TCDE-Team at 20:35, 4 April 2026

2026-04-04T20:35:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:35, 4 April 2026
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	[[File:current-literature-1912-04-religio-medici-p477.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[Current Literature]] (april 1912, p. 477)]]		[[File:current-literature-1912-04-religio-medici-p477.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[Current Literature]] (april 1912, p. 477)]]

	God's own best will bide the test,~~<br />~~		<poem>
	And God's own worst will fall;~~<br />~~		God's own best will bide the test,
	But, best or worst or last or first,~~<br />~~		And God's own worst will fall;
			But, best or worst or last or first,
	He ordereth it all.		He ordereth it all.

			For all is good, if understood,
	For all is good, if understood,~~<br />~~		(Ah, could we understand!)
	(Ah, could we understand!)~~<br />~~		And right and ill are tools of skill
	And right and ill are tools of skill~~<br />~~
	Held in His either hand.		Held in His either hand.

			The harlot and the anchorite,
	The harlot and the anchorite,~~<br />~~		The martyr and the rake,
	The martyr and the rake,~~<br />~~		Deftly He fashions each aright,
	Deftly He fashions each aright,~~<br />~~
	Its vital part to take.		Its vital part to take.

			Wisdom He makes to form the fruit
	Wisdom He makes to form the fruit~~<br />~~		Where the high blossoms be;
	Where the high blossoms be;~~<br />~~		And Lust to kill the weaker shoot,
	And Lust to kill the weaker shoot,~~<br />~~
	And Drink to trim the tree.		And Drink to trim the tree.

			And Holiness that so the bole
	And Holiness that so the bole~~<br />~~		Be solid at the core;
	Be solid at the core;~~<br />~~		And Plague and Fever, that the whole
	And Plague and Fever, that the whole~~<br />~~
	Be changing evermore.		Be changing evermore.

			He strews the microbes in the lung,
	He strews the microbes in the lung,~~<br />~~		The blood-clot in the brain;
	The blood-clot in the brain;~~<br />~~		With test and test He picks the best,
	With test and test He picks the best,~~<br />~~
	Then tests them once again.		Then tests them once again.

			He tests the body and the mind,
	He tests the body and the mind,~~<br />~~		He rings them o'er and o'er;
	He rings them o'er and o'er;~~<br />~~		And if they crack, He throws them back,
	And if they crack, He throws them back,~~<br />~~
	And fashions them once more.		And fashions them once more.

			He chokes the infant throat with slime,
	He chokes the infant throat with slime,~~<br />~~		He sets the ferment free;
	He sets the ferment free;~~<br />~~		He builds the tiny tube of lime
	He builds the tiny tube of lime~~<br />~~
	That blocks the artery.		That blocks the artery.

			He lets the youthful dreamer store
	He lets the youthful dreamer store~~<br />~~		Great projects in his brain,
	Great projects in his brain,~~<br />~~		Until He drops the fungus spore
	Until He drops the fungus spore~~<br />~~
	That smears them out again.		That smears them out again.

			He stores the milk that feeds the babe,
	He stores the milk that feeds the babe,~~<br />~~		He dulls the tortured nerve;
	He dulls the tortured nerve;~~<br />~~		He gives a hundred joys of sense
	He gives a hundred joys of sense~~<br />~~
	Where few or none might serve.		Where few or none might serve.

			And still He trains the branch of good
	And still He trains the branch of good~~<br />~~		Where the high blossoms be,
	Where the high blossoms be,~~<br />~~		And wieldeth still the shears of ill
	And wieldeth still the shears of ill~~<br />~~
	To prune and prime His tree.		To prune and prime His tree.
			</poem>

	----		----
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	So read I this—and as I try~~<br />~~		<poem>
	To write it clear again,~~<br />~~		So read I this—and as I try
	I feel a second finger lie~~<br />~~		To write it clear again,
			I feel a second finger lie
	Above mine on the pen.		Above mine on the pen.

			Dim are these peering eyes of mine,
	Dim are these peering eyes of mine,~~<br />~~		And dark what I have seen.
	And dark what I have seen.~~<br />~~		But be I wrong, the wrong is Thine,
	But be I wrong, the wrong is Thine,~~<br />~~
	Else had it never been.		Else had it never been.
			</poem>

TCDE-Team at 21:18, 27 April 2023

2023-04-27T21:18:38Z

New page

''With Either Hand'' (later ''Religio Medici'') is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] published in the book version of the novel [[The Stark Munro Letters]] by [[Longmans, Green & Co.]] on 5 september 1895 and subsequent book versions. Then renamed ''Religio Medici'' in the collected poems [[Songs of the Road]].

__TOC__

== Editions ==

* in ''[[The Stark Munro Letters]]'' (5 september 1895, [[Longmans, Green & Co.]]) as ''With Either Hand'' with 8 additional verses, and some variations
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (16 march 1911, [[Smith, Elder & Co.]] [UK]) as ''Religio Medici''
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (october 1911, [[Doubleday & McClure Co.|Doubleday, Page & Co.]] [US]) as ''Religio Medici''
* in ''[[Current Literature]]'' (april 1912 [US]) as ''Religio Medici''
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (27 january 1920, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (february 1920, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle]]'' (21 september 1922, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle]]'' (14 september 1928, [[John Murray]]'s ''Fiction Library'' [UK])

== Poem ==
[[File:current-literature-1912-04-religio-medici-p477.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Current Literature]] (april 1912, p. 477)]]

God's own best will bide the test, 
And God's own worst will fall; 
But, best or worst or last or first, 
He ordereth it all.

For all is good, if understood, 
(Ah, could we understand!) 
And right and ill are tools of skill 
Held in His either hand.

The harlot and the anchorite, 
The martyr and the rake, 
Deftly He fashions each aright, 
Its vital part to take.

Wisdom He makes to form the fruit 
Where the high blossoms be; 
And Lust to kill the weaker shoot, 
And Drink to trim the tree.

And Holiness that so the bole 
Be solid at the core; 
And Plague and Fever, that the whole 
Be changing evermore.

He strews the microbes in the lung, 
The blood-clot in the brain; 
With test and test He picks the best, 
Then tests them once again.

He tests the body and the mind, 
He rings them o'er and o'er; 
And if they crack, He throws them back, 
And fashions them once more.

He chokes the infant throat with slime, 
He sets the ferment free; 
He builds the tiny tube of lime 
That blocks the artery.

He lets the youthful dreamer store 
Great projects in his brain, 
Until He drops the fungus spore 
That smears them out again.

He stores the milk that feeds the babe, 
He dulls the tortured nerve; 
He gives a hundred joys of sense 
Where few or none might serve.

And still He trains the branch of good 
Where the high blossoms be, 
And wieldeth still the shears of ill 
To prune and prime His tree.

----

Additional verses included in [[The Stark Munro Letters]]

So read I this—and as I try 
To write it clear again, 
I feel a second finger lie 
Above mine on the pen.

Dim are these peering eyes of mine, 
And dark what I have seen. 
But be I wrong, the wrong is Thine, 
Else had it never been.

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

With Either Hand - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 20:35, 4 April 2026

TCDE-Team at 21:18, 27 April 2023