The speaker still stood leaning imminent, His posture instigation, while a hiss Of hot adhesion ran increasing round-- But skipped Gamaliel, skipped the musing Saul With one beside, scarce daring to be dumb-- When, in his place, slowly, by soft degrees, With furtive look and gesture, to his feet Stealing, half stood, half crouched, a speaker new. This was one Shimei, an abject man, Abject in spirit, though in wit not dull, And capable of long malevolence Fed on resentments such as abjects feel. Saul listened, but Gamaliel bowed in prayer, As Shimei thus, obliquely, sneering, spoke: "Stoning is pleasant, doubtless, when, as now, One's sense of righteousness is much engaged. The reflex satisfaction to be had From accurately casting a choice stone To break the teeth of the ungodly, is Superlative, perhaps the very highest Relish attainable to mortals here. The consciousness of sympathy with God Always exhilarates delightfully; But in particular if the sympathy Be exercised in such a case as this, Where the most glorious of God's attributes, His justice, is involved. Borne far above Pity, or any weakness of the sense, You only feel a rapture of divine Approval of the law you execute. So subtly strong and sweet possesses you The instinct to indulge your appetite For righteousness, you might almost mistake Your pleasure for the pleasure of revenge. "But let revenge be for the heathen, who Know not Jehovah and His law contemn. Jehovah's chosen we, our sentiment Purged of all personal bias of mere hate, We simply wash our feet in wicked blood With pleasure--pleasure naturally enhanced, If we have spilled said wicked blood ourselves.