Thus spake, low-voiced, the venerable man, 'If I had died remote. To spare that grief Before the time intended I returned.' Sadly that comrade looked upon his face, Yet saw there nought of sadness. Silent each Advanced they till they met that cowled host: But three weeks later on his bed the boy Remembered well those words. Within a cell To Algar's near that later night a youth Wrote thus to one far off, his earliest friend: 'O blessed man! was e'er a death so sweet! He sang that verse, "A dreadful thing it is To fall into the hands of God, All-Just;" Yet awe in him seemed swallowed up by love; And ofttimes with the Prophets and the Psalms He mixed glad minstrelsies of English speech, Songs to his childhood dear! 'O blessed man! The Ascension Feast of Christ our Lord drew nigh; He watched that splendour's advent; sang its hymn: "All-glorious King, Who, triumphing this day, Into the heaven of heavens didst make ascent, Forsake us not, poor orphans! Send Thy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, the Father's promised Gift, To comfort us, His children: Hallelujah." And when he reached that word, "Forsake us not," He wept--not tears of grief. With him we wept; Alternate wept; alternate read our rite; Yea, while we wept we read. So passed that day, The sufferer thanking God with labouring breath, "God scourges still the son whom He receives." 'Undaunted, unamazed, daily he wrought His daily task; instruction daily gave To us his scholars round him ranged, and said, "I will not have my pupils learn a lie, Nor, fruitless, toil therein when I am gone." Full well he kept an earlier promise, made Ofttimes to humble folk, in English tongue Rendering the Gospels of the Lord. On these, The last of these, the Gospel of Saint John, He laboured till the close. The days went by, And still he toiled, and panted, and gave thanks To God with hands uplifted; yea, in sleep He made thanksgiving still. When Tuesday came Suffering increased; he said, "My time is short; How short it is I know not." Yet we deemed He knew the time of his departure well.