hristendom."
"We live best naked." "Fie."--"We have no use for arms.
"The fire drink is forbid." "The thing forbid hath charms.
"Nay. We will make you men, soldiers to brawl and fight
"As all good Christians use, and God defend the right.
"The drink will give you courage. Take it. 'Tis the sign
"Of manhood orthodox, its sacramental wine,
"Or how can you be worthy your new Christian creed?
"Drink." And they drink to Jesus and are borne to bed.
He teacheth them to sell. "We need coin for our draught.
"How shall we bring the price, since ye give naught for naught?
"We crave the fire drink now."--"Friends, let not that prevent.
"We lend on all your harvests, take our cent. per cent."
"Sirs, but the crop is gone."--"There is your land in lots."
"The land? It was our fathers'."--"Curse ye for idle sots,
"A rascal lazing pack. Have ye no hands to work?
"Off to the mines and dig, and see it how ye shirk."--
"As slaves?" "No, not as _slaves_. Our principles forbid.
"_Free labourers_, if you will. We use that word instead.
"The 'dignity of labour' ye shall learn for hire.
"No paltering. No excuse. The white man hates a liar,
"And hates a grumbling hand. Enough if we provide
"Tools with the drink and leave your backs with a whole hide.
"These lands are ours by Charter. If you doubt it, bring
"Your case before the Courts, which will expound the thing.
"As for your women folk. Look, there are ways well known
"All women have of living in a Christian town.
"Moreover you do ill. One wife the law allows,
"And you, you say, have four. Send three round to our house."
--Thus is Thy gospel preached. Its issue, Lord, behold
In the five Continents, the new world and the old.
The happier tribes of Man despoiled, enslaved, betrayed
To the sole white Man's lust, husband and wife and maid.
Their laughter drowned in tears, their kindness in mad wrath,
Their dignity of joy in a foul trance of death,
Till at the last they turn and in their anguish rend.
Then loud the cry goeth forth, the white man's to each friend:
"Help! Christians, to our help! These black fiends murder us."
And the last scene is played in death's red charnel house.
The Saxon anger flames. His ships in armament
Bear slaughter on their wings. The Earth with fire is rent,
And the poor souls misused are wiped from the world's face
In one huge imprecation from the Saxon race,
In one huge burst