'Nay - rather yet that I could raise One hope that warm'd me in the days While still I yearn'd for human praise. 'When, wide in soul, and bold of tongue, Among the tents I paused and sung, The distant battle flash'd and rung. 'I sung the joyful Paean clear, And, sitting, burnish'd without fear The brand, the buckler, and the spear - 'Waiting to strive a happy strife, To war with falsehood to the knife, And not to lose the good of life - 'Some hidden principle to move, To put together, part and prove, And mete the bounds of hate and love - 'As far as might be, to carve out Free space for every human doubt, That the whole mind might orb about - 'To search thro' all I felt or saw, The springs of life, the depths of awe, And reach the law within the law: 'At least, not rotting like a weed, But, having sown some generous seed, Fruitful of further thought and deed, 'To pass, when Life her light withdraws, Not void of righteous self-applause, Nor in a merely selfish cause - 'In some good cause, not in mine own, To perish, wept for, honour'd, known, And like a warrior overthrown...

Life·Truth·Courage·Purpose·Freedom