Notes on Mottoes

       (i)

Astra, castra,
Numen, lumen
Et munimen
'The stars my camp,
God is my lamp
And my defence':

Other men
Will say
'From hence-
forth' or 'An I may',
And one man
'Deccan'.

      (ii)

Quidni prod sodali?
'Why not,
For a comrade?'
- So one Burnet,
A Scot.

But it is sad
To be totally
Unbriefed, and wonder Quidni
'Why not'
And then,
But why not - - - what?

So we imagine
Some episode of war,
...