A Song of Liberty.
He
who loveth Truth and Beauty1
More than pleasure, ease, or gold,2
He who shirks not any Duty3
Though his fame be never told,4
Whose calm soul is ever reverent while his aim is ever bold—5
He whose sympathies are bounded6
By the Infinite alone,7
Whose deep faith is firmly grounded8
On the surety of God’s throne,9
He who is the wide world’s servant and the minion of none—10
He whose presence is a terror11
Unto everything unclean,12
He who can be just to error13
And who hateth all things mean,14
Fearing neither Death nor darkness, living in a world unseen—15
He who shares the whole world’s sorrow16
And with every bird can sing,17
Scorning not to stoop and borrow18
Knowledge from the meanest thing,19
Wearing all the calm of Summer and the carelessness of Spring—20
He who finds his hourly mission21
In the will of One above,22
He who needs not man’s permission,23
Whom nor fear nor force can move,24
Living by the law of Conscience and the high behest of Love—25
He whose spirit loves to wander26
Through the gateways of the Past,27
Whose rapt soul delights to ponder28
All the mysteries amassed29
By the patience of the ages in their search for what shall last ;30
While his fancy lightly ranges31
O’er the golden days to come,32
Fearing not the shocks of changes,33
Nor the threatenings of doom,34
Seeing in the seed of Progress all the fruit and all the bloom—35
He is lord of all creation,36
Though his kingdom be unknown ;37
Him the great of every nation38
Shall acclaim and call their own ;39
He shall give the Past a lustre brighter than the setting sun.40
One with God and man and nature,41
Nought can harm him or deny,42
On his brow he wears the feature43
Of imperial majesty ;44
All his deeds are set in music, all his thoughts have liberty.45