Martin Farquhar Tupper

July 17, 1810 - November 1889 / London

England's Heart

England's heart! Oh never fear
The sturdy good old stock;
Nothing's false or hollow here,
But solid as a rock:
England's heart is sound enough,
And safe in its old place,
Honest, loyal, blithe, and bluff,
And open as her face!

England's heart! With beating nerves
It rallies for the throne,--
And, with Luther, well preserves
The knee for God alone:
England's heart is sound enough,
Unshaken and serene,
Like her oak-trees true and tough
And old,-- but glad and green.

England's heart! All Europe hurl'd
To ruin, strife, and dearth,
Sees yet one Zoar in the world,
The Goshen of the earth;
England's heart is sound enough,--
And -- though the skies be dark,
Though winds be loud, and waves be rough --
Safe, as Noah's ark!

England's heart, -- ay, God be praised,
That thus, in patriot pride,
An English cheer can yet be raised
Above the stormy tide:
Safe enough, and sound enough,
It thrills the heart to feel
A man's a bit of English stuff,
True from head to heel!
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