Awhile the council sat as in a trance, Unable or unwilling to bestir Themselves for speech or motion. But not all Are capable of awe. Some present there, Either through sad defect of nature proof, Or through long worldly habit seared and sealed, Against the access of heavenly influence, Bode unaware of anything divine Descended near them--carnal minds, immersed In sense, from shocks of spirit insulate, Calm, discomposure none from things unseen, The faculty for such experience lost, Pitiably self-possessed! and God Himself So nigh to have possessed them! These a space Waited to let the power a little pass, Wrought by Gamaliel on the council; then With tentative preamble, one of them Said that Gamaliel's words were words of weight, Weight well derived from character like his-- Whereat the speaker paused, with crafty eye Cast round from countenance to countenance, To read how much he safely might detract, By open difference or by sly demur, From the just value and authority Of mild Gamaliel's sentence. But small sign Saw he to hearten him in hope of ebb To the strong tide still standing at full flood That set in favor of the prisoners. He feebly closed with wish expressed--and wish It was, not hope--of hope no grounds he saw-- That some means might be found to save the shocked And staggering dignity--a dignity Ancient and sacred--of the Sanhedrim From sheer shipwreck. Some slight responsive stir Under such spur to pride emboldened one To trust they should at least sharply rebuke The prisoners, and take bond of word from them Not further to disturb the city's peace. Another following said, that had been tried Already once, with what result accrued Was plain to see. And now the Sanhedrim, Through various such suggestion commonplace, Relaxed somewhat from their late mood so tense, Grew readier to approve his voice who said: "The first offence we deemed condignly met With reprimand from us, and interdict. Those gentle means the prisoners once have scorned, And to our face assure us they will scorn. Now let such contumacious insolence Toward just authority too meek, be met, If not with death deserved, at least with stripes So heavy they shall wish it had been death." Such truculence renewed provoked a new Reaction. This, that councillor less stern Noted--who, with Gamaliel and with Saul, Refrained, when all the others hissed applause To Mattathias--noted, and with thrift Converted into opportunity.