Methought that in my slumbers yesternight
This scene tremendous rose before my sight.
Four spirits stood in front of a White Throne,
Which arcs of perfect beauty did enfold;
" And who art thou? " said He who sat thereon,
Unto the foremost. " I'm a warrior bold,
And my full fame to the four winds is blown. "
Swift o'er the Glory, as light cloud o'er sun,
A shadow swept. " Well, from thy youth till now
What hast thou in the world's arena done? "
A sudden gleam lit up the warrior's brow,
" Led armies, taken cities, kingdoms won. "
Sternly the Sceptred spake, " And hast thou then
Done naught but scourge thy helpless fellow men?
Pass on; thy deeds on earth may be rehearsed,
But here thou dwellest evermore accurst. "
" And who art thou? " the Presence once more said, —
" A scholar in all knowledge deeply read. "
" All knowledge! well in three score years and ten
What didst thou to uplift thy fellow men? "
" Books were my fellows, and with them I spent
Life's sweet seclusion in most sweet content. "
Again in sternest tones the Glory spake —
" And didst thou nought for thy sad kindred's sake?
Know thou, one heart-begotten deed were more
Than all thy knowledge piled ten times o'er.
Pass on; I gave thee life for noblest use,
And thou ignobly put it to abuse. "
" And who art thou? " the dread Voice asked a sprite
That proudly stood upon the warrior's right.
" I am a merchant prince, a millionare;
My white-winged argoises sail every sea;
My sons are strong, my daughters they are fair,
And few on earth can be compared to me. "
" Well, " said th' Enthron'd, with look as grieved sore,
" In all that affluent time which now is o'er,
What didst thou with thy wealth? " " I made it more. "
" Didst nothing for the want-beliveried throngs
Who near thee dwelt, crushed down by cruel wrongs? "
" Not I forsooth! what were such scum to me? "
" Man! " spake the Voice, and awful was its tone,
As thunder, crash on crash, in torrid zone.
Each seraph stood before his trembling lute
With nerveless fingers; lips, though parted, mute.
" Man, pride-swoll'n, vain, what were such scum to thee?
Such scum were dear as my own blood to me;
And since thou hold'st my lov'd ones high in scorn,
Thou shalt be stripped, of all thy splendours shorn,
And when they laugh, thy doom shall be to mourn. "
" And who art thou? " the Rainbowed sweetly said,
Unto the fourth, who stood with drooping head.
" An unknown dweller in an obscure fen,
The lowliest and unworthiest of men. "
" And didst do aught in thy brief span of years
To make thee meet for bright supernal spheres. "
" My deeds were few and poor, " the sprite replied,
" I lived, I loved, I laboured, and then died. "
" You loved you say, and therefore, now behold! "
He looked and saw a wondrous scroll unrolled
Whereon was writ, in characters of flame,
The acts of men against each several name;
And there his own; and how he'd spoke and wrought
Kind words, kind deeds, the fruits of generous thought;
And how once when afield, the sun o'erhead,
He'd fasted that a beggar might be fed.
He saw and spake, — his cheeks of crimson hue, —
" Why these were nought; what other could I do? "
" Come hither, " said the Voice in tenderest tone,
'Tis such as thou, the Father claims His own. "
And clouds of glory and exceeding light
Rolled round the swain, and hid him from my sight.
This scene tremendous rose before my sight.
Four spirits stood in front of a White Throne,
Which arcs of perfect beauty did enfold;
" And who art thou? " said He who sat thereon,
Unto the foremost. " I'm a warrior bold,
And my full fame to the four winds is blown. "
Swift o'er the Glory, as light cloud o'er sun,
A shadow swept. " Well, from thy youth till now
What hast thou in the world's arena done? "
A sudden gleam lit up the warrior's brow,
" Led armies, taken cities, kingdoms won. "
Sternly the Sceptred spake, " And hast thou then
Done naught but scourge thy helpless fellow men?
Pass on; thy deeds on earth may be rehearsed,
But here thou dwellest evermore accurst. "
" And who art thou? " the Presence once more said, —
" A scholar in all knowledge deeply read. "
" All knowledge! well in three score years and ten
What didst thou to uplift thy fellow men? "
" Books were my fellows, and with them I spent
Life's sweet seclusion in most sweet content. "
Again in sternest tones the Glory spake —
" And didst thou nought for thy sad kindred's sake?
Know thou, one heart-begotten deed were more
Than all thy knowledge piled ten times o'er.
Pass on; I gave thee life for noblest use,
And thou ignobly put it to abuse. "
" And who art thou? " the dread Voice asked a sprite
That proudly stood upon the warrior's right.
" I am a merchant prince, a millionare;
My white-winged argoises sail every sea;
My sons are strong, my daughters they are fair,
And few on earth can be compared to me. "
" Well, " said th' Enthron'd, with look as grieved sore,
" In all that affluent time which now is o'er,
What didst thou with thy wealth? " " I made it more. "
" Didst nothing for the want-beliveried throngs
Who near thee dwelt, crushed down by cruel wrongs? "
" Not I forsooth! what were such scum to me? "
" Man! " spake the Voice, and awful was its tone,
As thunder, crash on crash, in torrid zone.
Each seraph stood before his trembling lute
With nerveless fingers; lips, though parted, mute.
" Man, pride-swoll'n, vain, what were such scum to thee?
Such scum were dear as my own blood to me;
And since thou hold'st my lov'd ones high in scorn,
Thou shalt be stripped, of all thy splendours shorn,
And when they laugh, thy doom shall be to mourn. "
" And who art thou? " the Rainbowed sweetly said,
Unto the fourth, who stood with drooping head.
" An unknown dweller in an obscure fen,
The lowliest and unworthiest of men. "
" And didst do aught in thy brief span of years
To make thee meet for bright supernal spheres. "
" My deeds were few and poor, " the sprite replied,
" I lived, I loved, I laboured, and then died. "
" You loved you say, and therefore, now behold! "
He looked and saw a wondrous scroll unrolled
Whereon was writ, in characters of flame,
The acts of men against each several name;
And there his own; and how he'd spoke and wrought
Kind words, kind deeds, the fruits of generous thought;
And how once when afield, the sun o'erhead,
He'd fasted that a beggar might be fed.
He saw and spake, — his cheeks of crimson hue, —
" Why these were nought; what other could I do? "
" Come hither, " said the Voice in tenderest tone,
'Tis such as thou, the Father claims His own. "
And clouds of glory and exceeding light
Rolled round the swain, and hid him from my sight.