I sat, and wept in secret the tears that men have ever given to the
memory of those that died before the dawn, and by the treachery of
earth, our mother. But suddenly the tears and funeral bells were hushed
by a shout as of many nations, and by a roar as from some great king's
artillery, advancing rapidly along the valleys, and heard afar by
echoes from the mountains. "Hush!" I said, as I bent my ear earthwards
to listen--"hush!--this either is the very anarchy of strife, or else"
--and then I listened more profoundly, and whispered as I raised my
head--"or else, oh heavens! it is _victory_ that is final, victory
that swallows up all strife."
IV
Immediately, in trance, I was carried over land and sea to some distant
kingdom, and placed upon a triumphal car, amongst companions crowned
with laurel. The darkness of gathering midnight, brooding over all the
land, hid from us the mighty crowds that were weaving restlessly about
ourselves as a centre: we heard them, but saw them not. Tidings had
arrived, within an hour, of a grandeur that measured itself against
centuries; too full of pathos they were, too full of joy, to utter
themselves by other language than by tears, by restless anthems, and
_Te Deums_ reverberated from the choirs and orchestras of earth.
These tidings we that sat upon the laurelled car had it for our
privilege to publish amongst all nations.
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