"For me, I seek no honor at your hands: I do not court responsibility; I am least wise among you; yet a trust Imposed were duty sacred in mine eyes." As, should along a living bosom warm With youthful life-blood coursing joyously, A deadly serpent, with protracted, cold Belly incumbent, glide, beneath that touch And creep the conscious flesh would creeping shrink, And all the genial current in the veins Curdle; so now, at Shimei's words, much more At signs in him that spoke beyond his words, The accent of the voice, the look, the port Of figure, sinister suggestion couched In action or grimace, there came a chill, A shudder, of reaction and collapse Over the council late with zeal aglow. Even Mattathias, who, in attitude Of menace, after Shimei arose, Some space still stood--he, too, while Shimei Was speaking, felt the evil spell and sank Into his seat. With one accord they all, When Shimei ceased, a gloomy silence kept. Gamaliel did not lift his head, but groaned Audibly now, though gently, in his prayer. From such a source such sound made seem yet more Ominous the spell which hushed that council-hall. BOOK II. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. The Sanhedrim still in session on the apostles' case, Saul speaks; first scornfully repudiating for himself Shimei's proposal of guile, and then impressively announcing his own purpose, now fully mature, to controvert the Christian preachers in open argument before the people. After a pause following Saul's speech, Gamaliel speaks in favor of letting the prisoners go free. Other councillors express their sentiments. A scourging of the utmost severity being proposed, Nicodemus, with bated breath, deprecates first a cruel infliction, and then any infliction at all. Release after scourging is finally resolved upon. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. Dumb-struck and stirless long the Sanhedrim-- Instinctively abhorrent from the part Of that base councillor--at last there rose A new assessor in the midst to speak. A young man he, who, in the general thought, Wherever moving, round about him wore A golden halo of uncertain hope And prophecy of bright futures. Aspect clear And pure; straight stature; foothold firm and free; The bloom of youth just ripening to the hue Of perfect manhood upon cheek and brow; Lip mobile, but not lax--capacity Expressed of exquisite emotion, will Elastic and resilient, tempered true To bend, not break, and ultimately strong; Glances of lightning latent in the eye, But lightning liable to be quenched in tears; The pride of every Hebrew, such was Saul.