The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-25
Ave Impernfrix.
ny OSCAR WILDE.


England What shall men say OF thee
before whose feet the worlds divide!
The Earth. brittle globe of glass,
Lies I'm the hollow Of thy hand,
And through it, heart OF crysinl pas.
Like shadows through twilight iand'
Tho sresrs Of crImson-tlroatcd wlr.
The long wliitc-crcsied waves 81 nghti
And all the deadly fires which are
The torches Of lho lords OF Night
Tho yellow leopards strained and 'can,.
The trcacher1us Russian knows 80 wel'
With gaping blackcnud Jaws are secn
Leap through the hail OF screaming shcii'
Tho strong sea-llon Of England's wars
Hath lcfl his sapphire cave OF sca'
To battle with the storm hat mars
The star OF Enalands chivdiry.
The brazen-ilIroaied clarion blows
Across the Patians secdy Ien'
Aud the high sleeps Of indian shows
shake to the tread Of armed men,
And many an Afghan chief, who Hes
Eoncath the cool pomgranaie-ttees'
Clutches his sword I'm fierce snfmlsc
When ON The inounrain SIDE nc secs
Tho aect-foot Mari, scout. who comes
TO tell how he hath heard afar
The measured roll OF English drums
Heat at the gates of handahar'
For Southern wind and East wind meet
Where GIT and crowned by sword tho h'e'
England with bare and BLOODY lccl
Climbs the steep road q Midc chP'i''
OF lonely II.malayan height,
Gray pillar Of the Indian SLY, a.,
Where saw - thou Inst In changing bShb
Our winged dogs of victOryf
The almond-groyes 81 samarcand-
Bukharl. where red lilies blow,
- Who yellow zIfN
Tho grave. white-turbaned mcrchanls go.
And on from thence to Isaphan,
The aildcd garden OF the -uii,
Whence the long dusty caravan
Brings cedar and YermliilOn.
And that dread city Of Cabool
Set ut the mOunttin's scarprd lect-
Whose marble ranks are ever iull
With water for the MONDAY heat'
Where, through the narrow straight haZi~i'
4 little maid ilrcassian
Is led, a present from the Gar
Unto some odd and bearded hhai-
Here have our wild war-eaglce flown.
And damned wide wings In fiery flight;
But the SAD dove. that SITS alone
In Englnd-sEe hath no delight
In vain the laughing girl will lean
To greet her love with loVe-l-i eyes
Down in some trcacherous' black iaNlhe'
Clulching his Gag, the dead boy hcs'
And many moon and sun will sec
The lingering. wistfu children Wiit
TO climb upon ihclr fat ers knee,
And in each house made dcs0iatc
Pale women who have lost their lord
WIN ks, the relies OF the siHn-
Some furnished cpauiette-some sword
Poor toys 20 soOthe such ahguisheu PAIN
For no, in oulct English fields
Are these. our brothers. lam 70 rest
Where we might deck their broken shleldS
With all the flowers TIE oc1d loNc OcS''
For some are by the Delhi walls
And many in The Afghan land,
And many where the ,Tanges it'ls
Through seven months OF shliuhg sliu'
And some I'm Russian waters lie,
AndOthcrs in the seas which are
The portals 10 the Past, or by
The wind-swept heights OF trafalgar
O wandering graves! o restless sleep!
q silence of the sunless day!
O still rayinci o stormy deep.
Give up your prey! Give up your prey
And thou whose wounds ARE never healed.
Whose weary race T. never won'
q Cromwell's England. musi thou ylelo
For every inch of ground son!
Col crown with thorns that cold-crowned heat
fhIigt my tlih N'lli- ~ ''filr - 1907
Wind aud Wild wave have got thy de1l
And viii no, yield them back again.
Wave, and wild wind, and foreign shore
Posses the flower Of English land
Lips that thy lips shall Kiss no more,
Hands that shall never Clasp III! hlhu'
What profit now that we have bound
The whole round world with nets OF goid'
Ifhidden in our heart Is found
The care that erOweth never OldP
What proii that our galley ride
Pine-forcst-lke, on every main!
Ruin aud wreck are at our side,
Grim warders of the IlOu-e Of pain.
Where arc the brave, the strong. the heet
Where Is our English chiY1lry!
Wild grasses are their burial-sheci'
And sObbing waves their thIenOdy.
o loved ones lying far away,
What word of love can dead lips send
o wasted dust! o scuscle clay
Is this the end l. this the Old'
Peace, peace! we wrong the noble dcad
To Vcx their solemn slumbcr so:
Though childless and with thorn-croWncd hcl'
Up the steep road must England 90.
Yet when this fiery web f. spun,
Her watchmcn shall dcscry from lar
The young Republic Ike san
RISE from these crimson seas OF war.