<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Fourth of June. <br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">THEY were the life of English homes: it seems </p><p class="line">The victory of Death is very nigh.</p><p class="line">Who could have dreamed last June that they would lie</p><p class="line">By far Gallipoli or French neighbour streams</p><p class="line">Fall'n in the crowning hour when youth redeems</p><p class="line">The pledge of boyhood? "None ultimately die</p><p class="line">Who die for England," they have made repIy </p><p class="line">"We have lived to see the battles of our dreams,î</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Death cannot rob them of the soldier's prize </p><p class="line">" Self-sacrifice. He is too weak to take </p><p class="line">The joy of having given from the eyes, </p><p class="line">The light of consecration from the brow</p><p class="line">They have laid down their lives for England's sake,</p><p class="line">They are the living soul of England now</p></div><p class="byline">Eton."</p>(The <em>Times</em>, June 4th, 1915</body></html> · Great War