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 318 SWINBURNE

Freedom lives by the grace she gives thee, born

again from thy deathless youth : Faith should fail, and the world turn pale, wert thou

the prey of the serpent's tooth.

Greed and fraud, unabashed, unawed, may strive to

sting thee at heel in vain; Craft and fear and mistrust may leer and mourn and

murmur and plead and plain : Thou art thou : and thy sunbright brow is hers that

blasted the strength of Spain.

Mother, mother beloved, none other could claim in

place of thee England's place: Earth bears none that beholds the sun so pure of

record, so clothed with grace : Dear our mother, nor son nor brother is thine, as

strong or as fair of face, How shalt thou be abased? or how shalt fear take

hold of thy heart? of thine, England, maiden immortal, laden with charge of life

and with hopes divine? Earth shall wither, when eyes turned hither behold

not light in her darkness shine.

England, none that is born thy son, and lives by

grace of thy glory, free, Lives and yearns not at heart and burns with hope

to serve as he worships thee; None may sing thee: the sea-wind's wing beats

down our songs as it hails the sea.

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