Some thought that Saul had spoken proudly; some, That pride became his worth; some held that he Would make his vaunting good; some feared his plan Savored of youth and rashness; others deemed Public dispute mistaken precedent Teeming with various mischief--sure to breed Insufferable pretensions in the crowd, So taught to count themselves fit arbiters On Scriptural or traditional points of moot, And, by close consequence, a serious breach Endanger in their own authority; Yet others felt, whatever fruit beside Was borne of Saul's proposed experiment, Two things at least were safe to reckon on-- In its own dignity, the Sanhedrim Must needs incur immedicable hurt, So plainly scandalous a spectacle Exhibiting, a councillor enrolled Of their own number stooping to debate On equal terms with ignorant fishermen; Then, on their side, those flattered fishermen, Far from indulging proper gratitude For being publicly confounded quite At such illustrious hands, would be instead Inflated out of measure, nigh to burst, With added pride at complaisance so new From their superiors, while the common herd Would give them greater heed accordingly. Such things diverse they thought, and silence kept, Saul's colleagues in the Sanhedrim; they all Together felt that Saul in any wise Would go Saul's way; they therefore silence kept. One man alone, by age and gravity, And reverence his in ample revenue, Was easy master of the Sanhedrim: On him the council rested and revolved, As on a fixéd centre and support. And now 'Gamaliel! let us hear at last Gamaliel's word' was suddenly the sole, The simultaneous, silent thought to all. The eyes of all concentred instantly Upon Gamaliel found that saint esteemed And sage already stirring as to rise. Their readiness to hear, with his to speak, Timed so in perfect reciprocity And exquisite accord responsive, marked That fleet meet moment for the orator, Which, conscious half, but half unconscious, he, Gamaliel, wielded by the Holy Ghost, Was now to seize and use for God so well. The hoary head, the mien of majesty, The associative power of ancient fame, His habit and tradition of command, Their instinct, grown inveterate, to obey, Always, wherever he arose to speak Among his brethren, won Gamaliel heed. But now, a certain gentle winsomeness, Born of a certain wavering wistfulness, Qualified so a new solemnity Of manner, like a prophet's, felt in him, That awe came on his hearers as from God. Gamaliel first bade put the prisoners forth, In keeping, out of audience, and then said: "My brethren: Saul my brother--son no more I name him, since he parts himself from me In counsel--yet I love him not the less--"