Patrick Regan has kindly shared the material from his George Heath site with readers of the Victorian Web, who may wish to consult the original.
List to the bells! O list!
Out on the upland there;
Peals through the mirk and mist,
Swing down the midnight air
Awfully, solemnly!
List what they say to thee.
"Kneel by the dying year —
Wipe his lips, hold his hands —
Wearily lying here,
Out on the waves and sands;
Muse on the scath and crime
Wrought in his vanished time.
"Think of the destitute,
Hungering, shivering;
Plead for the dissolute,
Cursing and quivering;
Pray for the trouble-tossed.;
Pray for the anguish-crossed;
"Feel for the desolate;
Pity the castaway;
Pray for the desperate,
Sullied, and tossed astray,
Tempted, tried, passion-strung —
Mourn o'er the sin and wrong!
"Soothe to peace murder-mad
Restless insanity;
Close up the wounds of sad,
Bleeding humanity;
Give to all charity;
Human are all of ye.
"Widely o'er land and sea
Scatter ye knowledge-light;
Girt with Philanthropy
Wrestle with mental night;
Lift up the Truth divine,
Lift — and the dark shall shine!
"Sigh o'er the premature
Fading of faces, gone;
Weep for the good and pure
From your embraces gone;
Tender ties broken, aye;
Bitter words spoken, aye.
"Weep o'er the moments fled,
Bearing a record on,
O'er opportunities dead,
And no more duty done;
Plead for your frailties all:
Let the dread curtain fall!
"Rouse from your somnolence!
Cometh another year;
Shake off your indolence!
Arm ye in hope and fear;
Look to the fore and fight,
Bury your dead from sight!"
Last modified 4 September 2002