Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Fiction
'There is a way, sir Rowland--and but one way. Human words at least,
however it may be with some high heavenly language, can never say the
best things but by a kind of stumbling, wherein one contradiction
keepeth another from falling. No man, as thou sayest, truly, can rid him
of himself and live, for that involveth an impossibility. But he can rid
himself of that haunting shadow of his own self, which he hath pampered
and fed upon shadowy lies, until it is bloated and black with pride and
folly. When that demon king of shades is once cast out, and the man's
house is possessed of God instead, then first he findeth his true
substantial self, which is the servant, nay, the child of God. To rid
thee of thyself thou must offer it again to him that made it. Be thou
empty that he may fill thee. I never understood this until these latter
days. Let me impart to thee certain verses I found but yesterday, for
they will tell thee better what I mean. Thou knowest the sacred volume
of the blessed George Herbert?'
'I never heard of him or it,' said Scudamore.
'It is no matter as now: these verses are not of his. Prithee, hearken:
'I carry with, me, Lord, a foolish fool,
That still his cap upon my head would place.
I dare not slay him, he will not to school,
And still he shakes his bauble in my face.
'I seize him, Lord, and bring him to thy door;
Bound on thine altar-threshold him I lay.
He weepeth; did I heed, he would implore;
And still he cries ALACK and WELL-A-DAY!
'If thou wouldst take him in and make him wise,
I think he might be taught to serve thee well;
If not, slay him, nor heed his foolish cries,
He's but a fool that mocks and rings a bell.'
Something in the lines appeared to strike Scudamore.
'I thank you, sir,' he said. 'Might I put you to the trouble, I would
request that you would write out the verses for me, that I may study
their meaning at my leisure.'
Mr. Vaughan promised, and, after a little more conversation, took his
leave.
Now, whether it was from anything he had said in particular, or that
Scudamore had felt the general influence of the man, Dorothy could not
tell, but from that visit she believed Rowland began to think more and
to brood less. By and by he began to start questions of right and wrong,
suppose cases, and ask Dorothy what she would do in such and such
circumstances. With many cloudy relapses there was a suspicion of dawn,
although a rainy one most likely, on his far horizon.
'Dost thou really believe, Dorothy,' he asked one day, 'that a man ever
did love his enemy? Didst thou ever know one who did?'
'I cannot say I ever did,' returned Dorothy. 'I have however seen few
that were enemies. But I am sure that had it not been possible, we
should never have been commanded thereto.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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