Chapter 99
Joan. iii. 1-21.
Nox erat, et Christum, Doctor male docte, petebas In Christo tenebras depositure tuas.
Ille autem multo dum te bonus irrigat ore, Atque per arcanas ducit in alta vias, Sol venit, et primo pandit se flore diei, Ludit et in dubiis aureus horror aquis.
Sol oritur; sed adhuc, et adhuc tamen, o bone, nescis.
Sol oritur, tec.u.m nox tamen est, et adhuc.....
Non cli, illa fuit, nox fuit illa tua.
_Nicodemus._
'Twas night; and, Teacher all untaught, Thy darkness thou to Christ hast brought But while attent He speaks to thee Benignant words, that thou mayst see, Leading higher still and higher, As thy yearnings do aspire, Guiding thee, by sure grace given, Through secret paths that reach to heaven; Lo, the Sun on thee is risen, Bursting from his cloudy prison, Showing Him, the Life, the Way, Flus.h.i.+ng with first bloom of day, Quivering with a golden light Such as on wav'ring seas gleams bright.
The Sun is risen; yet darkness lies, Good Nicodemus, on thine eyes; But the night's thine own; for, lo, All heav'n above doth l.u.s.trous glow. G.
XXIV.
_Domitiano de S. Johanne ad portam Lat._
Ergo ut inultus eas? sed nec tamen ibis inultus, Sic violare ausus meque meosque deos.
Ure oleo, lictor. Oleo parat urere lictor: Sed quem uri lictor credidit, unctus erat.
Te quoque sic olei virtus malefida fefellit?
Sic tua te Pallas, Domitiane, juvat?
_To Domitian, concerning St. John commanded to be cast into a caldron of boiling oil._
Thou go unpunish'd? That shall never be, Since thou hast dar'd to mock my G.o.ds and me.
Burn him in oil!--The lictor oil prepares: Behold the Saint anointed unawares!
With such elusive virtue was the oil fraught!
Such aid thy olive-loving Pallas brought![89] R. WI.
XXV.
_In Baptistam vocem._ Joan. i. 23.
Tantum habuit Baptista loqui, tot flumina
Ecce autem Verb.u.m est unum tantum ille loquutus: Uno sed Verbo cuncta loquutus erat.
_The voice of the Baptist._
The Baptist had to speak such floods of things, That well he might be Voice and nothing more: But one word only, lo, Christ speaks, which brings In one word all: My soul that Word adore! G.
XXVI.
_In D. Petrum angelo solutum._ Act. xii. 6, 7.
Mors tibi et Herodes instant: c.u.m nuncius ales Gaudia fert, quae tu somnia ferre putas.
Quid tantum dedit ille, rogo, tibi? Vincula solvit, Mors tibi et Herodes nonne dedisset idem?
_On St. Peter loosed by the angel._
Death, Herod, press on thee; when angel's wing Brings joys which thou supposest dreams to bring.
What gave he thee? Thy chains burst at his touch; But Death and Herod would have given as much. R. WI.
XXVII.
_Relictis omnibus sequuti sunt eum._ Luc. v. 28.
Ad nutum Domini abjecisti retia, Petre.
Tam bene non unquam jacta fuere prius.
Scilicet hoc recte jacere est tua retia, Petre, Nimirum, Christus c.u.m jubet, abjicere.
_On St. Peter casting away his nets at our Saviour's call._
Thou hast the art on't, Peter, and canst tell To cast thy nets on all occasions well.
When Christ calls, and thy nets would have thee stay, To cast them well's to cast them quite away. CR.
ANOTHER VERSION.
At the Lord's word thy nets were cast away: Never before thy nets so well were cast.
Rightly to cast them is to cast away, When once The Master's order has been pa.s.s'd. G.
XXVIII.
_Agnus Dei, qui tollit peccata mundi._ Joan. i. 36.
Ergo tot heu, torvas facies, tot in ora leonum, In tot castra lupum qui meat, Agnus erit?
Hic tot in horribiles, quot sunt mea crimina, pardos?
Hic tot in audaces ungue vel ore feras?
Ah melius, pugiles quis enim commiserit istos?
Quos sua non faciunt arma vel ira pares.
_The Lamb of G.o.d, Who bears away the sins of the world._
Shall He, then, be a Lamb, to go Forth against such various foe?
Lions ravenous, great of jaw; Wolves in vast herds, of mighty paw; Pards vengeful, prowling out and in-- Frightful, num'rous as my sin-- Awful of face, and gaunt and grim, Merciless to mangle limb by limb.
Ah, goest Thou, gentle One, 'gainst these?
And does terror upon Thee seize?
O how unequal is the strife, And the prey so grand a life!
With such as these to fight art fated?
Nor in arms nor pa.s.sion mated. G.
XXIX.
_Pisces multiplicati._ Joan. xxi. 11.