We are no hounds of heaven, nor ravening band Of earthly wolves to tear your kingdom down. We stand for human reason; at our frown The coward sword shall fall from your accursed hand. We do not speak of vengeance; there shall run No little children’s blood beneath our heel. No pregnant woman suffers from our steel; But Justice we shall do, as sure as set of sun. Or short, or long, the pathway of your feet, Stamped on the faces of the innocent dead, Must lead where tyrant’s road hath ever led. Alone, O perjured soul, your Justice you shall meet. No sacrifice the balance of her scale Can win; no gift of blood and iron can weigh Against this one mad mother’s agony: In her demented cry a myriad women wail. The equinox of outraged earth shall blaze And flash its levin on your infamous might. Man cries to fellow-man; light leaps to light, Till foundered, naked, spent, you vanish from our gaze. EDEN PHILLPOTTS [Illustration: MATER DOLOROSA] “Gott strafe Italien!” When Italy, still straining at the leash which held her, helpless, to the strange and unnatural Triplice, began to show signs of awakening consciousness, Germany’s efforts to lull her back to the unhappy position of silent partner in the world-crime were characteristic of her methods. Forthwith Italy was loaded with compliments. The country was overrun with “diplomats,” which is another name in Germany for spies. Bribery of the most brazen sort was attempted. The newspapers recalled in chorus that Italy was the land of art and chivalry, of song and heroism, of fabled story and manly effort, of honour and loyalty. Hark to the _Hamburger Fremdenblatt_ of February 21st, 1915:-- “The suggestion is made that Italy favours the Allies. Preposterous! Even though the palsied hand of England--filled with robber gold--be held out to her, Italy’s vows, Italy’s sense of obligation, Italy’s _word once given_, can never be broken. Such a nation of noblemen could have no dealings with hucksters.” Germany is, indeed, a fine judge of a nation’s “word once given” and a nation’s “vows,” which its Chancellor unblushingly declared to be mere scraps of paper. Now let us see what the _Hamburger Nachrichten_ had to say about Italy immediately after her secession from the Triple Alliance:--“_Nachrichten_, June 1st, 1915.--That Italy should have joined hands with the other noble gentlemen, our enemies, is but natural. It would, of course, be absurd--where all are brigands--were the classical name of brigandage not included in the number.... We do not propose to soil our clean steel with the blood of such filthy Italian scum. With our cudgels we shall smash them into pulp.”