BETA

The Private of the Buffs.

By Sir F. H. Doyle.
“ Some Seiks, and a private of the Buffs,
having remained behind with the grog-carts,
fell into the hands of the Chinese. On the
next morning, they were brought before the
authorities, and commanded to perform the
kotou. The Seiks obeyed ; but Moyse, the
English soldier, declaring that he would not
prostrate himself before any Chinaman alive,
was immediately knocked upon the head, and
his body thrown on a dung-hill.”
—See China
Correspondent of the “ Times.”
Last night, among his fellow roughs,1
He jested, quaffed, and swore ;2
A drunken private of the Buffs,3
Who never looked before.4
To-day, beneath the foeman’s frown,5
He stands in Elgin’s place,6
Ambassador from Britain’s crown,7
And type of all her race.8
Poor, reckless, rude, low-born, untaught,9
Bewildered, and alone,10
A heart, with English instinct fraught,11
He yet can call his own.12
Ay, tear his body limb from limb,13
Bring cord, or axe, or flame :14
He only knows, that not through him15
Shall England come to shame.16
Far Kentish1 hop-fields round him seem’d17
Like dreams, to come and go ;18
Bright leagues of cherry-blossom gleam’d19
One sheet of living snow ;20
The smoke, above his father’s door,21
In grey soft eddyings hung :22
Must he then watch it rise no more,23
Doom’d by himself, so young ?24
Yes, honour calls !— with strength like
steel25
He put the vision by.26
Let dusky Indians whine and kneel ;27
An English lad must die.28
1The Buffs, or West Kent Regiment.
And thus, with eyes that would not
shrink,29
With knee to man unbent,30
Unfaltering on its dreadful brink,31
To his red grave he went.32
Vain, mightiest fleets, of iron framed ;33
Vain, those all-shattering guns ;34
Unless proud England keep, untamed,35
The strong heart of her sons.36
So, let his name through Europe
ring—37
A man of mean estate,38
Who died, as firm as Sparta’s king,39
Because his soul was great.40