<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Peacemaker--August,<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/> 1914</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">THE nightmare that was once Napoleonism</p><p class="line">Stalks now the harvest-ready, unharvested</p><p class="line">Fields at high noon, to blast them with his red</p><p class="line">Laughter, loosing a final cataclysm.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We boasted him a dream, while he was whetting</p><p class="line">His belly's hunger, for he never ceased</p><p class="line">Behind the years to gloat on the fair feast</p><p class="line">Preparing--all the births of our begetting!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Is there no spear with which to slay this Slayer</p><p class="line">Of nations, this Dragon of massacre, this</p><p class="line">Viceroy on earth of the Monarch of the Abyss?</p><p class="line">Is there no Champion against Life's Betrayer?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">There is a hand that yet shall slay the slaughter,</p><p class="line">A brand that yet shall smite to the death Love's</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Cheat!</p><p class="line">Ringing across the world the hills repeat</p><p class="line">Liberty's challenge, that the mountains taught her.</p><p class="line">And she shall not withhold her hand for sorrow,</p><p class="line">Or pity, or prudence that counts up the cost:</p><p class="line">Either the day is Freedom's, or we have lost</p><p class="line">Peace, and the Spectre walks again to-morrow.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">She shall make peace, but never with oppression:</p><p class="line">Hallowed her pitiless sword that it may clean</p><p class="line">The whole earth utterly of the obscene</p><p class="line">Presence that holds the folk in his possession.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">O, she shall make an end of war for ever:</p><p class="line">Victress, she shall make peace, a radiant-browed</p><p class="line">Splendour of fear-defiant Faith, endowed</p><p class="line">With all the heart of passionate endeavour.</p></div></body></html> · Great War