To Thee, Old Cause!

Part of the cluster INSCRIPTIONS.

TO THEE, OLD CAUSE!

¹To thee, old Cause! Thou peerless, passionate, good cause! Thou stern, remorseless, sweet Idea! Deathless throughout the ages, races, lands! After a strange, sad war—great war for thee, (I think all war through time was really fought, and
ever will be really fought, for thee;) These chants for thee—the eternal march of thee. ²Thou orb of many orbs! Thou seething principle! Thou well-kept, latent germ! Thou centre! [ begin page 12 ]

ppp.00270.014.jpg Around the idea of thee the strange sad war revolv-
ing, With all its angry and vehement play of causes, (With yet unknown results to come, for thrice a thou-
sand years,) These recitatives for thee—my Book and the War are
one, Merged in its spirit I and mine—as the contest hinged
on thee, As a wheel on its axis turns, this Book, unwitting to
itself, Around the Idea of thee.

Part of the cluster INSCRIPTIONS.