shedding on our path
The light of trustfulness
And never-failing faith,
'Twill make our sorrow less.
Let Hope then ever be
At home within thy breast,
And know God loveth thee,
And knoweth what is best.
He careth for the trees,
For every beast and bird;
And thinkest thou thy pleas
In Heaven are unheard?
Nay, God has heard each prayer,
And He will answer thee.
Trust to His loving care,
And live thou patiently.
And when the looked-for day
Of happiness and rest
Has come, we both shall say
"God truly knew the best."
And fondly to my heart
I'll press thee, dearest Life;
And none us two shall part,
For thou wilt be my wife.
CANTO THE FOURTH.
I.
Toronto, on its island-girded bay,
Full well protected from the storms which blow
Across the lake, stands proudly, as well may
The capital of all Ontario.
So situate, its properties beguile,
Inviting me to pause and rest awhile.
II.
When young America (then recently
An independent nation, full of pride
Engendered by her new-born dignity),
Would sever Canada from England's side,
She sent an armed fleet across the lake,
This town to capture and its fort to take.
III.
Six hundred soldiers only guarded then
The little fort; but in their veins there flowed
The blood of proud and valiant Englishmen.
And in their hearts a bitter hatred glowed
Against the nation, whose unjust attack
But urged them on to drive the invader back.
IV.
And, though the force opposing them was nigh
Three times the number of their own, yet still
They fought against their landing valiantly,
Contending with a fierce and dogged will.
But numbers overpowered the gallant band,
And soon the foe was safe upon the land.
V.
Then inch by inch contested they the ground,
Determined not to yield to quick defeat;
But, bravely though they fought, ere long they found
Themselves compelled to beat a slow retreat.
But, falling back before the enemy,
They lost not yet the hope of victory.
VI.
Meanwhile the enemy advanced within
Two hundred yards of where the garrison
Was quartered. Sudden ceased the battle's din,
And he who led the invading army on
Gave orders for a halt, in expectation
Of winning now the fort's capitulation.
VII.
Then, as they halted, sudden a report,
As of an earthquake, rent the trembling air,
And, midst the débris of the scattered fort,
Two hundred slain Americans lay there.
The British had retreated, but had fired
The powder-magazine as they retired.
VIII.
Th' enraged Americans accounted this
An act of baseness and of perfidy.
I know not what the law of slaughter is,
But this I know, that they can hardly be
Renowned for faith and truth to honour's code,
Whose lives are spent in butchery and blood.
IX.
The man's environment perfects the man,
And each can choose his own environment.
And each can either cause to die, or fan
To brighter life, the seed or rudiment
Of good or evil moral tendency
Acquired, or inbred by heredity.
X.
And he who chooses warfare as the life
Most suited to his predilections, he
Who finds his happiness in constant strife,
Will hardly honour peace and amity.
In bloodshed living, gentle virtues all
A victim to his martial taste will fall.
XI.