Page:The poems of Richard Watson Gilder, Gilder, 1908.djvu/330

302 And gentlest deed and noblest thought,

Into the common day are brought.

Man lives at heaven's gate, and dies

For fellow-man with joyful cries.

II

And all the while hell's imps are free

To work their will with fearful glee.

The beast in man anew is born;

Revenge, and lust, and pride, and scorn,

And glory false, and hateful hate,

All join to desecrate the state.

THE BLAMELESS KNIGHT

led the bright and blameless plume

We charged the shameless foe;

Whether to win or lose our doom

We never cared to know.

His voice was as a scimitar,

Superb and sure his stroke;

And where he came their men-of-war

In panic fury broke.

Once more we gathered for the fight

Against the ranks of shame;

Again we called the blameless knight

And cheered him as he came.

But, God of grace! not with us now

Our valiant knight doth go:

A plume of black above his brow—

He leads the shameless foe!