Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality.
To Thought’s metropolis sublime,1
Where never sets the morning star,2
Across the desert wastes of Time,3
Two travellers journey’d from afar.4
The one a royal mantle wore,5
A golden buckler girt his breast,6
A banner in his hand he bore,7
A plume upon his stately crest :8
The other, clad in rags, and bare9
Of head and foot, with weary haste10
To reach that city shining fair,11
Plodded the wide and pathless waste :12
But ere the day was down, the two13
Together reach’d the gated wall ;14
And both upon the bugle blew,15
High challenge to the watchmen all.16
“ What pilgrim from the waste of years,17
Seeks entrance here ?” the warden cried.18
“ Go, greet from me my princely peers,”19
The mail’d and mantled guest replied.20
“ And spread for me the banquet fair,21
And open wide the palace door,22
For me the lighted hall prepare,23
For me the kingly goblet pour.24
“ For Shakespeare’s royal son am I !25
But strew the straw, the fagot light,26
In any common hostelry27
Where this poor wretch may rest to-night.28
“ My lordly lineage I proclaim ;29
My sire is known o’er all the earth :30
But no man knows, or asks, the name31
Of him who gave this beggar birth.32
“ High feast in banner’d hall be mine,33
And his some hole to hide his head,34
And pour for me the noble wine,35
And fling to him a crust of bread !”36
“ That may not be !” the answer fell37
From tower to tower in merry scorn,38
“ For all who enter here and dwell,39
Are brethren, free, and equal born,40
“ So enter, side by side, ye two,41
As equal guests; or enter not.42
For here is neither high nor low,43
But unto all one equal lot.44
“ And unto each the same degree ;45
Nor first nor last, nor great nor small :46
All children of one sire are we,47
Thought is the father of us all !”48