The Pomp of Yesterday is a novel inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s poem Recessional. Its message of England at the height of her glory has meaning for America today.

Recessional by Rudyard Kipling

God of our fathers, known of old,
 Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
 Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget! \

The tumult and the shouting dies;
 The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
 An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget! \

Far-called our navies melt away;
 On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
 Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget! \

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
 Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
 Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget! \

For heathen heart that puts her trust
 In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
 And guarding calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word—
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!

Book Contents

• “Recessional” by Rudyard Kipling
• Foreword
• 1 The Man Without A Past
• 2 Sir Roger Granville’s Suggestion
• 3 The Strange Behavior Of George St. Mabyn
• 4 I Meet Captain Springfield
• 5 How A Man Worked A Miracle
• 6 Paul Edgecumbe’s Memory
• 7 A Cause Of Failure
• 8 I Become An Eavesdropper
• 9 Edgecumbe Is Missing
• 10 The Struggle In The Trenches
• 11 Edgecumbe’s Story
• 12 The Struggle On The Somme
• 13 Edgecumbe’s Madness
• 14 Edgecumbe’s Logic
• 15 Devonshire
• 16 Lorna Bolivick’s Home
• 17 A New Development
• 18 A Tragic Happening
• 19 A Mysterious Illness
• 20 A Strange Night
• 21 Colonel Mcclure’s Verdict
• 22 Edgecumbe’s Resolve
• 23 Springfield’s Progress
• 24 A Strange Love-making
• 25 Why Is Victory Delayed?
• 26 Where Does God Come In?
• 27 Seeing London
• 28 Sunshine And Shadow
• 29 Cross Currents
• 30 The March Of Events
• 31 Edgecumbe’s Return
• 32 The Great Meeting
• 33 The Lifted Curtain
• 34 Memory
• 35 Afterwards
• 36 Edgecumbe’s Resolution
• 37 Maurice St. Mabyn
• 38 A Bombshell
• 39 Springfield At Bay
• 40 Maurice St. Mabyn’s Generosity
• 41 The New Hope
• 42 An Unfinished Story

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-07-26
• Updated: 2019-07-26
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0