New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-13
RUSSI1: An ODE.

A,ce,nor Charles swinburnc in Fortniehty Review
out ~ hell n word comes Kissing dark as dooh'
Fierce rs fire. and foul As plague p"HuOVu o''
ONT Of hell wherein the snlcSN damned e''""'o
Moro than ever sin conceived of pains impuie'
Me- than ever ground mems living souls I" du'V,
Worse than madness ever dreamed OF mu'ue'o"N i",'
since the worlds wall first went up from iads anu os
Ears have heard not, tongues nave 'oIu HUI "'''e any
these. -,
Dante led by loves and hates accordant Spel
Down the deepest and the loathleSt ways Oh hci''
,hcro heyond the brook Of blood the rain was hfe'
u,hsre the scalps were masked with dung more deep
than mire. 800
Saw not. where the fifth was foulcSt. and the nih'
Darkest, depths whose fends could match the MuSco'
"ltc
set beside this truth, his deadliest vision seems
pale and pure and painless a. virgins dreams
Na,d.ns dead beneath the claspng lash and wives
Rent with deadicr panss than dcatl-ior Sha'ie sur
wives,
Naked mad starved scOurGed, spuned fFozch' laic''
defowercd,
Souls and bodies as by fanss OF beasts dcvoured
80 that he'll vould hear not sight, thoughts
could shape,
limbs that feel as fame the ravenous grasp VI rape
Filth of raging crime and shame That CRIME enjoys
Age made one with youth in torture girls WIFI oo9s'
These and wolse IL aught be worse than thesc thnes
c,o,s ~ mn, men born of women, may We dare
Cav they sin who dare be slain and dare not spare!
they who take their lives in hand and smile on dcau'
Holding life as less than sleeps most hul DrFi'h'
s their life percance or death mas serve and speed
Faith and hope that die If dream become not decd
Nought is death and nOught Is life ana housh' % l"o
Save for souls that love has clothed with hrc OF hae
These behold them, weigh them, prove them, hnd them
nought,
Save by light of hope and fire OF burning Thought
What though be less than storm where these aspire
Dawn than lightning, song than thunder hsh' IMAM
nre1
Help is none in heaven hope sees no gentler star
Earth IS hell and hell bows down before the Gar.
All its monstrous murderous lccherous births acclaim
Him whose empire lives to match It's fiery fame
Nav perchancc at sight or sense Oi dc'ns he'c u'"o
Here where men may lift up eyes to greet the sun,
He'll recoils rt-strcken horror worse than he'll
Darkcns earth ami sickcns heaven; life knows uc
spell.
p,rdders ouails and sinks or, filed with herfei
breath
pises rcd in arms devised of darklng death.
Pity mad with passion, anguish mad with shame
Call aloud on justice by her darker name
Love grows hato for loves sake; life takes ocath ioi
guide.
NIrbt hath none but one red star-Tyrannicidc.
III.
sndt.s and send him bowling down his fathers way
Fall O fire Of heaven and sInitc as fire from hell
Halls wherein mems tortuTers, crowned and covering
dwell
These that crouch and shrink and shudder, grit with
power
These that reign and dare not trust one trembling
hour
These onnipo,eilt, whom terror curbs and drives
These whose life reflects in fear their victims lives
These whose breath Sheds poison worse than plaques
thick breath
These whose reign is ruin these whose word is oeah
These whose Will turns heaven to hell, and day to
night
These. II Gods hand smtc not, how shall mans moi
smte!"
So from hearts by horror withcred as by fire
surge the strains Of uuappcasablc desire;
Bid the lips whose breath doom yield up their
breath;
Down the way Of Cars. awhile in vain deferred,
Bid the second Alexander Hight the Third.
How for shame shall men rcbuke them how may VIC
Blame. whose fathers died. and slew, TO leave MS free
We, though all Cne world cry ont upon them know
Were our strife as theirs could not strike but so
Could not COVER and could not kiss the hands that
smitc;
Could not meet them armed in suniit battles light.
Dark fear and rcd hate though morning rise
Life it is that conqucrs death il is that dies.