Part 54 (2/2)

Then must I speak of little things as great, Then must I tell of love and call it hate, Then must I bid you seek what all men shun, Reward defeat, praise deeds that were not done.

Have faith, and crave and suffer, and all ye The many mansions of my house shall see In all content: cast shame and pride away, Let honour gild the world's eventless day, Shrink not from change, and shudder not at crime, Leave lies to rattle in the sieve of Time!

Then, whatsoe'er your workday gear shall stain, Of me a wedding-garment shall ye gain No G.o.d shall dare cry out at, when at last Your time of ignorance is overpast; A wedding garment, and a glorious seat Within my household, e'en as yet be meet.

Fear not, I say again; believe it true That not as men mete shall I measure you: This calm strong soul, whose hidden tale found out Has grown a spell to conquer fear and doubt, Is he not mine? yea, surely--mine no less This well mocked clamourer out of bitterness: The strong one's strength, from me he had it not; Let the world keep it that his love forgot; The weak one's weakness was enough to save, Let the world hide it in his honour's grave!

For whatso folly is, or wisdom was Across my threshold naked all must pa.s.s.

Fear not; no vessel to dishonour born Is in my house; there all shall well adorn The walls whose stones the lapse of Time has laid.

Behold again; this life great stories made; All cast aside for love, and then and then Love filched away; the world an adder-den, And all folk foes: and one, the one desire-- --How shall we name it?--grown a poisoned fire, G.o.d once, G.o.d still, but G.o.d of wrong and shame A lying G.o.d, a curse without a name.

So turneth love to hate, the wise world saith.

--Folly--I say 'twixt love and hate lies death, They shall not mingle: neither died this love, But through a dreadful world all changed must move With earthly death and wrong, and earthly woe The only deeds its hand might find to do.

Surely ye deem that this one shall abide Within the murmuring palace of my pride.

But lo another, how shall he have praise?

Through flame and thorns I led him many days And nought he shrank, but smiled and followed close, Till in his path the shade of hate arose 'Twixt him and his desire: with heart that burned For very love back through the thorns he turned, His wounds, his tears, his prayers without avail Forgotten now, nor e'en for him a tale; Because for love's sake love he cast aside.

--Lo, saith the World, a heart well satisfied With what I give, a barren love forgot-- --Draw near me, O my child, and heed them not!

The world thou lovest, e'en my world it is, Thy faithful hands yet reach out for my bliss, Thou seest me in the night and in the day Thou canst not deem that I can go astray.

No further, saith the world 'twixt Heaven and h.e.l.l Than 'twixt these twain.--My faithful, heed it well!

For on the great day when the hosts are met On Armageddon's plain by spears beset, This is my banner with my sign thereon, That is my sword wherewith my deeds are done.

But how shall tongue of man tell all the tale Of faithful hearts who overcome or fail, But at the last fail nowise to be mine.

In diverse ways they drink the fateful wine Those twain drank mid the lulling of the storm Upon the Irish Sea, when love grown warm Kindled and blazed, and lit the days to come, The hope and joy and death that led them home.

--In diverse ways; yet having drunk, be sure The flame thus lighted ever shall endure, So my feet trod the grapes whereby it glowed.

Lo, Faithful, lo, the door of my abode Wide open now, and many pressing in That they the lords.h.i.+p of the World may win!

Hark to the murmuring round my bannered car, And gird your weapons to you for the war!

For who shall say how soon the day shall be Of that last fight that swalloweth up the sea?

Fear not, be ready! forth the banners go, And will not turn again till every foe Is overcome as though they had not been.

Then, with your memories ever fresh and green, Come back within the House of Love to dwell; For ye--the sorrow that no words might tell, Your tears unheeded, and your prayers made nought Thus and no otherwise through all have wrought, That if, the while ye toiled and sorrowed most The sound of your lamenting seemed all lost, And from my land no answer came again, It was because of that your care and pain A house was building, and your bitter sighs Came hither as toil-helping melodies, And in the mortar of our gem-built wall Your tears were mingled mid the rise and fall Of golden trowels tinkling in the hands Of builders gathered wide from all the lands.-- --Is the house finished? Nay, come help to build Walls that the sun of sorrow once did gild Through many a bitter morn and hopeless eve, That so at last in bliss ye may believe; Then rest with me, and turn no more to tears, For then no more by days and months and years, By hours of pain come back, and joy pa.s.sed o'er We measure time that was--and is no more.

JOAN

The afternoon is waxen grey Now these fair shapes have pa.s.sed away; And I, who should be merry now A-thinking of the glorious show, Feel somewhat sad, and wish it were To-morrow's mid-morn fresh and fair About the babble of our stead.

GILES

Content thee, sweet, for nowise dead Within our hearts the story is; It shall come back to better bliss On many an eve of happy spring, Or midst of summer's flouris.h.i.+ng.

Or think--some noon of autumn-tide Thou wandering on the turf beside The chestnut-wood may'st find thy song Fade out, as slow thou goest along, Until at last thy feet stay there As though thou bidedst something fair, And hearkenedst for a coming foot; While down the hole unto the root The long leaves flutter loud to thee The fall of spiky nuts shall be, And creeping wood-wale's noise above; For thou wouldst see the wings of Love.

JOAN

Or some November eve belike Thou wandering back with bow and tyke From wolf-chase on the wind-swept hill Shall find that narrow vale and still, And Pharamond and Azalais Amidmost of that gra.s.sy place Where we twain met last year, whereby Red-shafted pine-trunks rise on high, And changeless now from year to year, What change soever brought them there, Great rocks are scattered all around: --Wouldst thou be frightened at the sound Of their soft speech? So long ago It was since first their love did grow.

GILES

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