“Into the living stock of Christ: may bear
“One day, till when they lie death-like, not dead,”—
Those who with all the aid of Christ lie thus,
How, without Christ, whither unaided, sink? (1900)
What but to this rehearsed before my eyes?
Do not we end, the century and I?
The impatient antimasque treads close on kibe
O’ the very masque’s self it will mock,—on me,
Last lingering personage, the impatient mime
Pushes already,—will I block the way?
Will my slow trail of garments ne’er leave space
For pantaloon, sock, plume, and castanet?
Here comes the first experimentalist
In the new order of things,—he plays a priest; (1910)
Does he take inspiration from the Church,
Directly make her rule his law of life?
Not he: his own mere impulse guides the man—
Happily sometimes, since ourselves admit
He had danced, in gaiety of heart, i’ the main
The right step in the maze we bade him foot.
What if his heart had prompted to break loose
And mar the measure? Why, we must submit
And thank the chance that brought him safely through.
Will he repeat the prodigy? Perhaps. (1920)
Can he teach others how to quit themselves,
Prove why this step was right, while that were wrong?
How should he? “Ask your hearts as I asked mine,
“And get discreetly through the morrice so;
“If your hearts misdirect you,—quit the stage,
“And make amends,—be there amends to make.”
Such is, for the Augustine that was once,
This Canon Caponsacchi we see now.
“And my heart answers to another tune,”
Puts in the Abate, second in the suite,
“I have my taste too, and tread no such step! (1930)
“You choose the glorious life, and may, for me,
“Who like the lowest of life’s appetites,—
“What you judge,—but the very truth of joy
“To my own apprehension which must judge.
“Call me knave and you get yourself called fool!
“I live for greed, ambition, lust, revenge;
“Attain these ends by force, guile: hypocrite,
“To-day, perchance to-morrow recognised
“The rational man, the type of commonsense.” (1940)
There’s Loyola adapted to our time!
Under such guidance Guido plays his part,
He also influencing in due turn
These last clods where I track intelligence
By any glimmer, those four at his beck
Ready to murder any, and, at their own,
As ready to murder him,—these are the world!
And, first effect of the new cause of things,
There they lie also duly,—the old pair
Of the weak head and not so wicked heart, (1950)
And the one Christian mother, wife and girl,
—Which three gifts seem to make an angel up,—
The first foot of the dance is on their heads!
On the exit: and my last act, as my first,
I owe the scene, and Him who armed me thus
With Paul’s sword as with Peter’s key. I smite
With my whole strength once more, then end my part,
Ending, so far as man may, this offence.
And when I raise my arm, what plucks my sleeve? (1960)
Who stops me in the righteous function,—foe
Or friend? O, still as ever, friends are they
Who, in the interest of outraged truth
Deprecate such rough handling of a lie!
The facts being proved and incontestable,
What is the last word I must listen to?
Is it “Spare yet a term this barren stock,
“We pray thee dig about and dung and dress
“Till he repent and bring forth fruit even yet?”
Is it “So poor and swift a punishment (1970)
“Shall throw him out of life with all that sin?
“Let mercy rather pile up pain on pain
“Till the flesh expiate what the soul pays else?”
Nowise! Remonstrance on all sides begins
Instruct me, there’s a new tribunal now
Higher than God’s,—the educated man’s!
Nice sense of honour in the human breast
Supersedes here the old coarse oracle—
Confirming handsomely a point or so
Wherein the predecessor worked aright (1980)
By rule of thumb: as when Christ said,—when, where?
Enough, I find it in a pleading here,—
“All other wrongs done, patiently I take:
“But touch my honour and the case is changed!
“I feel the due resentment,—nemini
“Honorem trado, is my quick retort.”
Right of Him, just as if pronounced to-day!
Still, should the old authority be mute,
Or doubtful, or in speaking clash with new,
The younger takes permission to decide. (1990)
At last we have the instinct of the world
Ruling its household without tutelage,
And while the two laws, human and divine,
Have busied finger with this tangled case,
In the brisk junior pushes, cuts the knot,
Pronounces for acquittal. How it trips
Silverly o’er the tongue! “Remit the death!
“Forgive…well, in the old way, if thou please,
“Decency and the relics of routine
“Respected,—let the Count go free as air! (2000)
“Since he may plead a priest’s immunity,—
“The minor orders help enough for that,
“With Farinacci’s licence,—who decides
“That the mere implication of such man,
“So privileged, in any cause, before
“Whatever court except the Spiritual,
“Straight quashes the procedure,—quash it, then!
“It proves a pretty loophole of escape
“Moreover, that, beside the patent fact
“O’ the law’s allowance, there’s involved the weal (2010)
“O’ the Popedom: a son’s privilege at stake,
“Thou wilt pretend the Church’s interest,
“Ignore all finer reasons to forgive!
“But herein lies the proper cogency—
“(Let thy friends teach thee while thou tellest beads)
“That in this case the spirit of culture speaks,
“Civilisation is imperative.
“To her shall we remand all delicate points
“Henceforth, nor take irregular advice
“O’ the sly, as heretofore: she
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