<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">To Great Britain.</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Britain</span>! you with a heart of flame</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">One as in days gone by,</p><p class="line">You who honour your Nelson's name,</p><p class="line">How could you hear the word of shame</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Nor rise and give it the lie!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Better endure war's worst of ills,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">The woe of a hundred fights,</p><p class="line">Than cower behind your banks and tills</p><p class="line">And smug with your money, your mines, your mills,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Forswear a neighbour's rights.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">For how could you hope for a wide world's trust</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">If, traitor by land and sea,</p><p class="line">You had let French lilies lie in the dust</p><p class="line">Nor challenged for peace the War-Lord's lust</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">And struck for a Europe free.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Fight and in hope, for battle is banned,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">The world shall yet rejoice,</p><p class="line">For the peoples rise in wrath to demand</p><p class="line">Henceforth no war shall trouble the land</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Except at a people's voice.</p></div><p class="byline">H. D. RAWNSLEY.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></p></body></html> · Great War