（Political morality differs from individual morality，because there is no power above the State.General von Bernhardi）Shadow by shadow，stripped for fight，The lean black cruisers search the sea.
Nightlong their level shafts of light Revolve，and find no enemy.
Only they know each leaping wave
May hide the lightning，and their grave.
And in the land they guard so well Is there no silent watch to keep？
An age is dying，and the bell
Rings midnight on a vaster deep.But over all its waves，once moreThe searchlights move，from shore to shore.
And captains that we thought were dead，And dreamers that we thought were dumb，And voices that we thought were fled，Arise，and call us，and we come：
And “Search in thine own soul，”they cry；“For there，too，lurks thine enemy.”
Search for the foe in thine own soul，The sloth，the intellectual pride；The trivial jest that veils the goalFor which our fathers lived and died；The lawless dreams，the cynic Art，That rend thy nobler self apart.
These level swords of light can pierce；Yet for her faith does England fight，Her faith in this our universe，Believing Truth and Justice draw From founts of everlasting law：
The law that rules the stars，our stay，Our compass through the world‘s wide sea，The one sure light，the one sure way，The one firm base of Liberty；The one firm road that men have trod Through Chaos to the throne of God.
Therefore a Power above the State，The unconquerable Power，returns.
The fire，the fire that made her great Once more upon her altar burns.
Once more，redeemed and healed and whole，She moves to the Eternal Goal.
Alfred Noyes
AND NATIONAL CHARACTER
From a speech at the London Opera House，London，England，on August 4，1915，the anniversary of the declaration of war.
For a century we have had no war which threatened the existence of our Empire；for fifty years we have not been involved in any really great war.During that time the democracies of the Empire have made marvellous strides in the development of their material resources.Under such conditions the call of the marketplace has been sometimes clamorous and insistent，especially in new communities like Canada or Australia.The war cannot fail to influence most profoundly the whole future of the world，the ideals of all civilized nations.It has already most profoundly influenced the people of this Empire The great increase of wealth，the wonderful development of material prosperity，did not fail to have their influence；and no one could deny that this progress was in itself a good thing.The standards of life for the people were raised and their comfort increased.It is not wealth at which we should rail.Rome fell indeed in the time of her wealth，but it was because she made wealth her god.War came suddenly upon us when all the nations of the Empire were much concerned in these questions of material development；but we rejoice that throughout the Empire men have realized most fully during thepast twelve months that there is something greater than material prosperity，something greater even than life itself.The national spirit everywhere responded instantly to the call and to the need.It made itself manifest as a spirit of selfsacrifice，of cooperation，of mutual helpfulness，of highest patriotic endeavour.This is as it should be，for the character of a nation is not only tested but formed in stress and trial，through sacrifice and consecration to duty.
I have come far across the ocean to visit our men at the front and in England and especially the wounded in the hospitals；and this has been an inspiration in itself.To many soldiers，officers and men，from these islands，from Canada，from Australia，from New Zealand，I have spoken，and among them all I have found a wonderful spirit of determination and of patience，a spirit of consecration.There is indeed a splendid unity of purpose among all these men gathered from the four corners of the earth.
Last night I walked down the Embankment.At my right was the great Abbey，at my left the great Cathedral，at my feet flowed the historic river.Here came in bygone centuries the Celt，the Saxon，the Dane，the Norman.Each in turn，all finally in cooperation，have lent their influence and made their contribution to our national life.And how splendid a structure they have built！What a mighty influence for good it has carried throughout the world！Standing thus on what seems to us hallowed ground，we of the oversea Dominions meditate perhaps more than you do upon these wonderful memories of the past and all the glorious events through which the lifeof our Empire has moved.Let us never for one moment forget that of all the mighty events recorded in its history none were greater than those through which we are passing today.Is an Empire like ours worth living for？Yesand worth dying for.And it is something greater than it was a year ago.Indeed，it never can be quite the same.The old order has in some measure passed away.Once for all it has been borne in upon the hearts and souls of all of us that the great policies which touch and control the issues of peace and war concern more than the peoples of these islands.God grant that we shall so bear ourselves in this war and be so guided in all the momentous results to which it must lead，that，whether in these islands or in the oversea nations，citizenship of our Empire shall be a still greater and nobler possession in the years to come than it has ever been even in all our glorious past.
