The host of Israel, though such numbers, heard-- These mountain-sides redouble so the voice." "Theatric sacramental rite most weird," Said Sergius, "thou hast described to me. Sure never elsewhere did lawgiver yet, With ceremony such, a people swear To obedience of his laws. The laws, I trow, Subscribed and sealed with signature so strange, Strange must have been. Example couldst thou give?" "Of all those laws," said Saul, "doubtless the law To Gentile ears the strangest, is the first; That law it is which makes the Jew a Jew: 'Other than Me no god shalt thou confess; 'Image, resemblance, none, molten or carved, 'Of whatsoever thing in heaven, or earth, 'Or hidden region underneath the earth, 'Fashion to thee shalt thou, or bow thee down 'In service or in worship unto them; 'For I the Lord thy God a jealous God 'Am, and I visit the iniquity 'Of fathers upon children, chastisement, 'In long entail, on generation linked 'To generation, following hard the line 'Of such as hate Me, endless mercy shown 'To such as love Me and observe My law. 'Curséd be he who dares to disobey'; And Ebal, with its countless multitude, Thundered to Gerizim a loud 'Amen!' While heaven above and the wide world around Hearkened in witness of the dreadful oath." Saul ceased as mute with awe of memory; And something of a sympathetic sense, Communicated, also Sergius made Silent in presence of such history. Not long, for, rousing from his reverie, And looking up before him nigh, he sees A city with its walls and roofs and towers. "Neapolis!" exclaims the Roman voice, The Jewish, in tone different, "Sychar!" said. "Neapolis! And here I halt," said Sergius; "Sychar! And forward through Samaria, I, Not pausing till this hateful soil be passed," Said Saul; "perchance to-morrow met again, Beyond, we may together forward fare." So there they parted with such slight farewell; Nor after met, until, two morrows more Now spent in separate travel, they had reached The bursting fountain of the Jordan, where, Forth from between the feet of Hermon born Forever--in the joy and anguish born, The certain anguish and the doubtful joy Tumultuous of an everlasting birth-- Leaps to the light of life that famous stream, Like many another child--from Adam sprung-- To run his heedless, headlong, downward course And lose himself at last in the Dead Sea! Here was what life, all-welcoming, lusty life, Doom of what deadly worse than death was there!