s anew from our sleep!
Speak, for the Light of the world still lives and grows on thy face.
Give us the ancient Word once more, the unchangeable Word,--
This that Nelson knew, this that Effingham heard,
This that resounds for ever in all the hearts of our race,
This that lives for a moment on the iron lips of our guns,
This--that echoes for ever and ever--the Word of the Deep.

V

_The Guns of H.M.S. Dreadnought_

How shall a king be saved by the multitude of an host?
Was not the answer thine, when fleet upon fleet swept, hurled
Blind thro' the dark North Sea, with all their invincible ships?
Thine was the answer, O mother of all men born to be free!
Witness again, Cape Wrath!--O thine, everlastingly,
Thine as Freedom arose and rolled thy song from her lips,
Thine when she 'stablished her throne in thy sight, on our rough
rock-coast,
Thine with thy lustral glory and thunder, washing the world.

VI

_The Guns of H.M.S. Temeraire_

O for that ancient cry of the watch at the midnight bell,
Under the unknown stars, from the decks that Frobisher trod.
Hark, _Before the world?_--he questions a fleet in the dark!
Answer it, friend or foe! And, ringing from mast to mast,
Mother, hast thou forgotten what cry in the dark went past,
Answering still as he questioned? _Before the world?_ O, hark,
Ringing anear, _Before the world?_ ... _was God_ ... All's well!
Dying afar ... _Before the world?_ ... All's well ... _was God!_

VII

_The Guns of H.M.S. Revenge_

Raleigh and Grenville heard it, Knights of the Ocean-sea.
Have we forgotten it only, we with our leagues of steel?
Give us our watchword again, O mother, in this great hour!
Here, in the morning of battle, here as we gather our might,
Here, as the nations of earth in the light of thy freedom unite,
Shake our hearts with thy Word, O 'stablish our peace on thy power!
'Stablish our power on thy peace, thy glory, thy liberty,
'Stablish on thy deep Word the throne of our Commonweal.

VIII

_The Guns of H.M.S. Leviathan_

They that go down to the sea in ships--they heard it of old--
They shall behold His wonders, alone on the Deep, the Deep!
Have _we_ forgotten, we only? O, rend the heavens again,
Voice of the Everlasting, shake the great hills with thy breath!
Roll the Voice of