<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">A Petition</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">All</span> that a man might ask thou hast given me, England,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Birthright and happy childhood's long heart's-ease,</p><p class="line">And love whose range is deep beyond all sounding</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And wider than all seas:</p><p class="line">A heart to front the world and find God in it,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Eyes blind enow but not too blind to see</p><p class="line">The lovely things behind the dross and darkness,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And lovelier things to be;</p><p class="line">And friends whose loyalty time nor death shall weaken</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And quenchless hope and laughter's golden store --</p><p class="line">All that a man might ask thou has given me, England,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Yet grant thou one thing more:</p><p class="line">That now when envious foes would spoil thy splendour,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Universed in arms, a dreamer such as I,</p><p class="line">May in thy ranks be deemed not unworthy,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">England, for thee to die.</p></div><p class="byline">Robert Ernest Vernède</p></body></html> · Great War