Forth from the hour when Shimei, so dismissed, Shrank out of presence at Antonia Collapsed in spirit as in mien and port, He to the end was seen an altered man. Dejected, absent, like a criminal Convicted of his crime, sentenced to die, Though day of death unfixed, imprisoned not, Nay, moving, as if free, about the world, To view not different from his fellow-men, Yet with a sense forever haunting him Of doom uncertainly suspended still Above him, that at any moment might In avalanche descend upon his head-- So he lived joyless, the elastic spring Broken that buoyed him to his wickedness. But loth he had to Cæsarea gone, Where, with wry looks and deprecation vain, He gave the letter to the governor; Had he, to ease his case, dared fail the trust, The failure would have failed his case to ease, Nay, rather, would have harder made his case, Since Stephen could report what he did not, And could besides report his negligence. But Shimei dared not fail; he knew offence, Added, of disobedience, would but draw Speedier the dreaded danger ruining down. Joy is to some a spring of energy, Which failing, all their force for action fails-- They having in themselves no virtue proof Against the palsying touch ill fortune brings; Of such was Shimei. In his broken state, His measures he took feebly, without hope. The wish--which with the expectation joined Would have made hope--yea, even the very wish, That life and strength of hope, was well-nigh dead In him; for he no longer now desired The thing he wrought for still, under constraint Of habit, and that strange necessity Which sense of many eyes upon him fixed To watch him working the familiar wont Of Shimei, bred within this wretched man, Forcing him like a fate. Fit tool he found In one Tertullus--hireling Roman tongue, Or function mere, not organ--who, for price, Spoke customary things accusing Paul To Felix, for the Jews; these joined their voice In sanction of the truth of what he said. But Paul denying their base charges all, Denying and defying to the proof, The governor postponed them for a time. Paul he remanded into custody, But bade with courteous ways distinguish him; Whereof the secret cause was, not a sense In Felix of the righteousness of Paul, With therefore sweet magnanimous desire To grace him what in loyalty he could-- Of no such height was Felix capable-- The cause none other was than Shimei; Who Paul however served not, but himself.