But kind and dear

Is the old house here
And my heart is warm
'Midst winter's harm.
Rest then and rest,
And think of the best
"Twixt summer and spring,

When all birds sing

In the town of the tree,

And ye lie in me

And scarce dare move

Lest the earth and its love

Should fade away

Ere the full of the day..

I am old and have seen

Many things that have been;
Both grief and peace

And wane and increase.

No tale I tell

Of ill or well

But this I say;

Night treadeth on day,

And for worst or best

Right good is rest.

WILLIAM MORRIS

A LETTER

My noble, lovely, little Peggy,

Let this my First Epistle beg ye,

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

King out old shapes of foul disease;

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

ALFRED TENNYSON