Volume I Part 32 (2/2)

XIII.

The poet and Sir Roland stood Alone, each turned to each, Till Roland brake the silence left By that soft-throbbing speech-- ”Poor heart!” he cried, ”it vainly tried The distant heart to reach.

XIV.

”And thou, O distant, sinful heart That climbest up so high To wrap and blind thee with the snows That cause to dream and die, What blessing can, from lips of man, Approach thee with his sigh?

XV.

”Ay, what from earth--create for man And moaning in his moan?

Ay, what from stars--revealed to man And man-named one by one?

Ay, more! what blessing can be given Where the Spirits seven do show in heaven A MAN upon the throne?

XVI.

”A man on earth HE wandered once, All meek and undefiled, And those who loved Him said 'He wept'-- None ever said He smiled; Yet there might have been a smile unseen, When He bowed his holy face, I ween, To bless that happy child.

XVII.

”And now HE pleadeth up in heaven For our humanities, Till the ruddy light on seraphs' wings In pale emotion dies.

They can better bear their G.o.dhead's glare Than the pathos of his eyes.

XVIII.

”I will go pray our G.o.d to-day To teach thee how to scan His work divine, for human use Since earth on axle ran,-- To teach thee to discern as plain His grief divine, the blood-drop's stain He left there, MAN for man.

XIX.

”So, for the blood's sake shed by Him Whom angels G.o.d declare, Tears like it, moist and warm with love, Thy reverent eyes shall wear To see i' the face of Adam's race The nature G.o.d doth share.”

XX.

”I heard,” the poet said, ”thy voice As dimly as thy breath: The sound was like the noise of life To one anear his death,-- Or of waves that fail to stir the pale Sere leaf they roll beneath.

XXI.

”And still between the sound and me White creatures like a mist Did interfloat confusedly, Mysterious shapes unwist: Across my heart and across my brow I felt them droop like wreaths of snow, To still the pulse they kist.

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