<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Honour's Utmost Task.</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Clean-stripped</span> for action -- neither overbold,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Nor fearing overmuch what chance may bring --</p><p class="line">We join the lists. Let none hereafter hold</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">We grasped this sword for gain's sake, caste, nor king</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Power-crazed to his own people's ruining!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We weighed, but stayed not counting it, our loss</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In blood and tears and darkling years to be;</p><p class="line">Appraised the instant's faith against the dross</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of gold fear-clenched in base immunity --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The coward shelter of geography; --</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And drew for little peoples, for our word</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Once given, which we hold inviolate</p><p class="line">As these our combes, our downs, our cliffs that heard</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The vain Dons thunder at our sea-barred gate</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And frowned one true Napoleon to his fate.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Battlers for world-peace, slaves of Honour's lamp,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Tending a Vestal flame which never dies,</p><p class="line">We brook no bribe from any traitor camp</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That trades, mailed fist on hilt to back its lies,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">With broken pledges and with blasphemies!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Wherefore, in dour purged sober earnestness,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Unfactioned, linked, ungrudging each to each,</p><p class="line">One People welded for our Empire's stress,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">We Warden Nations hie us to the breach;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Nor waste swift hours, that shout for deeds, in speech.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Our blades shall not be sheathed, our banners furled,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Till Honour's utmost task be trebly done;</p><p class="line">Till, bright across the devastated world,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">New-risen and blood-cleansed, Freedom's sun</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Dawns for God's vengeance on the shattered Hun!</p></div><p class="byline">FRANK DANBY.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></p></body></html> · Great War