I wondered at erewhile, somewhere i' the world, For the unassisted eye to master once: Look through his tube, at distance now they lay, And far away: ye would withdraw your sense Then stand before that fact, that Life and Death, As though a star should open out, all sides, "For life, with all it yields of joy and woe, And hope and fear, believe the aged friend, Is just our chance o' the prize of learning love, H How the soul learns diversely from the flesh! And yields mere basement for the soul's emprise, As now to yours and mine; the body sprang At once to the height, and stayed: but the soul, no! Since sages who, this noontide, meditate In Rome or Athens, may descry some point Of the eternal power, hid yester eve; And as thereby the power's whole mass extends, So much extends the ether floating o'er The love that tops the might, the Christ in God. And will ye hold that truth against the world?' Thereafter we judge fire at its full worth, And guard it safe through every chance, ye know! How mortals gained Jove's fiery flower, grows old- Who touched it in gay wonder at the thing. While were it so with the soul,— this gift of truth Why, man's probation would conclude, his earth Weighs first, then chooses: will he give up fire Sigh ye, 'It had been easier once than now?' Look at me who was present from the first! Ye know what things I saw; then came a test, My first, befitting me who so had seen: 'Forsake the Christ thou sawest transfigured, Him Who trod the sea and brought the dead to life? What should wring this from thee?' ye laugh and ask. What wrung it? Even a torchlight and a noise, The sudden Roman faces, violent hands, And fear of what the Jews might do! There was my trial, and it ended thus. Just that, Ay, What tender woman that had seen no least Of all my sights, but barely heard them told, Whereby truth, deadened of its absolute blaze, Might need love's eye to pierce the o'erstretched doubt: Teachers were busy, whispering All is true As the aged ones report; but youth can reach Where age gropes dimly, weak with stir and strain, And the full doctrine slumbers till to-day.' Thus, what the Roman's lowered spear was found, A bar to me who touched and handled truth, Now proved the glozing of some new shrewd tongue, This Ebion, this Cerinthus, or their mates, Till imminent was the outcry 'Save us Christ!' Whereon I stated much of the Lord's life Such work done, as it will be, what comes next? "Is this indeed a burthen for late days, And may I help to bear it with you all, Grew to a boy here, heard us praise the sun, Yet had but yon sole glimmer in light's place, – I think I could explain to such a child There was more glow outside than gleams he caught, Ay, nor need urge 'I saw it, so believe!' It is a heavy burthen you shall bear |