1. Nations ten thousand years before These States, and many times ten thousand years before These States,

Garnered clusters of ages, that men and women like us grew up and travelled their course, and passed on ;

What vast-built cities — What orderly republics — What pastoral tribes and nomads,

What histories, rulers, heroes, perhaps transcending all others.

What laws, customs, wealth, arts, traditions,

What sort of marriage — What costumes — What physiology and phrenology.

What of liberty and slavery among them — What they thought of death and the Soul,

Who were witty and wise — Who beautiful and poetic — Who brutish and undeveloped.

Not a mark, not a record remains — And yet all remains.

2. O I know that those men and women were not for

nothing, any more than we are for nothing,