If blood throbs yet in this that was thy face, O thou whose soul was full of devil's faith, If in thy flesh the worm's bite slackeneth In some acute red pause of iron days, Arise now, gird thee, get thee on thy ways, Breathe off the worm that crawls and fears not breath; King, it may be thou shalt prevail on death; King, it may be thy soul shall find out grace. O spirit that hast eased the place of Cain, Weep now and howl, yea weep now sore; for this That was thy kingdom hath spat out its king. Wilt thou plead now with God? behold again, Thy prayer for thy son's sake is turned to a hiss, Thy mouth to a snake's whose slime outlives the sting, III PETER'S PENCE FROM PERUGIA Iscariot, thou grey-grown beast of blood, Stand forth to plead; stand, while red drops run here And there down fingers shaken with foul fear, Down the sick shivering chin that stooped and sued, Bowed to the bosom, for a little food At Herod's hand, who smites thee cheek and ear. Cry out, Iscariot; haply he will hear; Cry, till he turn again to do thee good. Gather thy gold up, Judas, all thy gold, And buy thee death; no Christ is here to sell, But the dead earth of poor men bought and sold, While year heaps year above thee safe in hell, To grime thy grey dishonourable head With dusty shame, when thou art damned and dead. IV PAPAL ALLOCUTION "Popule mi, quid tibi feci?" What hast thou done? Hark, till thine ears wax hot, Judas; for these and these things hast thou done. Thou hast made earth faint, and sickened the sweet sun, With fume of blood that reeks from limbs that rot; Thou hast washed thine hands and mouth, saying, "Am I not Clean?" and thy lips were bloody, and there was none To speak for man against thee, no, not one; This hast thou done to us, Iscariot. Therefore, though thou be deaf and heaven be dumb, A cry shall be from under to proclaim In the ears of all who shed men's blood or sell Pius the Ninth, Judas the Second, come Where Boniface out of the filth and flame Barks for his advent in the clefts of hell. (i) (i) Dante, "Inferno," xix. 53. V THE BURDEN OF AUSTRIA 1866