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1914
THROUGH learned and laborious years | |
| They set themselves to find | |
| Fresh terrors and undreamed-of fears | |
| To heap upon mankind. | |
| |
| All that they drew from Heaven above | 5 |
| Or digged from earth beneath, | |
| They laid into their treasure-trove | |
| And arsenals of death: | |
| |
| While, for well-weighed advantage sake, | |
| Ruler and ruled alike | 10 |
| Built up the faith they meant to break | |
| When the fit hour should strike. | |
| |
| They traded with the careless earth, | |
| And good return it gave: | |
| They plotted by their neighbour’s hearth | 15 |
| The means to make him slave. | |
| |
| When all was ready to their hand | |
| They loosed their hidden sword, | |
| And utterly laid waste a land | |
| Their oath was pledged to guard. | 20 |
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| Coldly they went about to raise | |
| To life and make more dread | |
| Abominations of old days, | |
| That men believed were dead. | |
| |
| They paid the price to reach their goal | 25 |
| Across a world in flame; | |
| But their own hate slew their own soul | |
| Before that victory came. | |
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