Front matter
Reading edition
SONNETS AND VERSE BY H. BELLOC
SONNETS AND VERSE
BY H. BELLOC DUCKWORTH & CO. 3 HENRIETTA STREET, LONDON, W.C. First Published in 1923 All rights reserved Made and Printed in Great Britain by Turnbull & Spears, Edinburgh To JOHN SWINNERTON PHILLIMORE A DEDICATION WITH THIS BOOK OF VERSE
When you and I were little tiny boys We took a most impertinent delight In foolish, painted and misshapen toys Which hidden mothers brought to us at night. Do you that have the child’s diviner part— The dear content a love familiar brings— Take these imperfect toys, till in your heart They too attain the form of perfect things.
CONTENTS
I. SONNETS
PAGE
I.Lift up your Hearts in Gumber, laugh the Weald3
II.I was like one that keeps the Deck by Night4
III.Rise up and do begin the Day’s Adorning5
IV.The Winter Moon has such a quiet Car6
V.Whatever Moisture nourishes the Rose7
VI.Youth gave you to me, but I’ll not believe8
VII.Mortality is but the Stuff you wear9
VIII.Not for the Luckless Buds our Roots may bear10
IX.That which is one they Shear and make it Twain11
X.Shall any Man for whose strong love another12
XI.They that have taken Wages of things done13
XII.Beauty that Parent is to deathless Rhyme14
XIII.What are the Names for Beauty? Who shall praise15
XIV.Love wooing Honour, Honour’s Love did win16
XV.Your Life is like a little Winter’s Day17
XVI.Now shall the certain Purpose of my Soul18
XVII.Because my faltering Feet may fail to dare19
XVIII.When you to Acheron’s ugly Water come20
XIX.We will not Whisper, we have found the Place21
XX.I went to Sleep at Dawn in Tuscany22
XXI.Almighty God, whose Justice like a Sun23
XXII.Mother of all my Cities once there lay24
XXIII.November is that Historied Emperor25
XXIV.Hoar Time about the House betakes him Slow26
XXV.It Freezes: all across a soundless Sky27
XXVI.O my Companion, O my Sister Sleep28
XXVII.Are you the End, Despair, or the poor least29
XXVIII.But Oh! not Lovely Helen, nor the Pride30
XXIX.The World’s a Stage. The Light is in One’s Eyes31
XXX.The World’s a Stage—and I’m the Super Man32
XXXI.The World’s a Stage. The trifling Entrance Fee33
LYRICAL, DIDACTIC AND GROTESQUE
To Dives37
Stanzas Written on Battersea Bridge during a South-Westerly Gale39
The South Country42
The Fanatic45
The Early Morning48
Our Lord and Our Lady49
Courtesy51
The Night53
The Leader54
A Bivouac56
To the Balliol Men still in Africa57
Verses to a Lord who, in the House of Lords, said that those who Opposed the South African Adventure confused Soldiers with Money-Grubbers59
The Rebel61
The Prophet Lost in the Hills at Evening63
The End of the Road65
An Oracle that Warned the Writer when on Pilgrimage67
The Death and Last Confession of Wandering Peter68
Dedicatory Ode70
Dedication on the Gift of a Book to a Child78
Dedication of a Child’s Book of Imaginary Tales79
Homage80
The Moon’s Funeral81
The Happy Journalist83
Lines to a Don85
Newdigate Poem88
The Yellow Mustard93
The Politician or the Irish Earldom94
The Loser96
SONGS
Noël99
The Birds101
In a Boat102
Song inviting the Influence of a Young Lady upon the Opening Year104
The Ring105
Cuckoo!106
The Little Serving Maid107
Auvergnat110
Drinking Song, on the Excellence of Burgundy Wine111
Drinking Dirge113
West Sussex Drinking Song115
A Ballad on Sociological Economics117
Heretics All118
Ha’nacker Mill119
Tarantella120
The Chaunty of the “Nona”122
The Winged Horse125
Strephon’s Song (from “The Cruel Shepherdess”)127
IV. BALLADES
Short Ballade and Postscript on Consols and Boers131
Ballade of the Unanswered Question134
Ballade to Our Lady of Czestochowa136
Ballade of Hell and of Mrs Roebeck138
Ballade of Unsuccessful Men140
Ballade of the Heresiarchs142
V. EPIGRAMS147
VI. THE BALLAD OF VAL-ÈS-DUNES157