Dire failure still must be the fruit of recklessness. 175 Distinguish thou betimes the foolish from the wise; The end of each scan well; ’tis there the difference lies.” And still one more: “True wisdom strive thou to find out. True wisdom’s not the fruit of noble birth. Poor lout! Each ‘church’ has had in view to gain a happy end. But one and all have failed and could but fail. God send! To palm off jugglers’ tricks is not true wisdom’s part, Or man had never seen so many faiths take start.” And one again: “True wisdom thou hast surely found. Thou knowest men of wisdom;--wisdom’s safest ground. 180 Be manful. Let not men by fraud make mock of thee. Thy own path choose; turn not from it for aught thou see.” To one he said: “Thy unity is all in all; Besides thee, aught existence never had, nor shall.” One volume taught: “The universe is unity. Who teaches two exist, is but a squint-eye, he.” The last gave out: “A hundred really are but one.” Unless a madman, whom could have such doctrines won? In them these paradoxes fitly found their place, In words and sense his doctrines lacked all claim to grace. 185 Each volume was the antithesis of the next; If one was honey, poison was the other’s text. Wouldst thou escape his honey and his poison too, Forsake thou not the holy word of scripture true. Twelve volumes thus were writ with fraudulent research, By that Vazīr, the hidden foe of Jesu’s church. Jesu’s one-mindedness for him had no perfume; The wine of Jesu’s jar no _bouquet_ to his grume. A many-coloured garment washed in that pure wine, As snowy white comes out, and clear as is sunshine. 190 Not faded or plain-coloured, such as gives offence; But clear as crystal water, in which fishes glance. Dry land, chameleon-like, gay-coloured scenes displays; But fishes dry land shun; they love clear water’s sprays. What is the fish, and what the water, in my tale, That they should symbolise God’s kingdom on small scale? Whole shoals of fishes, great and small, the water’s realm, In adoration mute, with praise to God o’erwhelm. What showers of bounty from God’s outstretched hand Have made the seas with pearls of price to deck the strand! 195 What brilliant suns of brightest goodness must have shone, Ere clouds and sea could have produced the matchless stone![103] What rays of wisdom poured on water and on land Ere earth could nourish seed, yield corn to our demand! The earth, a faithful trustee, gives back what we sow, No fraud, embezzlement, in its trust do we know. This faithfulness to trust arises, with time’s run, From generous warmth infused by glow of justice’ sun. Whene’er God’s symbol quickening summer back doth bring, The mysteries of the earth straight from her bosom spring.