Chapter I: Front Matter

SONGS OF LOVE AND EMPIRE

SONGS OF
LOVE AND EMPIRE

By E. NESBIT

AUTHOR OF “LAYS AND LEGENDS,” “A POMANDER OF VERSE,” ETC

WESTMINSTER
ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO
1898

“After Sixty Years” appeared on June 22, 1897, in the _Daily News_;
“To the Queen of England” and many other verses in the _Pall Mall
Gazette_; “A Song of Peace and Honour” and “A Song of Trafalgar” in
the _Daily Chronicle_, and certain other verses in the _Athenæum_.
To the Editors of these papers my thanks are due.

_TO HUBERT BLAND_

_To you the harvest of my toil has come,_
_ause of all that lies its sheaves between;_
_ taught me first what Love and Empire mean,_
_ to your hands I bring my harvest home._

CONTENTS

PAGE

ABSOLUTION 167

ADVENTURER, THE 58

AFTER SIXTY YEARS 11

APPEAL, THE 93

“AT EVENING TIME THERE SHALL BE LIGHT” 150

AT THE SOUND OF THE DRUM 67

BALLAD OF THE WHITE LADY, THE 43

BETRAYED 109

BY FAITH WITH THANKSGIVING 91

CHAINS INVISIBLE 147

CHRISTMAS HYMN 164

CROWN OF LIFE, THE 157

DIRGE 125

DISCRETION 86

EBB-TIDE 132

ENTREATY 83

EVENING PRAYER 162

EVENING SONG 129

FAITH 62

FAUTE DE MIEUX 99

FEBRUARY 139

FOREST POOL, THE 84

GHOST BEREFT, THE 50

GOOSE GIRL, THE 69

GUARDIAN ANGEL, THE 74

HAUNTED 123

HEART OF GRIEF, THE 115

HEART OF JOY, THE 113

HEART OF SADNESS, THE 111

IN ECLIPSE 103

IN THE ENCHANTED TOWER 60

LAST ACT, THE 97

“LOVE WELL THE HOUR” 107

MAGNIFICAT 159

MAIDENHOOD 152

MEDWAY SONG 144

MONK, THE 155

NEW COLLEGE GARDENS, OXFORD 135

OFFERING, THE 82

ON THE DOWNS 133

OUT OF HOPE 121

PEDLAR, THE 71

PORTRAIT, A 80

PRELUDE 66

PROMISE OF SPRING, THE 141

QUEEN OF ENGLAND, THE 3

REFUSAL, THE 64

REQUIEM 117

“SHEPHERDS ALL AND MAIDENS FAIR” 77

SONG IN AUTUMN 95

SONG OF LONG AGO 101

SONG OF PEACE AND HONOUR 35

SONG OF TRAFALGAR 26

SPECIAL PLEADING 105

SPRING SONG 88

TEINT NEUTRE 119

“THIS DESIRABLE MANSION” 131

TO A TULIP BULB 137

TOO LATE 90

TRAFALGAR DAY 24

VAIN SPELL, THE 55

WATERLOO DAY 32