from A Crown of Amaranth, an electronic edition
Lieut. John Richardson."
1893-1915
Killed in Action
THINE was no pedant's zeal: the Mother-tongue
Taught thee high dictates of thy Fatherland,
The call no patriot-heart can e'er withstand
Tore thee from lays by ancient poets sung.
Well didst thou learn the lore, to thee endear'd,
Of that young warrior who with dragons fought
And conquer'd-steadfast, selfless, unafear'd
"Better is Death than Life with self-scorn fraught."
Not less thy courage, though thy scholar-soul
Illum'd thy trench with mystic runes-the hope
That solac'd in his plight our oldest ScôÙp
Whose song is wrought on Britain's golden scroll.
No greater meed wouldst thou, no prouder fame:
In "Albion's England" is enshrined thy name!
Notes
(Student of English at King's College; he left unfinished a thesis on "Albion's England "-.the Elizabethan patriotic poem-in preparation for M.A. degree of the University. When recovering from a previous wound, he asked that his copy of the Old English epic "Beowulf " might be sent him from home. The refrain from the oldest English lyric " Deor's Lament," which may be rendered, " O'er that he triumphed, o'er this may I " was chalked by him in Old English on the wall of his trench.)A Crown of Amaranth. London: Erskine Macdonald., 1915.