‘Gold is for the mistress--silver for the maid!
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.’
‘Good!’ said the Baron, sitting in his hall,
‘But Iron--Cold Iron--is master of them all!’
So he made rebellion ‘gainst the King his liege,
Camped before his citadel and summoned it to siege--
‘Nay!’ said the cannoneer on the castle wall,
‘But Iron--Cold Iron--shall be master of you all!’
Woe for the Baron and his knights so strong,
When the cruel cannon-balls laid ‘em all along!
He was taken prisoner, he was cast in thrall,
And Iron--Cold Iron--was master of it all!
Yet his King spake kindly (Oh, how kind a Lord!)
‘What if I release thee now and give thee back thy sword?’
‘Nay!’ said the Baron, ‘mock not at my fall,
For Iron--Cold Iron--is master of men all.’
‘Tears are for the craven, prayers are for the clown--
Halters for the silly neck that cannot keep a crown.’
‘As my loss is grievous, so my hope is small,
For Iron--Cold Iron--must be master of men all!’
Yet his King made answer (few such Kings there be!)
‘Here is Bread and here is Wine--sit and sup with me.
Eat and drink in Mary’s Name, the whiles I do recall
How Iron--Cold Iron--can be master of men all!’
He took the Wine and blessed It; He blessed and brake the Bread.
With His own Hands He served Them, and presently He said:
‘Look! These Hands they pierced with nails outside my city wall
Show Iron--Cold Iron--to be master of men all!
‘Wounds are for the desperate, blows are for the strong,
Balm and oil for weary hearts all cut and bruised with wrong.
I forgive thy treason--I redeem thy fall--
For Iron--Cold Iron--must be master of men all!’
‘Crowns are for the valiant--sceptres for the bold!
Thrones and powers for mighty men who dare to take and hold.’
‘Nay!’ said the Baron, kneeling in his hall,
‘But Iron--Cold Iron--is master of men all!
Iron, out of Calvary, is master of men all!’