I opened window wide and leaned Out of that pigstye of the fiend And felt a cool wind go like grace About the sleeping market-place. The clock struck three, and sweetly, slowly, The bells chimed Holy, Holy, Holy; And in a second’s pause there fell The cold note of the chapel bell, And then a cock crew, flapping wings, And summat made me think of things How long those ticking clocks had gone From church and chapel, on and on, Ticking the time out, ticking slow To men and girls who’d come and go, And how they ticked in belfry dark When half the town was bishop’s park, And how they’d rung a chime full tilt The night after the church was built, And how that night was Lambert’s Feast, The night I’d fought and been a beast. And how a change had come. And then I thought, ’You tick to different men.’ What with the fight and what with drinking And being awake alone there thinking, My mind began to carp and tetter, ’If this life’s all, the beasts are better.’ And then I thought, ’I wish I’d seen The many towns this town has been; I wish I knew if they’d a-got A kind of summat we’ve a-not, If them as built the church so fair Were half the chaps folk say they were; For they’d the skill to draw their plan, And skill’s a joy to any man; And they’d the strength, not skill alone, To build it beautiful in stone; And strength and skill together thus... O, they were happier men than us. ’But if they were, they had to die The same as every one and I. And no one lives again, but dies, And all the bright goes out of eyes, And all the skill goes out of hands, And all the wise brain understands, And all the beauty, all the power Is cut down like a withered flower. In all the show from birth to rest I give the poor dumb cattle best.’ I wondered, then, why life should be, And what would be the end of me When youth and health and strength were gone And cold old age came creeping on? A keeper’s gun? The Union ward? Or that new quod at Hereford? And looking round I felt disgust At all the nights of drink and lust, And all the looks of all the swine Who’d said that they were friends of mine; And yet I knew, when morning came, The morning would be just the same, For I’d have drinks and Jane would meet me And drunken Silas Jones would greet me, And I’d risk quod and keeper’s gun Till all the silly game was done. ’For parson chaps are mad supposin’ A chap can change the road he’s chosen.’ And then the Devil whispered ’Saul, Why should you want to live at all? Why fret and sweat and try to mend? It’s all the same thing in the end. But when it’s done,’ he said, ’it’s ended. Why stand it, since it can’t be mended?’ And in my heart I heard him plain, ’Throw yourself down and end it, Kane.’ ’Why not?’ said I. ’Why not? But no. I won’t. I’ve never had my go. I’ve not had all the world can give. Death by and by, but first I’ll live. The world owes me my time of times, And that time’s coming now, by crimes.’