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VI.

“Next drive we o’er the slimy-weeded sea.
`Lo! herebeneath’ (another coward cries)
`The cursed land of sunk Atlantis lies:
This slime will suck us down — turn while thou’rt free!’ —
`But no!’ I said, `Freedom bears West for me!’
Yet when the long-time stagnant winds arise,
And day by day the keel to westward flies,
My Good my people’s Ill doth come to be:
`Ever the winds into the West do blow;
Never a ship, once turned, might homeward go;
Meanwhile we speed into the lonesome main.
For Christ’s sake, parley, Admiral! Turn, before
We sail outside all bounds of help from pain!’ —
`Our help is in the West,’ I said once more.

VII.

“So when there came a mighty cry of `Land!’
And we clomb up and saw, and shouted strong
`Salve Regina!’ all the ropes along,
But knew at morn how that a counterfeit band
Of level clouds had aped a silver strand;
So when we heard the orchard-bird’s small song,
And all the people cried, `A hellish throng
To tempt us onward by the Devil planned,
Yea, all from hell — keen heron, fresh green weeds,
Pelican, tunny-fish, fair tapering reeds,
Lie-telling lands that ever shine and die
In clouds of nothing round the empty sky.
Tired Admiral, get thee from this hell, and rest!’ —
`Steersman,’ I said, `hold straight into the West.’

VIII.

“I marvel how mine eye, ranging the Night,
From its big circling ever absently
Returns, thou large low Star, to fix on thee.
`Maria!’ Star? No star: a Light, a Light!
Wouldst leap ashore, Heart? Yonder burns — a Light.
Pedro Gutierrez, wake! come up to me.
I prithee stand and gaze about the sea:
What seest? `Admiral, like as land — a Light!’
Well! Sanchez of Segovia, come and try:
What seest? `Admiral, naught but sea and sky!’
Well! But *I* saw It. Wait! the Pinta’s gun!
Why, look, ’tis dawn, the land is clear: ’tis done!
Two dawns do break at once from Time’s full hand —
God’s, East — mine, West: good friends, behold my Land!”

Master, Master! faster fly
Now the hurrying seasons by;
Now the Sea of Darkness wide
Rolls in light from side to side;
Mark, slow drifting to the West
Down the trough and up the crest,
Yonder piteous heartsease petal
Many-motioned rise and settle —
Petal cast a-sea from land
By the awkward-fingered Hand
That, mistaking Nature’s course,
Tears the love it fain would force —
Petal calm of heartsease flower
Smiling sweet on tempest sour,
Smiling where by crest and trough
Heartache Winds at heartsease scoff,
Breathing mild perfumes of prayer
‘Twixt the scolding sea and air.

Mayflower, piteous Heartsease Petal!
Suavely down the sea-troughs settle,
Gravely breathe perfumes of prayer
‘Twixt the scolding sea and air,
Bravely up the sea-hills rise —
Sea-hills slant thee toward the skies.
Master, hold disaster off
From the crest and from the trough;
Heartsease, on the heartache sea
God, thy God, will pilot thee.

Mayflower, Ship of Faith’s best Hope!
Thou art sure if all men grope;
Mayflower, Ship of Hope’s best Faith!
All is true the great God saith;
Mayflower, Ship of Charity!
Love is Lord of land and sea.
Oh, with love and love’s best care
Thy large godly freightage bear —
Godly Hearts that, Grails of gold,
Still the blood of Faith do hold.

Now bold Massachusetts clear
Cuts the rounding of the sphere.
`Out the anchor, sail no more,
Lay us by the Future’s shore —
Not the shore we sought, ’tis true,
But the time is come to do.
Leap, dear Standish, leap and wade;
Bradford, Hopkins, Tilley, wade:
Leap and wade ashore and kneel —
God be praised that steered the keel!
Home is good and soft is rest,
Even in this jagged West:
Freedom lives, and Right shall stand;
Blood of Faith is in the land.’