To clasp the innocent hands, and learn
   The words of love and grace,
   Lifting their souls to the compassionate Face:—­
While o’er the fortunate fold the Shepherd watch’d unseen;
   And home, in all its beauty, bless’d a Queen.

   Ah!  Happy she, who wedded finds in one
   Wisest and dearest! happy, happy years! 
   But summer whirlwinds wait on summer’s sun;
   Where the Five Rivers from Himala run,
   His snow where Everest rears,
   Or Alma’s echoing crags with war-cry wake
   The wind-vext Euxine lake. 
   —­O Death in myriad forms!  O brutal roar
   Of battle! throes of race, and crash of thrones! 
   Imploring hands, and wreck of whitening bones
   In Khyber pass;—­Or woman’s stifled cry,
   And that dark pit of gore! 
   —­Yet night had light; for He was by,
   Her heart, her strength, her shield,
   Twin-star in the Throne’s radiance self-conceal’d;
Love’s hand laid light on hers, guiding the ship unseen—­
   For God’s best grace in Albert bless’d the Queen.

   But at man’s side each hour with ambush’d sword
   Death hurries, nor for prayer nor love delays;
   In God’s own time His harvest-sheaves are stored,
   ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts,’ saith the Lord,
   ‘Nor are your ways My ways.’ 
   He Who spared not the Son His bitter cup,
   The broken heart binds up
   In His fit hour, All-Merciful!—­And she,
   The desolate faithful Mother, in the nest
   By children’s love soft-woven, has found rest;
   Some constant to her side, if some have flown
   The Angels’ road, and see
   The Vision of the Eternal Throne:—­
   With them, ’tis well!—­But thou,
   Strong through submission, to His will dost bow,
Till God renew the home in that far realm unseen,
   And bless with all her lost ones England’s Queen.

   Yet in great Nature’s changeful mystic dance
   Joy circles grief, gay dawn outsmiles the night: 
   ’Tis meet our song should build its radiance
   Like some high palace-porch, and walls that glance
   With gold and marble light: 
   Now fifty suns ’neath one firm patriot sway
   Have whirl’d their shining way. 
   —­Lo Commerce with the golden girdling chain
   That links all nations for the good of each;
   While Science boasts her silent lightning speech
   Swifter than thought; and how her patience rein’d
   To post o’er earth and main
   The panting white-breath’d Titan, chain’d
   Bondslave to man:—­and won
   The magic spark o’erdazzling star and sun
From its dark cave:  for He, the all-seeing Lord unseen
   Enlightening, bless’d the years of England’s Queen.

   Freedom of England! from thy sacred source
   Where Alfred arm’d in Athelney, welling pure,
   With hero-blood dyed in thy widening course,
   —­What loyaler hand than her’s to guide thy force