4

They look up, with their pale and sunken faces,

And their look is dread to see,

For you think you see their angels in their places,
With eyes meant for Deity ;—

"How long," they say,

"how long, O cruel nation,

Will you stand, to

move the world, on a child's

heart,

Stifle down with a mailed heel its palpitation,

And tread onward to your throne amid the mart? Our blood splashes upward, O our tyrants,

And your purple shews your path;

But the child's sob curseth deeper in the silence
Than the strong man in his wrath!"

CROWNED AND WEDDED.

WHEN last before her people's face her own fair face she bent,

Within the meek projection of that shade she was content To erase the child-smile from her lips, which seemed as if it might

Be still kept holy from the world to childhood still in

sight

To erase it with a solemn vow, a princely vow-to

rule

A priestly vow-to rule by grace of God the pitiful,— A very godlike vow-to rule in right and righteous

ness,

And with the law and for the land!-so God the vower

bless!

The minster was alight that day, but not with fire, I

ween,

And long-drawn glitterings swept adown that mighty aisled scene.

The priests stood stoled in their pomp, the sworded chiefs in theirs,

And so, the collared knights,—and so, the civil minis

ters,

And so, the waiting lords and dames-and little pages

best

At holding trains and legates so, from countries east and west

So, alien princes, native peers, and high-born ladies

bright,

Along whose brows the Queen's, new crowned, flashed coronets to light!—

And so, the people at the gates, with priestly hands on

high,

Which bring the first anointing to all legal majesty !

And so the DEAD-who lie in rows beneath the minster

floor,

There, verily an awful state maintaining evermore

The statesman, whose clean palm will kiss no bribe

whate'er it be

The courtier, who, for no fair queen, will rise up to his

knee

The court-dame, who, for no court-tire, will leave her shroud behind

The laureate, who no courtlier rhyme than "dust to dust" can find—

The kings and queens who having made that vow and worn that crown,

Descended unto lower thrones and darker, deep adown! Dieu et mon droit-what is 't to them?-what meaning can it have?

The King of kings, the rights of death-God's judgment and the grave!

And when betwixt the quick and dead the young fair queen had vowed,

The living shouted "May she live! Victoria, live!" aloud

And as the loyal shouts went up, true spirits prayed

between,

"The blessings happy monarchs have, be thine, O

crowned queen !"

But now before her people's face she bendeth her's

anew,

And calls them, while she vows, to be her witness there

unto.

She vowed to rule, and in that oath, her childhood put

away

She doth maintain her womanhood, in vowing love

to-day.

O, lovely lady!—let her vow!-such lips become such

VOWS,

And fairer goeth bridal wreath than crown with vernal

brows!

O, lovely lady!-let her vow!-yea, let her vow to

love!

And though she be no less a queen-with purples hung

above,

The pageant of a court behind, the royal kin around, And woven gold to catch her looks turned maidenly to ground,

Yet may the bride-veil hide from her a little of that state, While loving hopes, for retinues, about her sweetness wait!