More deadly still concealed in his fire drink of death; Who went unclothed, unshamed, for garment a flower wreath; Whose women lived unsold and loved their natural kin, Nor gave aught to the stranger in the wage of sin; Who blessed Thee for their babes and through the woods, like Eve, Wandered in happy laughter, glorying to conceive. Yea, Lord, and there were others,--shut communities Of souls still on Thy path and strange to the new lies, Yet, not as these were, wild, but held in discipline Of orderly commandment, servants true of Thine And doers of Thy law, but ignorant, untaught Save by an inward grace of self-restraining thought And light intuitive. No shedders they of blood, But with all creatures friends, with men in brotherhood, Blameless of wine, of strife. In innocent arts well skilled But schoolless of all guile as an unchristened child. To these with mouthings fine come the white gospellers, Our Saxon mission-men black coated to the ears. "Which be your gods?" ask they; "Do ye adore the Christ? "Know ye the Three in One, or walk ye in the mist?" "Sirs, we have One, not Three. Our poor ancestral wit "Encompasseth no more." "Then be ye damned for it. "This is our Bible, read. In the long after-death "Ye shall be burned with fire. It is God's self that saith." "We do not live again." "In this life, ye shall live "According to our gospel, nor profanely wive "Save with one spouse alone." "Our law hath given us three. "Three Gods to one sole wife were multiplicity." "These pagans are blasphemers! Who is on our side? "See, we have gold to give. We may not be denied." And they baptise them Christians. Cometh the trader next, His bible too in hand, its free-trade for his text. He teacheth them to buy.--"We nothing need." "Yet take. "The want will come anon and keep your wits awake. "Here are the goods we sell, cloth, firelocks, powder, rum, "Ye shall go clothed like lords, like kings of Christendom." "We live best naked." "Fie."--"We have no use for arms. "The fire drink is forbid." "The thing forbid hath charms. "Nay. We will make you men, soldiers to brawl and fight "As all good Christians use, and God defend the right. "The drink will give you courage. Take it. 'Tis the sign "Of manhood orthodox, its sacramental wine, "Or how can you be worthy your new Christian creed? "Drink." And they drink to Jesus and are borne to bed. He teacheth them to sell. "We need coin for our draught. "How shall we bring the price, since ye give naught for naught? "We crave the fire drink now."--"Friends, let not that prevent. "We lend on all your harvests, take our cent. per cent." "Sirs, but the crop is gone."--"There is your land in lots." "The land? It was our fathers'."--"Curse ye for idle sots, "A rascal lazing pack. Have ye no hands to work? "Off to the mines and dig, and see it how ye shirk."-- "As slaves?" "No, not as _slaves_. Our principles forbid.