Part 14 (1/2)

”Birds and b.u.t.terflies and trees, And the long hush of the breeze s.h.i.+mmering over the silken gra.s.s, What wouldst thou have more than these?...

In the stall the ox and a.s.s Gazed on thee with tender eyes; All things love thee; yet there lies Some hid thing in thee breeds fear-- Brims not falls thy mother's tear.

Wherefore, baby, must thou go?

Rose, to be torn in sunder so?

Little bonny limbs, little bonny face, My lamb, my torment, my disgrace!

”O baby, are thine eyelids closed Faster than my eyes supposed?

With foxes must thy bed be maken, A beggar with beggars must thou go, To be at last forsworn, forsaken?

And bear alone thy cross also Anigh to the foot of a bare hill?

To hang gibbeted and abhorred, For pa.s.sers-by to wish thee ill?

And to thrust against thy will Through thy mother's bosom the sharpest sword?

”O baby, breathing so quietly, Have thou mercy upon me!

That in thy madness On thy lonely journey farest, That understandest not nor carest For me and my sadness!

Woe indeed! thou dost not know Man cometh into this world in sorrow To spend in grief to-night, to-morrow In sorrow the third day to go!

”O sleep, dear baby, and, heart, sleep; Turn to thy slumber, golden, deep, Of present possible happiness.

Let drop the daisies one by one Over his body and his dress; Afflicted eyes, see but thy son Who sleeps secure from hurt, from harm, Clasped to my breast, closed in my arm, Who murmurs as the flowers by the faint wind shaken, And, putting forth sweet, sleepy hands, Feels for the kisses he demands....

Slowly, belov'd, dost thou awaken, And sure, in heaven there is no sign: It is not true that thou shalt be taken, Who for ever, for ever art mine, art mine!”

Into the west the calm white sun Floated and sank. The day was done.

Mary returned, and as she went, Above her, in the firmament, The stars, that are the flowers of G.o.d, Mirrored the flowery earth she trod.

Thus bore she on her destined child, And while she wept, behold! he smiled, And stretched his arms seeking a kiss....

Softly she kissed him, and a bliss, Deeper than all her human tears, Flooded her and put out her fears.

OXFORD, _Early Spring_, 1914.

II.--SECOND AND CENTRE PANEL: THE TOWER

It was deep night, and over Jerusalem's low roofs The moon floated, drifting through high vaporous woofs.

The moonlight crept and glistened silent, solemn, sweet, Over dome and column, up empty, endless street; In the closed, scented gardens the rose loosed from the stem Her white showery petals; none regarded them; The starry thicket breathed odours to the sentinel palm; Silence possessed the city like a soul possessed by calm.

Not a spark in the warren under the giant night, Save where in a turret's lantern beamed a grave, still light: There in the topmost chamber a gold-eyed lamp was lit-- Marvellous lamp in darkness, informing, redeeming it!

For, set in that tiny chamber, Jesus, the blessed and doomed, Spoke to the lone apostles as light to men entombed; And spreading his hands in blessing, as one soon to be dead, He put soft enchantment into spare wine and bread.

The hearts of the disciples were broken and full of tears, Because their lord, the spearless, was hedged about with spears; And in his face the sickness of departure had spread a gloom, At leaving his young friends friendless.

They could not forget the tomb.

He smiled subduedly, telling, in tones soft as voice of the dove, The endlessness of sorrow, the eternal solace of love; And lifting the earthly tokens, wine and sorrowful bread, He bade them sup and remember one who lived and was dead.

And they could not restrain their weeping.

But one rose up to depart, Having weakness and hate of weakness raging within his heart, And bowed to the robed a.s.sembly whose eyes gleamed wet in the light.

Judas arose and departed: night went out to the night.

Then Jesus lifted his voice like a fountain in an ocean of tears, And comforted his disciples and calmed and allayed their fears.