Complete Poetical Works

And takes him by the hand, and lifts him

up.

He is not dead.

DISCIPLES.

But one word from those lips, But one touch of that hand, and he is healed!

Ah, why could we not do it?

THE FATHER.

My poor child! Now thou art mine again. The unclean spirit

Shall never more torment thee! Look at me!

Speak unto me! Say that thou knowest me!

DISCIPLES to CHRISTUS, departing. Good Master, tell us, for what reason was it We could not cast him out?

CHRISTUS.

Because of your unbelief!

VIII

THE YOUNG RULER

CHRISTUS.

Two men went up into the temple to pray.
The one was a self-righteous Pharisee,
The other a Publican. And the Pharisee
Stood and prayed thus within himself! O
God,

I thank thee I am not as other men,
Extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
Or even as this Publican. I fast
Twice in the week, and also I give tithes
Of all that I possess ! The Publican,
Standing afar off, would not lift so much
Even as his eyes to heaven, but smote his
breast,

Saying God be merciful to me a sinner!
I tell you that this man went to his house
More justified than the other. Every one
That doth exalt himself shall be abased,
And he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted!

CHILDREN, among themselves.
Let us go nearer! He is telling stories!
Let us go listen to them.

JOHN.

With what divine compassion in his eyes The Master looks upon this eager youth, As if He loved him!

CHRISTUS.

Wouldst thou perfect be, Sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor, And come, take up thy cross, and follow me, And thou shalt have thy treasure in the heavens.

JOHN.

Behold, how sorrowful he turns away !

CHRISTUS.

Children! how hard it is for them that trust
In riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
"T is easier for a camel to go through
A needle's eye, than for the rich to enter
The kingdom of God !

JOHN.

MARY.

O Master! when thou comest, it is always
A Sabbath in the house. I cannot work;
I must sit at thy feet; must see thee, hear
thee!

I have a feeble, wayward, doubting heart,
Incapable of endurance or great thoughts,
Striving for something that it cannot reach,
Baffled and disappointed, wounded, hungry;
And only when I hear thee am I happy,
And only when I see thee am at peace!
Stronger than I, and wiser, and far better
In every manner, is my sister Martha.
Thou seest how well she orders everything
To make thee welcome; how she comes
and goes,

Careful and cumbered ever with much serving,

While I but welcome thee with foolish words! I am

Whene'er thou speakest to me,

happy;

When thou art silent, I am satisfied.

Ah, who then can be saved? Thy presence is enough. I ask no more.

Only to be with thee, only to see thee, Sufficeth me. My heart is then at rest. I wonder I am worthy of so much.

As God liveth, the Nazarene ! What answer shall we make? If we conHow was this done?

THE BEGGAR.

Rabboni, he put clay Upon mine eyes; I washed, and now I

see.

PHARISEES.

When did he this?

THE BEGGAR.

Rabboni, yesterday.

PHARISEES.

The Sabbath day. This man is not of God
Because he keepeth not the Sabbath day!

fess It was the Christ, we shall be driven forth Out of the Synagogue ! We know, Rab

boni,

This is our son, and that he was born

blind;

But by what means he seeth, we know not,
Or who his eyes hath opened, we know

not.

He is of age; ask him; we cannot say ;
He shall speak for himself.

PHARISEES.

Give God the praise ! We know the man that healed thee is a

sinner!

I have already told you. Ye did not hear: why would ye hear again?

Will ye be his disciples ?

PHARISEES.

God of Moses!
Are we demoniacs, are we halt or blind,
Or palsy-stricken, or lepers, or the like,
That we should join the Synagogue of
Satan,

And follow jugglers? Thou art his dis-
ciple,

But we are disciples of Moses; and we know

That God spake unto Moses; but this fellow,

We know not whence he is!

THE BEGGAR.

Why, herein is

In the divine Chaldæan Oracles
Of Zoroaster, once Ezekiel's slave,

Who in his native East betook himself
To lonely meditation, and the writing
On the dried skins of oxen the Twelve
Books

Of the Avesta and the Oracles!
Therefore I persevere; and I have brought
thee

From the great city of Tyre, where men
deride

The things they comprehend not, to this
plain

Of Esdraelon, in the Hebrew tongue
Called Armageddon, and this town of Endor,
Where men believe; where all the air is full
Of marvellous traditions, and the Enchan-
tress

That summoned up the ghost of Samuel
Is still remembered. Thou hast seen the
land;

A marvellous thing! Ye know not whence Is it not fair to look on?

It was not heard that any man hath As beautiful as Carmel by the Sea?

Happier was I in Tyre.

Oh, I remember how the gallant ships

Came sailing in, with ivory, gold, and silver,

Would I had ne'er left Tyre!

And apes and peacocks; and the singing He looks at her, and she sinks into a deep sleep.

sailors,

And the gay captains with their silken

dresses,

Smelling of aloes, myrrh, and cinnamon!

SIMON.

Go, see it in thy dreams, fair unbeliever!
And leave me unto mine, if they be dreams,
That take such shapes before me, that I see
them;

These effable and ineffable impressions
Of the mysterious world, that come to me
From the elements of Fire and Earth and
Water,

And the all-nourishing Ether! It is written,
Look not on Nature, for her name is fatal!
Yet there are Principles, that make ap-
parent

The images of unapparent things,
And the impression of vague characters
And visions most divine appear in ether.
So speak the Oracles; then wherefore

fatal?

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