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Where the Spirit of the Darkness dwells in heaven half the year。
Yea； against the wild； weird Thule； steered the stranger through the gates
Opened by a fire eternal； into tempest…trampled straits …
Thule； lying like a nightmare on the borders of the Pole：
Neither land； nor air； nor water； but a mixture of the whole！
Page： 54
Dumb； dead chaos； grey as spectre； now a mist and now a cloud；
Where the winds cry out for ever； and the wave is always loud。
Here the lord of many waters； in the great exalted years；
Saw the sight that no man knows of … heard the sound that no man hears …
Felt that God was in the Shadow ere he turned his prow and sped
To the sweet green fields of England with the sunshine overhead。
In the day when pallid Persia fled before the Thracian steel；
By the land that now is London passed the strange Hellenic keel。
Up the bends of quiet river； hard by banks of grove and flower；
Page： 55
Sailed the father through a silence in the old majestic hour。
Not a sound of fin or feather； not a note of wave or breeze；
Vext the face of sleeping streamlets； broke the rest of stirless trees。
Not a foot was in the forest； not a voice was in the wood；
When the elder from Massilia over English waters stood。
All was new； and hushed； and holy … all was pure untrodden space；
When the lord of many oceans turned to it a reverent face。
Man who knew resplendent Athens； set and framed in silver sea；
Did not dream a dream of England … England of the years to be！
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Friend of fathers like to Plato … bards august and hallowed seers …
Did not see that tenfold glory； Britain of the future years！
Spirit filled with Grecian music； songs that charm the dark away；
On that large； supreme occasion； did not note diviner lay …
Did not hear the voice of Shakespeare … all the mighty life was still；
Down the slopes that dipped to seaward； on the shoulders of the hill；
But the gold and green were brighter than the bloom of Thracian springs；
And a strange； surpassing beauty shone upon the face of things。
In a grave that no man thinks of … back from far…forgotten bays …
Page： 57
Sleeps the grey； wind…beaten sailor of the old exalted days。
He that coasted Wales and Dover； he that first saw Sussex plains；
Passed away with head unlaurelled in the wild Thessalian rains。
In a space by hand untended； by a fen of vapours blind；
Lies the king of many waters … out of sight and out of mind！
No one brings the yearly blossom … no one culls the flower of grace；
For the shell of mighty father buried in that lonely place；
But the winds are low and holy； and the songs of sweetness flow；
Where he fell asleep for ever； twenty centuries ago。
Page： 58
BILL THE BULLOCK DRIVER
THE leaders of millions； the lords of the lands；
Who sway the wide world with their will
And shake the great globe with the strength of their hands；
Flash past us … unnoticed by Bill。
The elders of science who measure the spheres
And weigh the vast bulk of the sun …
Who see the grand lights beyond aeons of years；
Are less than a bullock to one~。
The singers that sweeten all time with their song …
Pure voices that make us forget
Humanity's drama of marvellous wrong …
To Bill are as mysteries yet。
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By thunders of battle and nations uphurled；
Bill's sympathies never were stirred：
The helmsmen who stand at the wheel of the world
By him are unknown and unheard。
What trouble has Bill for the ruin of lands；
Or the quarrels of temple and throne；
So long as the whip that he holds in his hands
And the team that he drives are his own？
As straight and as sound as a slab without crack；
Our Bill is a king in his way；
Though he camps by the side of a shingle track；
And sleeps on the bed of his dray。
A whip…lash to him is as dear as a rose
Would be to a delicate maid；
He carries his darlings wherever he goes；
In a pocket…book tattered and frayed。
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The joy of a bard when he happens to write
A song like the song of his dream
Is nothing at all to our hero's delight
In the pluck and the strength of his team。
For the kings of the earth； for the faces august
Of princes； the millions may shout；
To Bill； as he lumbers along in the dust；
A bullock's the grandest thing out。
His four…footed friends are the friends of his choice …
No lover is Bill of your dames；
But the cattle that turn at the sound of his voice
Have the sweetest of features and names。
A father's chief joy is a favourite son；
When he reaches some eminent goal；
But the pride of Bill's heart is the hairy…legged one
That pulls with a will at the pole。
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His dray is no living； responsible thing；
But he gives it the gender of life；
And； seeing his fancy is free in the wing；
It suits him as well as a wife。
He thrives like an Arab。 Between the two wheels
Is his bedroom； where； lying up…curled；
He thinks for himself； like a sultan； and feels
That his home is the best in the world。
For； even though cattle； like subjects； will break
At times from the yoke and the band；
Bill knows how to act when his rule is at stake；
And is therefore a lord of the land。
Of course he must dream； but be sure that his dreams；
If happy； must compass； alas！
Fat bullocks at feed by improbable streams；
Knee…deep in improbable grass。
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No poet is Bill； for the visions of night
To him are as visions of day；
And the pipe that in sleep he endeavours to light
Is the pipe that he smokes on the dray。
To the mighty； magnificent temples of God；
In the hearts of the dominant hills；
Bill's eyes are as blind as the fire…blackened clod
That burns far away from the rills。
Through beautiful； bountiful forests that screen
A marvel of blossoms from heat …
Whose lights are the mellow and golden and green …
Bill walks with irreverent feet。
The manifold splendours of mountain and wood
By Bill like nonentities slip；
He loves the black myrtle because it is good
As a handle to lash to his whip。
Page： 63
And thus through the world； with a swing in his tread；
Our hero self…satisfied goes；
With his cabbage…tree hat on the back of his head；
And the string of it under his nose。
Poor bullocky Bill！ In the circles select
Of the scholars he hasn't a place；
But he walks like a man； with his forehead erect；
And he looks at God's d