ot up to the sky
When the dawn of the day had begun;
And the steel glistened bright in the glad golden light
Of a glorious Eastern sun.
And the words rang clear, with no trembling fear--
"Brave Britons! on you I rely!"
And the answer pealed out with a mighty shout--
"Sebastopol falls, or we die!"
Advance!--Advance!--Men of England and France!
"Sebastopol falls, or we die!"
Now the death-storm pours, and the smoke up-soars,
And the battle rages with furious might,
And the red blood streams, and the fire-flash gleams,
And the writhing thousands--God! God! what a sight.
The hoarse-throated cannon belch fiery breath,
And hurl forth the murderous rain,
Which dances along on its message of death,
And sings o'er the dying and slain!
Crash! Crash! Then a leap and a dash!
Hand to hand--face to face, goes the fight;
The bayonets plunge, and the red streams plash,
And up goes a shout of delight--
"The enemy runs!--Men flinch from their guns!
On! Forward! For God and for Right!
Advance!--Advance!--Men of England and France!
Press forward, for Freedom and Right!
On--On--On! Hurrah! the goal's won;
See! the old colours flutter and dance,
And proudly they wave over Tyranny's grave:
Well done! Men of England and France--Hurrah!
Hurrah! for old England and France!"
TO LORD DERBY.
1877.
As the monarch that grows in the forest, and rears
Its brow ever green to the firmament bright,
So, stedfast and sturdy, thy proud form appears,
Of patriots the hope, and thy country's delight.
Through thy heart, firm and true as the oak trees that stand
In the soil of Old England--in which _thou_ hast grown,
There runs the same life which _they_ draw from the land,
And the heart of thy country 's the life of thine own.
With the seal of Nobility set by thy Sire,
Thou tread'st in his steps as thou bearest his name;
And the glow that he added to Albion's fire
Reflects through the Past and enhances thy fame.
Where Freedom is free'st, thou takest thy stand:
Where Tyranny threatens, thy misson is told;
And thy tongue, which we hail as the Voice of the Land,
Speaks the wish of a nation heroic and bold.
And bright will the name be of England, as long
As safe in thy keeping her honour remains--
'Twill stand 'mongst the noblest in story and song,
And be worthy the purest an
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