What wonder, when truth's meanings tortured were, The living God dethroned, and in His stead, A monster crouching on the Mercy Seat, Whose mere caprice, naught else, did save or damn? Wafting the blood-stained criminal to bliss, If he but gasped, half hung, the holy Name? Thrusting the spotless infant into hell, 2570 If un-elect, or unbaptized for sin! To endless woe or weal forefating all. What wonder justice, reason, stood aghast, While faith, revolting, rushed to doubt's extreme? Critics, high-soaring, sought to clip the wings Of arrogance in all creeds save their own. Half-fledged conclusion, findings premature, Grounded on tale of rock or ruin old, More credence had, more reverence, from men, Than sacred lore of heaven-lit centuries. 2580 All miracle was myth, nor aught worth while, Save, leaded down with learned theories, It crawled, an earth-worm, wanting will to climb Above the level of the commonplace. Fanatics in the state as in the church, Their prejudices palmed for principle, Vain vagaries and dreams for doctrine sound; And woe to him who lisped of liberty, Or thought aloud one thought unthought before! Freedom to think and breathe--God-granted boons, 2590 Alike, to savage, serf, and citizen-- Was all that freedom signified to some, Who, as they doled a gift already given, Boasted themselves magnanimous and wise. Freedom to speak and act as conscience bade, As God commanded, crushed or captive bound, E'en where men vaunted most of liberty. And peace was yet a dream unrealized, For war still sowed and reaped his harvests red; And Christian guns were mightiest and slew most. 2600 Nor yet stood toil 'gainst capital arrayed, The starving masses 'gainst the Midases, As erst arose, 'gainst moss-grown old regimes, The trampled Terror[15], scrawling with fierce hand On history's flaming scroll his red revenge, With that blood-reeking pen, the guillotine; Nor yet faced frowning mass contemning class[16], Jeering, oblivious of the lurking doom, The glooming clouds where groaned the gathering storm. But murderous craft and oath-bound anarchy, 2610 With secret deeds of darkness, had begun To sap the life of human government, And plot against the safety of mankind; While greeds and lusts and passions manifold, Preying on frailty and on innocence, Ran riot 'mid the fairest, brightest, best.