318 SWINBURNE
Freedom lives by the grace she gives thee, born
again from thy deathless youth : Faith should fail, and the world turn pale, wert thou
the prey of the serpent's tooth.
Greed and fraud, unabashed, unawed, may strive to
sting thee at heel in vain; Craft and fear and mistrust may leer and mourn and
murmur and plead and plain : Thou art thou : and thy sunbright brow is hers that
blasted the strength of Spain.
Mother, mother beloved, none other could claim in
place of thee England's place: Earth bears none that beholds the sun so pure of
record, so clothed with grace : Dear our mother, nor son nor brother is thine, as
strong or as fair of face, How shalt thou be abased? or how shalt fear take
hold of thy heart? of thine, England, maiden immortal, laden with charge of life
and with hopes divine? Earth shall wither, when eyes turned hither behold
not light in her darkness shine.
England, none that is born thy son, and lives by
grace of thy glory, free, Lives and yearns not at heart and burns with hope
to serve as he worships thee; None may sing thee: the sea-wind's wing beats
down our songs as it hails the sea.
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