- To 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.
-
- (A war O soldiers not for itself alone,
- Far, far more stood silently waiting behind, now to advance in this book.)
-
- Thou orb of many orbs!
- Thou seething principle! thou well-kept, latent germ! thou centre!
- Around the idea of thee the war revolving,
- With all its angry and vehement play of causes,
- (With vast results to come for thrice a thousand 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.