as such profound religious sentiment, that
it is regarded as one of the noblest things ever written. Kipling
himself tells us how it was written:

"That poem gave me more trouble than anything I ever wrote. I had
promised the _Times_ a poem on the Jubilee, and when it became due,
I had written nothing that had satisfied me. The _Times_ began to
want the poem badly, and sent letter after letter asking for it. I
made many more attempts but no further progress. Finally the
_Times_ began sending telegrams. So I shut myself in a room with a
determination to stay there until I had written a Jubilee poem.
Sitting down with all my previous attempts before me I searched
through those dozens of sketches, till at last I found just one
line I liked. That was, 'Lest we forget.' Round these words _The
Recessional_ was written."

God of our fathers, known of old--
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget--lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies--
The Captains and the Kings depart.
Still stands Thine ancient Sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.[164-1]
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget--lest we forget!

[Illustration: ON DUNE AND HEADLAND]

Far-called our navies melt away--
On dune and headland sinks the fire;
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of all Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget--lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe--
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget--lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard--
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard--
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on thy People, Lord!
Amen!

A recessional is a hymn sung while the clergy and the choir are
retiring at the end of a church service. We must remember that this
hymn was written for the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of
the coronation of Queen Victoria, and that its sentiment is