<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Reason and Honour.</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Was</span> not the bounty of the grape and corn,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Burned into ripeness by a summer sped,</p><p class="line">Harvest enough without all they have borne</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In their own aching flesh and from their bosoms fed?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Shall they, the mothers of the time to be,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Create for nothing but a league-long grave,</p><p class="line">That swallows up their immortality</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And hideous yawns across a kingdom while they rave?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">'Tis they who forge the bolt, when nations chafe</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And howl their battle cries of right and wrong;</p><p class="line">'Tis they who lead the mighty armies safe</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To manhood's threshold, brave and beautiful and strong.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">For death's the only answer that we make</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">When hungry kingdoms rise and fall on strife;</p><p class="line">Still one insensate spirit's greed can break</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The wide world's peace, and drain her holy founts of life.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And still the grandest death that man may die</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Is held the death of war, at some great need</p><p class="line">Beyond all human reason's power to try,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Since honour often spurns her sister, reason's rede.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">For reason's dumb while honour's thirsty blade</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Still flashes to the universe how man</p><p class="line">Remains so blind, so faltering, so afraid</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That carnage yet controls his highest hope and plan.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">But reason, guarding well her golden light,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Denies he shall for ever sate his dearth</p><p class="line">Like wolf or tiger; wills such futile might</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Anon be banned and thrust from off the good round earth.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">She dawns upon the darkness of our eyes;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Reveals that war can only hurl us back</p><p class="line">On hostile values; whispers to the wise</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">How virtue in the fed is vice to them that lack.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Virtue and vice are names, not qualities,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And when the baffled cry that might is right,</p><p class="line">No smug opinion from the unconscious skies</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">For doubtful virtue's sake shall hold them to their plight.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">All nations live by ideals; but in need</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">They linger with no ethic obsolete;</p><p class="line">They bend the knee to no unfriendly creed;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">But tramp their values firm beneath an army's feet.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Remains to man this everlasting truth</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That for his sure defence and steadfast guide,</p><p class="line">Reason and honour, by the way of ruth,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Shall yet march, hand in hand, and onward, side by side.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Again the world is meeting might with might,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And when the battle's fought and lost and won,</p><p class="line">Pray victory decree, as primal right,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That reason also wins a kingdom in the sun.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then shall she swiftly, for our world-wide shame,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Bend to the Mother from her starry place,</p><p class="line">And, in humanity's almighty name,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">For ever dry the tears upon that sacred face.</p></div><p class="byline">EDEN PHILLPOTTS.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></p></body></html> · Great War