d made him fey, or of a Court so
far out of touch with the country which supported it as to have lost its
sense of honour.

In the meantime, though saddled with a huge army of prisoners, and the
poorer by her loss of eighteen thousand gallant citizens, Britain had
freed her shores. In an even shorter time than was occupied over the
invasion, the yoke of the invader had been torn in sunder, and not one
armed enemy was left in England. And for our losses--the shedding of
that British blood partook of the nature of a sacrament; it was
life-giving. By that fiery jet we were baptized again. England had found
herself. Once more His people had been found worthy to bear the Sword of
the Lord. Britain that had slept, was wide-eyed and fearless again, as
in the glorious days which saw the rise of her Empire. Throughout the
land one watchword ran: "For God, our Race, and Duty!" We had heard and
answered to the poet's call:

Strike--for your altars and your fires;
Strike--for the green graves of your sires;
God, and your native land!

I find it easy to believe and read between the lines of the grim
official record which told us that outside Portsmouth "white-haired men
smiled over the graves of their sons, and armed youths were heard
singing triumphant chants while burying their fathers."

Meantime, simple folk in the southern country lanes of Dorset and of
Hampshire (Tarn Regis yokels among them, no doubt) heard the dull,
rumbling thunder of great guns at sea, and the talk ran on naval
warfare.

XV

"SINGLE HEART AND SINGLE SWORD"

Yea, though we sinned--and our rulers went from righteousness--
Deep in all dishonour though we stained our garment's hem.

. . . . . .

Hold ye the Faith--the Faith our fathers sealed us;
Whoring not with visions--overwise and overstale.
Except ye pay the Lord
Single heart and single sword,
Of your children in their bondage shall he ask them treble-tale!

RUDYARD KIPLING.

The learned German, Professor Elberfeld, has told the world, in
sentences of portentous length and complication, that "the petty
trader's instincts which form the most typical characteristic of the
British race" came notably to the fore in our treatment of the German
prisoners of war who were held under military surveillance in the
British ports which they had g