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IGNATIUS.
From Antioch to Rome with eager feetThe rugged path of martyrdom he trod:
Doomed to the lions by an emperor's nod,
The lightning of their eyes he yearned to meet,
And thunder of their throats; for death was sweet
To one who fain would look upon his God;
And so with passionate lips he kissed the rod
Lifted at last to make his joy complete.
The tyrant's threatening and the wild beast's roar
But heralded the music of a Voice,
Waiting to greet him on the peaceful shore:
His direst anguish was his dearest choice,
Since rending teeth the envious curtain tore,
And face to face allowed him to rejoice.
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