Then Gabriel, like a rainbow's birth,
Spread his wings and sank to earth;

Entered, in flesh, the empty cell,

Lived there, and played the craftsman well;

And morning, evening, noon, and night,
Praised God in place of Theocrite.

And from a boy to youth he grew ;
The man put off the stripling's hue;
The man matured and fell away
Into the season of decay;

And ever o'er the trade he bent,
And ever lived on earth content.
(He did God's will; to him, all one
If on the earth or in the sun.)

God said, 'A praise is in mine ear;
There is no doubt in it, no fear:

So sing old worlds, and so

New worlds that from my footstool go.
Clearer loves sound other ways:
I miss my little human praise.'

Then forth sprang Gabriel's wings, off fell
The flesh disguise, remained the cell.

'T was Easter Day: he flew to Rome,
And paused above Saint Peter's dome.

In the tiring-room close by

The great outer gallery,

With his holy vestments dight,

Stood the new Pope, Theocrite:

And all his past career

Came back upon him clear,

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Vainly I left my angel-sphere,

Vain was thy dream of many a year.

Thy voice's praise seemed weak; it dropped-
Creation's chorus stopped!

Go back and praise again

The early way, while I remain.

With that weak voice of our disdain,
Take up creation's pausing strain.
Back to the cell and poor employ;
Resume the craftsman and the boy!'
Theocrite grew old at home;
A new Pope dwelt in Peter's dome.

One vanished as the other died:
They sought God side by side.

75

TWO CAMELS.

From 'FERISHTAH'S FANCIES.'

QUOTH One: 'Sir, solve a scruple! No true sage
I hear of, but instructs his scholar thus:
"Wouldst thou be wise? Then mortify thyself!
Baulk of its craving every bestial sense!
Say, 'If I relish melons-so do swine!
Horse, ass, and mule consume their provender
Nor leave a pea-pod: fasting feeds the soul.""
Thus they admonish; while thyself, I note,
Eatest thy ration with an appetite,

Nor fallest foul of whoso licks his lips

And sighs "Well-saffroned was that barley-soup!"
Can wisdom coexist with-gorge-and-swill

I say not simply sensual preference
For this or that fantastic meat and drink?
Moreover, wind blows sharper than its wont
This morning, and thou hast already donned
Thy sheepskin over-garment: sure the sage
Is busied with conceits that soar above
A petty change of season and its chance
Of causing ordinary flesh to sneeze?
I always thought, Sir ’—

'Son,' Ferishtah said, "Truth ought to seem as never thought before. How if I give it birth in parable?

A neighbour owns two camels, beasts of price
And promise, destined each to go, next week,

Swiftly and surely with his merchandise
From Nishapur to Sebzevah, no truce

To tramp, but travel, spite of sands and drouth,
In days so many, lest they miss the Fair.
Each falls to meditation o'er his crib
Piled high with provender before the start.
Quoth this. "My soul is set on winning praise
From goodman lord and master-hump to hoof,
I dedicate me to his service. How?
Grass, purslane, lupines, and I know not what,
Crammed in my manger? Ha, I see, I see!
No, master, spare thy money! I shall trudge
The distance and yet cost thee not a doit
Beyond my supper on this mouldy bran.”.
"Be magnified, O master, for the meal
So opportunely liberal!" quoth that.

"What use of strength in me but to surmount

Sands and simooms, and bend beneath thy bales
No knee until I reach the glad bazaar?
Thus I do justice to thy fare: no sprig

Of toothsome chervil must I leave unchewed!
Too bitterly should I reproach myself.
Did I sink down in sight of Sebzevah,
Remembering how the merest mouthful more
Had heartened me to manage yet a mile!"
And so it proved: the too-abstemious brute.
Midway broke down, his pack rejoiced the thieves,
His carcass fed the vultures; not so he

The wisely thankful, who, good market-drudge,
Let down his lading in the market-place,
No damage to a single pack. Which beast,
Think ye, had praise and patting and a brand
Of good-and-faithful-servant fixed on flank?
So with thy squeamish scruple-what imports
Fasting or feasting? Do thy day's work, dare

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Refuse no help thereto, since help refused

Is hindrance sought and found. Win but the race
Who shall object "He tossed three wine-cups off,
And, just at starting, Lilith kissed his lips?"

'More soberly, consider this, my Son!
Put case I never have myself enjoyed,
Known by experience what enjoyment means,
How shall I share enjoyment?-no, indeed!—
Supply it to my fellows,-ignorant,

As so I should be of the thing they crave,
How it affects them, works for good or ill.
Style my enjoyment self-indulgence—sin—
Why should I labour to infect my kind
With sin's occasion, bid them too enjoy,
Who else might neither catch nor give again
Joy's plague, but live in righteous misery?
Just as I cannot, till myself convinced,
Impart conviction, so, to deal forth joy
Adroitly, needs must I know joy myself.
Renounce joy for my fellows' sake? That's joy
Beyond joy; but renounced for mine, not theirs?
Why, the physician called to help the sick.
Cries "Let me, first of all, discard my health!"
No, Son: the richness hearted in such joy
Is in the knowing what are gifts we give,
Not in a vain endeavour not to know!
Therefore, desire joy and thank God for it!
The Adversary said-a Jew reports--

הדגם ירא איוב אלהים:

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In Persian phrase, "Does Job fear God for nought?" 90 Job's creatureship is not abjured, thou fool!

He nowise isolates himself and plays

The independent equal, owns no more

Than himself gave himself, so why thank God?