The peremptory tone, the audacity, The prompt aggressive movement, with the proud, High, lordly speech disdainful, the assured Serene assumption of authority Enforced by personal will as strong as power-- These for a moment's space surrounded Saul With that inviolable immunity, The nameless spell which perfect courage casts; Nay, so far gave him full ascendant there That he quite to his man his way had made And on a shoulder laid the arresting hand. But stay! not quelled, suspended only, seems The indignant angry humor of the crowd. Scarce has Saul uttered his last scornful words And turned to front the men about him massed-- Not doubting but, with only the drawn sword Of his fixed forward countenance, he shall This side and that before him cleave a way Wide from amid them forth to pass--upon Such hinging-point scarce poises Saul, when they, With many-handed violence, seize him And, irresistibly uplifting, bear Helpless, headforemost, ignominiously, Whither they will. In vain Hirani cries, By turns rebuking and beseeching them; In vain he follows, warning them beware To involve themselves in risk fruitless for him; In vain implores them even for Jesus' sake, Whose name will be dishonored by their deed; Presents himself in vain a prisoner Willing to go with Saul unmanacled; In vain avouches he, in any case, Shall yield his person to the Sanhedrim, Doubtless to suffer but the heavier doom For what is doing, unless they refrain. Hirani had adjured them by the name Of Jesus, but those heady men, that name, That mastership, owned not, Jews only still, Still in the changed new spirit all unschooled. So by their own mad motion ever mad Growing, they hurtle Saul along the way-- He the while musing, with mind strangely clear, How like to Stephen's lot his own is now!-- Till chance unlooked-for their wild turbulence stays.