“So with his brow he touched her feet, and bent The farewell of fond eyes, unutterable Upon her sleeping face, still wet with tears; And thrice around the bed in reverence, As though it were an altar, softly stepped With clasped hands laid upon his beating heart, ‘For never,’ spake he, ‘lie I there again!’ And thrice he made to go, but thrice came back, So strong her beauty was, so large his love: Then, o’er his head drawing his cloth, he turned, And raised the purdah’s edge: * * * * * “Then, lightly treading where those sleepers lay, Into the night Siddartha passed: its eyes, The watchful stars, looked love on him; its breath, The wandering wind, kissed his robe’s fluttered fringe; The garden-blossoms, folded for the dawn, Opened their velvet hearts to waft him scents, From pink and purple censers; o’er the land, From Himalaya unto the Indian Sea, A tremor spread, as if earth’s soul beneath Stirred with an unknown hope; and holy books-- Which tell the story of our Lord--say, too, That rich celestial music thrilled the air From hosts on hosts of shining ones, who thronged Eastward and westward, making bright the night-- Northward and southward, making glad the ground. Also those four dread Regents of the Earth, Descending at the doorway, two by two-- With their bright legions of Invisibles In arms of sapphire, silver, gold and pearl-- Watched with joined hands the Indian Prince, who stood, His tearful eyes raised to the stars, and lips Close-set with purpose of prodigious love. Then strode he forth into the gloom and cried, ‘Channa, awake! and bring out Kantaka!’ “‘What would my lord?’ the charioteer replied-- Slow-rising from his place beside the gate-- ‘To ride at night, when all the ways are dark?’ “‘Speak low,’ Siddartha said, ‘and bring my horse, For now the hour is come when I should quit This golden prison, where my heart lives caged, To find the truth; which henceforth I will seek, For all men’s sake, until the truth be found.’” Shortly after he had passed through the ponderous gate of the city--which, it was said, took a thousand men to open it--he was met by the evil god Mara. Mara knew that if Gautama proceeded, his power would be lessened and so he sought to turn him back. He said to Gautama: “Be entreated to stay, that you may possess the honors that are within your reach; go not! go not!” To this Gautama replied: “A thousand or a hundred thousand honors such as those to which you refer would have no power to charm me to-day; I seek the Buddhaship; therefore, begone, hinder me not.” Mara left him in great anger, determined to foil him. GAUTAMA BECOMES AN ASCETIC.