Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-11-12
THE ENGLISH FLAG.
\ Poem Which Drew High Praise from
Laureate Tennyson.

\ Poem Which Drew High Praise from
Laureate Tennyson.
Miss Sarah Adams. the we'll known
authoress of Boston, who has now passed
several summers at the Bread Loaf Inn,
writes to Mr.. Battell as follows:
In the Life of Tennyson, published this
week, Is told n very charming Incident.
When Kiplng wrote "The Flag OF England"
Tennyson was greatly struck by its origin
ality and wrote to Ilipling praising it. Kip
ling replied that "when the private in the
ranks is praised by the general, he cannot
presume to thank him, but he fights the better
next day"
This seems to me a good incident to pub.
lish in your paper and give with it, too, the
poem which you will find in any book store
in the volume of Kiplings poems, called the
"Barrack Room Ballads" We should all
Ike so much to have this poem.
The following is the poem referred to:
THE ENGLISH FLAG.
AJorc the portico tag stat, bearing the Union
lack, remained futtering in the flames for some
time, but ultimately ichcH feH the crOiCdS rent
the air ioih shouts, and seemed to significance
in the mcidem daily Papers.
Winds of the World, give answer? They are
whimDering TO and fro
And what should they know of England who
only England know
The poor little street.bred people that vapour
and tume aud brag,
They are lifting their heads in the stiffness to
yelp AT the English Flag
Must we borrow clout from the Boer-to
plaster anew with dirt:
An Irish liars bandage, or an English COW
ards shirt;
We may not speak of England; her Flags to
sell or share.
What is the Flag of England: Winds OF the
World, declare!
The North Wind blew From Bergen my
steclshod van guards 90;
Il chase your lazy whalers home from the
DiskO foe;
by the great North Lights above me ! work
the will OF God,
And the liner splits on the ice.feld or the
DOgger nils with cod.
Il barred my gates with iron, / suffered my
doors with flame,
Because to force my ramparts your nut
shell navies ca ne;
q took the sun from their presence, | cut
them down with my blast,
And they died, but the Flag OF England blew
free ere the spirit passed.
The lean white bear hath seen it in the long,
long Arctic night,
The musk OK knows the standard that flOutS
the Northern Light:
What Is the Flag of England? Ye have but
my bergs to dare,
'Ne have but my drifts to conquer Go forth,
for it is theren
The South Wind sighed From the Virgins
my midi course was taen
Over thousand islands lost in an idle main,
Where the sea.egg flames on the coral and
the long-backed breakers Groom
Their endless ocean legends to the lazy,
locked lagoon.
'strayed amid lonely islets, mazed amid outer
keys,
Il walked the palms to laughter-I tossed the
scud in the breeze
Never was isle so little, never was sea so
lone,
But over the scud and the palm. trees an
English flag was flown.
4 have wrenched it free from IT, ballard to
hang Tor wtsp on the Horn;
! Il have chased IL north to the LiZard-rib-
bOned aud rolled ana torn;
| Il have spread its fold DER the dying, adrift
in "A hopeless sea;
q have hurled il swift on the SLAYER, and
seen the slave set free.
My bash ing sunfish knew it, and wheeling
albatross,
Where the lone wave fills with fire beneath
the Southern Cross.
what is the Flag OF England, Ye have but
'Ye have but my seas to furrow. Go forth
for IL is there"
The Feast Wind roared From the Kuriles,
the Bitter seas, ! come,
| and me men call the Home Wind, for bring
! the English home.
| 'Look-look well to your shipping BY the
breath of my mad typhoOn
Il swept your close-packed Praya and beached
your best at Kowloon
The Keeling iunks behind me and the racing
] seas before,
Il raped your richest roadster-I plundered
Singapore