John Hogben (fl.1887-1900)

Truth and Beauty

Two souls there are in nature and in life--

The soul of Beauty and the soul of Truth;

Towards which we yearn and strain with restless strife,

Along paths fraught with malice or with ruth;--

In the red face of ridicule and scorn,

Men sought, and still must seek these--for within,

(In spite of all earth's sorrow and her sin),

The soul is to the search and manner born.

And still, in looking Beauty in the face,

With strong prophetic joy we recognise

Something of what we may be, as we trace

Our own dim shadow in her lustrous eyes;

Nor may we part such with a dull harsh rule--

Beauty is true and Truth is beautiful.