"Hebrew the words were, master," Saul replied; "If ever it were possible for me To lose them from my memory, mine ear Would hear their haunting echo evermore. Such light, such sound, forsake the senses never. O master, when God speaks to man, doubt not He finds the means to certify Himself. Let Him now certify Himself to thee, Through me, me the least worthy of such grace, To be ambassador of grace from Him!" Paul's words were not so eloquent as Paul. He to such conscious noble dignity Joined such supreme effacement of himself; Burned with such zeal devoid of eagerness; A manner of entreaty that was his, Not for his own, but all for other's sake, Made such a sweet chastised persuasiveness, From self-regarding purpose purified; Meekness of wisdom such clothed on the man With an investiture of awfulness; While, fairer yet, a most unworldly light, A soft celestial radiancy, diffused, Self-luminous, illuminating all, The light divine of supernatural love, Upon him from a sacred source unseen Flung such a flush, like sunrise on some peak Of lonely height first to salute the sun; That Paul, to whoso had beholding eyes, Shone as a milder new theophany. Gamaliel had not eyes for all he saw. He slowly from his leaning posture sank Relapsed upon the couch, clasping his hands. Half to himself and half to Paul, he spoke: "My mind is sore divided with itself. It is as if the heavenly firmament Were shifted half way round upon its pole, And east to west were changed, and west to east; All things seem opposite to what they were. Strange, strange, incomprehensible to me! But strangest, most incomprehensible, Thou, what thou art to what thou wast, O Saul! Thou wast, though ever not ungentle, proud Ever, the proudest of the Pharisees. I loved thee, I admired thee, for thy pride. Pride did not seem like arrogance in thee, But meet assumption of thy proper worth; Rather, such air in thee, as if thou woredst A mantle of thy nation's dignity, Committed by the suffrages of all Unto the worthiest to be worthily worn. And now this Saul, our paragon of pride, Through whom our suffering nation felt herself Uplifted from the dust of servitude, In prophecy by example, to her true, Long-forfeited inheritance, to be One day restored to her, of regal state-- This Saul I see beside me here a gray Old man humbling himself, humbling his race, In abject posture of prostration bowed Before--whom? Why, nobody in the world! Before--what? Why, the phantom of a man Led through low life to malefactor's death! Impossible transformation, to have passed Upon that proud high Saul whom once I knew; Impossible perversion, baffling me! Impossible, but that with mine own eyes, But that with mine own ears, I witness it."