LXXXIV.

What! out of senseless Nothing to provoke
A conscious Something to resent the yoke
Of unpermitted Pleasure, under pain
Of Everlasting Penalties, if broke!

LXXXV.

What! from his helpless Creature be repaid
Pure Gold for what he lent us dross-allay'd-
Sue for a Debt we never did contract,
And cannot answer-Oh the sorry trade!

LXXXVI.

Nay, but, for terror of his wrathful Face,
I swear I will not call Injustice Grace;

Not one Good Fellow of the Tavern but
Would kick so poor a Coward from the place.

LXXXVII.

Oh Thou, who didst with pitfall and with gin
Beset the Road I was to wander in,

Thou wilt not with Predestin'd Evil round
Enmesh, and then impute my Fall to Sin?

LXXXVIII.

Oh Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,
And ev❜n with Paradise devise the Snake:

For all the Sin the Face of wretched Man

Is black with-Man's Forgiveness give-and take!

*

LXXXIX.

As under cover of departing Day

Slunk hunger-stricken Ramazán away,

Once more within the Potter's house alone I stood, surrounded by the Shapes of Clay.

XC.

And once again there gather'd a scarce heard
Whisper among them; as it were, the stirr'd

Ashes of some all but extinguisht Tongue,
Which mine ear kindled into living Word.

XCI.

Said one among them-" Surely not in vain, "My Substance from the common Earth was ta'en, "That He who subtly wrought me into Shape "Should stamp me back to shapeless Earth again ?”

XCII.

Another said "Why, ne'er a peevish Boy

"Would break the Cup from which he drank in Joy;

"Shall He that of his own free Fancy made

"The Vessel, in an after-rage destroy !"

XCIII.

None answer'd this; but after silence spake

Some Vessel of a more ungainly Make;

66

They sneer at me for leaning all awry ;

"What! did the Hand then of the Potter shake?"

XCIV.

Thus with the Dead as with the Living, What?
And Why? so ready, but the Wherefor not,

One on a sudden peevishly exclaim'd,
"Which is the Potter, pray, and which the Pot?"

XCV.

Said one-" Folks of a surly Master tell,

"And daub his Visage with the Smoke of Hell; "They talk of some sharp Trial of us-Pish! "He's a Good Fellow, and 'twill all be well."

XCVI.

"Well," said another, "Whoso will, let try, "My Clay with long oblivion is gone dry : "But, fill me with the old familiar Juice, "Methinks I might recover by-and-bye!"

XCVII.

So while the Vessels one by one were speaking,
One spied the little Crescent all were seeking:

25

And then they jogg'd each other, "Brother! Brother! "Now for the Porter's shoulder-knot a-creaking!"

XCVIII.

Ah, with the Grape my fading Life provide, And wash my Body whence the Life has died, And lay me, shrouded in the living Leaf, By some not unfrequented Garden-side.

XCIX.

Whither resorting from the vernal Heat
Shall Old Acquaintance Old Acquaintance greet,
Under the Branch that leans above the Wall

To shed his Blossom over head and feet.

C.

Then ev'n my buried Ashes such a snare
Of Vintage shall fling up into the Air,
As not a True-believer passing by
But shall be overtaken unaware.

CI.

Indeed the Idols I have loved so long

Have done my credit in Men's eye much wrong:

Have drown'd my Glory in a shallow Cup,

And sold my Reputation for a Song.

CII.

Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before

I swore but was I sober when I swore?

And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand My thread-bare Penitence apieces tore.

CIII.

And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel,
And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour-Well,
I often wonder what the Vintners buy
One half so precious as the ware they sell.

CIV.

Yet Ah, that Spring should vanish with the Rose !
That Youth's sweet-scented manuscript should close!
The Nightingale that in the branches sang,
Ah whence, and whither flown again, who knows!

CV.

Would but the Desert of the Fountain yield

One glimpse-if dimly, yet indeed reveal❜d,

Toward which the fainting Traveller might spring, As springs the trampled herbage of the field!

CVI.

Oh if the World were but to re-create,

That we might catch ere closed the Book of Fate,

And make The Writer on a fairer leaf

Inscribe our names, or quite obliterate!