A Song for My Son (Classic Reprint)

Bücher

Angebote / Angebote:

Excerpt from A Song for My Son Proem. This monarch, with some deep intent, but unrevealed (nor scroll nor stone Is left for our enlightenment, so this must needs remain unknown), Conceived a method passing strange to practise with a certain isle - One small, but fair, and within range of his own trumpets - for a while. He suddenly, not deigning word of change in purpose to the few There dwelling (a barbaric herd), all signs of sovereignty withdrew! His court, his ministers, his seat of judgment, and his glittering guard Were straight removed afar, complete was the abandonment, nor ward, Nor aid, nor countenance of him had that lone people any more. Savage they were, yet weak, and dim of intellect, and harassed sore On every side by ruthless foes: where should they look for help - to whom? Royal force withdrawn, great were their woes, and miserable seemed their doom. This king had ever sought to train his people to rely in chief On their own strength and skill, in vain their supplications for relief Ere they had strenuously wrought their utmost - all that in them lay, Of craft or talent leaving naught untried, and in th' incessant fray Acquitting them as valiant men, well plying hand or wielding blade, Then - for he knew - and not till then, did he put forth his hand to aid. What, then, had moved their father-king to leave them in such plight as this? Not wrath at some great trespassing, for sure such method were not his, His anger raged not, blind, to smite alike the greater and the less, Making his enemies to bite the dust in mere vindictiveness (Like one whereof we read), his laws were plain, their penalties direct, His proclamation ran: "Such cause, inevitable such effect." Propitiation had no part - no power - availed not a whit, Nay, all untutored in such art, this simple race knew naught of it. Neither vicarous sacrifice, one, sure, had been accounted mad About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.