Truth, by John Jacques

[Guest]

The following poem, titled "Truth", was written by a British Saint named John Jacques and appeared in the 1851 edition of the Pearl of Great Price. It was canonized along with the rest of the Pearl of Great Price in 1880. No doubt Alan Goff and David Bohn would be horrified by its positivist assumptions, but I personally think it is a charming and sorely-needed corrective to the pious fraud being carried on by certain defenders of the Church. Too bad it was removed in 1902.

Oh say, what is truth? 'Tis the fairest gem
That the riches of worlds can produce,
And priceless the value of truth will be when
The proud monarch's costliest diadem
Is counted but dross and refuse.

Yes, say, what is truth? 'Tis the brightest prize
To which mortals or Gods can aspire;
Go search in the depths where it glittering lies
Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies.
'Tis an aim for the noblest desire.

The sceptre may fall from the despot's grasp
When with winds of stern justice he copes,
But the pillar of truth will endure to the last,
And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast,
And the wreck of the fell tyrant's hopes.

Then say, what is truth? 'Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o'er.
Though the heavens depart and the earth's fountains burst,
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

[_The Nehor]

It's still around. Check the hymnbook. It's one of my favorites.

[_Trevor]

I still love it.

[_bcspace]

The only pious fraud I see around here are things like the recent Tal Bachman fiasco. Has he gone back to decorating his curtains by the way?