Wept He above a city doomed[17], 640 Her temple, walls, and towers, O'er palaces where recreant priests Usurped unhallowed powers. "I am the way, the life, the light!" Alas! 'twas heeded not. Ignored--nay, mocked--God scorned by man!-- And spurned the truth He taught. O bane of damning unbelief! When, when till now so rife? Thou stumbling stone, thou barrier 'thwart 650 The gates of endless life! O love of self, and mammon lust, Twin portals to despair, Where bigotry, the blinded bat, Flaps through the midnight air! Through these, gloom-wrapt Gethsemane[18]! Thy glens of guilty shade Grieved o'er the sinless Son of God, By gold-bought kiss betrayed; Beheld Him unresisting dragged, 660 Forsaken, friendless, lone, To halls where dark-browed hatred sat On judgment's lofty throne. As sheep before His shearers, dumb, Those patient lips were mute; The clamorous charge of taunting tongues He deigned not to dispute. They smote with cruel palm a face Which felt yet bore the sting; Then crowned with thorns His quivering brow, 670 And, mocking, hailed him "King!" Transfixt He hung,--O crime of crimes!-- The God whom worlds adore. "Father forgive them!" Drained the dregs; Immanuel[19]--no more. No more where thunders shook the earth, Where lightnings tore the gloom, Saw that unconquered Spirit spurn The shackles of the tomb. Far-flaming might, a sword of light, 680 A falchion from its sheath, It cleft the realms of darkness, and Dissolved the bands of death. Hell's dungeons burst, wide open swung The everlasting bars, Whereby the ransomed soul shall win Those heights beyond the stars. CANTO FOUR Night And The Wilderness[1] A World o'ershadowed by an Eagle's wings[2], From Scythian snows to hot Hamitic sands, From Ganges on to Tiber and the Thames. 690 Where goeth forth, unwittingly the tool Of Truth Eterne, a pathway to prepare, The law and legion of imperial Rome, Mighty to crush and to consolidate, Humbling the hard, the haughty, making way For peace to flow[3] wider than war can wound Servant unknowingly of Him she slew, In pandering to Judah's jealousy. Victim now Victor, conqueror captive led, Debtor to justice, darkness serving day, 700 Upon her knotted neck Jehovah's heel, Her iron hand the Nazarene's defense, Holding in quell the hierarchal hate, Curbing the cruel wrath of Greek and Jew; Israel from Israel's madness made secure-- Lamb from the Lion, by the She-Wolf's might[4].