«Farewell, Romance!» the Cave-men said; |
«With bone well carved He went away. |
«Flint arms the ignoble arrowhead, |
«And jasper tips the spear to-day. |
«Changed are the Gods of Hunt and Dance, |
«And He with these. Farewell, Romance!» |
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«Farewell, Romance!» the Lake-folk sighed; |
«We lift the weight of flatling years; |
«The caverns of the mountain-side |
«Hold Him who scorns our hutted piers. |
«Lost hills whereby we dare not dwell, |
«Guard ye His rest. Romance, Farewell!» |
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«Farewell, Romance!» the Soldier spoke; |
«By sleight of sword we may not win, |
«But scuffle ‘mid uncleanly smoke |
«Of arquebus and culverin. |
«Honour is lost, and none may tell |
«Who paid good blows. Romance, farewell!» |
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«Farewell, Romance!» the Traders cried; |
«Our keels have lain with every sea. |
«The dull-returning wind and tide |
«Heave up the wharf where we would be; |
«The known and noted breezes swell |
«Our trudging sails. Romance, farewell!» |
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«Good-bye, Romance!» the Skipper said; |
«He vanished with the coal we burn. |
«Our dial marks full-steam ahead, |
«Our speed is timed to half a turn. |
«Sure as the ferried barge we ply |
«’Twixt port and port. Romance, good-bye!» |
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«Romance!» the season-tickets mourn, |
«He never ran to catch His train, |
«But passed with coach and guard and horn - |
«And left the local - late again! |
«Confound Romance!» ... And all unseen |
Romance brought up the nine-fifteen. |
|
His hand was on the lever laid, |
His oil-can soothed the worrying cranks, |
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His fog-horn cut the reeking Banks; |
By dock and deep and mine and mill |
The Boy-god reckless laboured still! |
|
Robed, crowned and throned, He wove His spell, |
|
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Hedged in a backward-gazing world: |
Then taught His chosen bard to say: |
«Our King was with us - yesterday!» |